Ross Ulbricht has yet to receive commutation for his prison sentence from President Donald Trump, dashing hopes from advocates, in the immediate term, to set the notorious figure free.
After spending a session in the Oval Office signing executive orders, President Trump now heads to the Commander in Chief Ball and the Liberty Ball to celebrate.
It is unclear whether Trump intends to pardon or commute Ulbricht’s sentence in the coming weeks. A White House spokesperson did not immediately respond to Decrypt’s request for comment.
“If you vote for me, on day one, I will commute the sentence of Ross Ulbricht,” Trump told attendees at the 2024 Libertarian National Convention in May last year, sparking renewed hope for the Silk Road founder’s freedom.
Ulbricht, now 40, responded from prison with gratitude. “After 11 years in prison, it is hard to express how I feel at this moment,” he wrote on X at the time, thanking supporters who kept his case alive.
President Trump’s promise stated he would “commute” Ulbricht’s sentence, as opposed to a pardon. A commutation reduces the severity of a criminal sentence while maintaining the underlying conviction, shortening pris…
