back to article Silk Road's Dread Pirate Roberts walks free as Trump pardons dark web kingpin

Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht is now a free man after US President Donald Trump made good on his promise to issue a federal pardon upon taking office. Otherwise known by his online handle "Dread Pirate Roberts," Ulbricht was sentenced to two life sentences in 2015, plus an additional 40 years, with no chance of parole for …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "His family is also now appealing for donations to help Ulbricht reintegrate into society, accepting payment from the likes of PayPal and various cryptocurrencies including, yes, Bitcoin."

    Of course they are....

    Crowdfunding, so much easier than raffles, bale sales, charity gigs, etc., has helped a lot of deserving people, but it has enabled so much grift.

    1. Prst. V.Jeltz Silver badge

      Its embarrassing in this case .

      1. Doctor Syntax Silver badge

        Only to those with at least a vestige of conscience.

    2. Eclectic Man Silver badge
      Unhappy

      re: Bitcoin, plus

      accepting payment from the likes of PayPal and various cryptocurrencies including, yes, Bitcoin

      But, what about Trump coin?: https://www.reuters.com/technology/trumps-new-crypto-token-jumps-ahead-his-inauguration-2025-01-20/

      I must say that Ross Ulbricht does not come out well in the movie, Silk Road, (he is played by the actor Nick Robinson). While he wanted drugs to be available to everyone who could pay for them, and also fake documents like passports, he certainly, if the movie is to be believed, had no real worries about breaking laws, avoiding taxes or encouraging drug addiction. If you are the prime enabler of a major increase in a form of serious criminal activity, then surely you are guilty of something?

      And Trump's description of the DEA agents who caught him as 'scum' ("The scum that worked to convict him were some of the same lunatics who were involved in the modern day weaponization of government against me. He was given two life sentences, plus 40 years. Ridiculous!") have due cause to be very offended at this attack on them. Trump has already pardoned one of the J6 'hostages' who pressed a Taser to a police officer's neck, and one who took a firearm into the Capitol building and others who assaulted police officers. I just wonder how happy the US law enforcement community is with their new president.

      In the UK we have the offence of Aiding and Abetting crimes, being an accessory or just having common cause with whoever committed the offence.

      1. HereIAmJH Silver badge

        Re: re: Bitcoin, plus

        I just wonder how happy the US law enforcement community is with their new president.

        I'm surprised the Capitol Police hasn't seen mass resignations. I wonder how difficult recruitment is going to be in the future. And, if there is another attack on the Capitol, will they just stand aside and watch? The pardons made it a whole lot more dangerous to be in Congress.

        1. JoeCool Silver badge

          Re: re: Bitcoin, plus

          replacement recruitment is already planned: it will be kicked off by mass pardons for organized groups that committed sedition. the proud boys, oath keepers, and secret military cliques will then be invited to join, they will be given brown shirt uniforms and the force will be renamed to something that sounds dangerous and threatening. then they will take over personal protection duties for der Fraudster

          1. jake Silver badge

            Re: re: Bitcoin, plus

            "they will be given brown shirt uniforms"

            More likely, they will be ordered to purchase their Trump[tm] brown shirt uniforms and jackboots (made in China) from Trump Enterprises LLC, to help prove their fealty.

            1. JoeCool Silver badge

              Re: re: Bitcoin, plus

              ... using Trump Coin.

          2. UnknownUnknown

            Re: re: Bitcoin, plus

            Jesse Plimon’s character in Civil War (2024) about covers it, and I’m sure Trump will override any security vetting concerns.

            “What sort of ‘Merican are you’ ??

            https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Etf0yx4wHpg

        2. Tilda Rice

          Re: re: Bitcoin, plus

          > And, if there is another attack on the Capitol

          Which can simply be avoided if the legal system isn't weaponised by states, the US intelligence services not allowing a child to take pot shots at a political rival, and to stopping election interference in swings states like Pennsylvania. If the loony left hadn't gone too far, it wouldn't have allowed a more extreme opponent on the right to emerge from the shadows. The Internet has made people act so extremely that it produces lunatics on both sides. Moderation and common sense died a long time ago due to social media.

          1. Casca Silver badge

            Re: re: Bitcoin, plus

            And the loony right wing muppet has arrived.

          2. anonymous boring coward Silver badge

            Re: re: Bitcoin, plus

            You funny!

        3. midgepad

          The armed officers ...

          ...whose paths are to their Constitution, and are around the GOP and administration?

          No, I don't think they should be resigning.

  2. dangerous race

    The original sentence was stupid harsh, but crimes were committed. Maybe he didn't mean any harm but I suspect Silk Road traders may have allowed people to harm others, or themselves, in some form or other. Releasing Ulbricht now is good. He can go whistle for any financial help tho.

    1. Prst. V.Jeltz Silver badge

      I'm really surprised about this cash plea , makes the family look like grifters . I wonder if Ross U is ok with it - you'd think he'd just be happy to be out. I'm sure his middle class parents can cover the bus journey home and new shirt.

      1. jake Silver badge

        "makes the family look like grifters"

        It's a Republican thing. Have you bought the latest Trump merch yet?

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Perhaps we can say: Time Served.

      Ulbright *did* commit crimes. Ten or twelve years seems not unreasonable to the crime(s). (Except, maybe, the contract killings -- but they didn't succeed.)

      Perhaps they couldn't have done "Time Served" as opposed to "Full Pardon," but then you have to consider the one performing the act.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Burdick v. United States, 236 U.S. 79 (1915)

        In Burdick v. United States, 236 U.S. 79 (1915), SCOTUS ruled that accepting a pardon is an admission of guilt and can be used as such in Federal Civil proceedings as well as all State Criminal & Civil proceedings (& local Criminal & Civil proceedings). In other words, if you accept the pardon & then are sued, you lose.

        1. bazza Silver badge

          Re: Burdick v. United States, 236 U.S. 79 (1915)

          Ooooo, that could be interesting!

          Imagine all those policemen / women who got hurt during the Capitol riot. If they now sued their pardonned attackers, perhaps they could make those folk wish they'd stayed inside!

          1. TheMeerkat Silver badge

            Re: Burdick v. United States, 236 U.S. 79 (1915)

            > Imagine all those policemen / women who got hurt during the Capitol riot

            More police are hurt in riots instigated by the other side.

            This obsession of a demo that for a reason of FBI incompetence ended up temporarily occupying Capitol is just stupid.

            1. Sitaram Chamarty

              Re: Burdick v. United States, 236 U.S. 79 (1915)

              true.

              Off the top of my head, Dereck Chauvin's knees were hurt by George Floyd's neck. I'm sure there are other examples.

            2. LBJsPNS Bronze badge

              Re: Burdick v. United States, 236 U.S. 79 (1915)

              Delusional.

        2. Eclectic Man Silver badge

          Re: Burdick v. United States, 236 U.S. 79 (1915)

          That is interesting, in today's paper there is an article that Pam Hemphill has turned down the offer of a pardon on the basis that she committed the crime, had pleaded guilty and deserved her sentence.

          This does raise the issue of being an innocent person imprisoned, offered a pardon and desperate to get out, having to decide on honesty versus freedom.

          1. LucreLout

            Re: Burdick v. United States, 236 U.S. 79 (1915)

            If honesty was a factor in most criminals actions, they wouldn't be criminals. You've spent longer reading this than they'll spend weighing your argument.

            1. Anonymous Coward
              Anonymous Coward

              Re: Burdick v. United States, 236 U.S. 79 (1915)

              Whoosh.

              In some cases, the accused-but-really-innocent has to make the decision between declaring their innocence and then being convicted, or "admitting" guilt by accepting a plea deal or pardon to go free. Sometimes someone accepting a pardon really is innocent.

    3. HereIAmJH Silver badge

      Commute vs Pardon

      If the original sentence was too harsh, he could have commuted the sentence. That would have released him from prison while leaving the convictions intact.

      And example is Leonard Peltier. Biden didn't pardon him, he commuted his sentence to house arrest. After he had served 50 years. At 80 years old, I doubt he is much of a threat to society any longer.

      My suspicion is Don Jr is running low on coke.

    4. Philo T Farnsworth Silver badge

      I find myself agreeing with the sentiment but perhaps not the application.

      US sentences are, in general, far too harsh and they rarely have any sort of rehabilitative value -- they're just revenge.

      I fully understand the compulsion for retribution -- as mentioned in another posting, a close colleague of mine was murdered while attempting to thwart a burglary of his vehicle. I was very angry for a very long time about that. To an extent, I still am.

      But, still, revenge produces just bitterness and more revenge -- you can only look at recent events in the Middle East to see that writ large. Writ small and personal, prolonged and often cruel incarceration rarely produces better people.

      Some countries take what might be considered a more enlightened approach to crime and punishment.

      Norway, for instance, has "maximum custodial sentence is 21 years (30 for crimes against humanity and only life imprisonment for military crimes)1 (emphasis mine)." How well does that work? Well, "Norway has one of the lowest recidivism rates in the world2" so maybe they're doing something right.

      Having said all of that, I do wonder if the miscreant was named, say, Raul "Pirata Temido Roberto" Uvalde instead of Ross "Dread Pirate Roberts" Ulbricht whether we'd be having this conversation at all.

      __________________

      1 Incarceration in Norway

      2 Loc. cit.

      1. sitta_europea Silver badge

        "...prolonged and often cruel incarceration rarely produces better people."

        If the sentence was life plus 40 years without parole, I doubt that producing a better person was top of the agenda.

        "... I do wonder if the miscreant was named, say, Raul "Pirata Temido Roberto" Uvalde instead of Ross "Dread Pirate Roberts" Ulbricht whether we'd be having this conversation at all."

        You make a fair point.

      2. MachDiamond Silver badge

        "US sentences are, in general, far too harsh and they rarely have any sort of rehabilitative value -- they're just revenge."

        It might be in compensation for the many times the "justice" system let's people out over and over on something such as a signature bond to re offend to the point where notice has to be taken. I find some of the shows on crime to be scary when it comes to people that are too often not punished for their bad behavior.

        Ross should have been put away for a considerable period of time for facilitating an enormous amount of illegal activities. He wasn't so much selling drugs, firearms and forged documents himself as much as building and running a platform to make it possible. I expect I would share in charges if I started up an Assassin's Guild to train students on how to kill people but never did the deeds myself.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Why Now?

    Surely Trump could have pardoned him during his previouse presidency? Or is it only due to the 'support' his campaign was given? Was any of this support finacial and if so, does this constitute bribery?

    1. Prst. V.Jeltz Silver badge

      Re: Why Now?

      For some inexplicable reason its not called bribery when you lobby politicians.

      1. phuzz Silver badge

        Re: Why Now?

        Depends on where you are. What's called 'lobbying' in the US would count as bribery in most countries.

        (Although in this case I doubt Ulbricht's mum did any bribing, other people might have though)

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Why Now?

        It's not a bribe, it's a tip. Just like Uber, remember to tip your president as you leave jail

      3. nobody who matters Silver badge

        Re: Why Now?

        <........"For some inexplicable reason its not called bribery when you lobby politicians."......>

        It is in the UK; the biggest problem is catching them at it though :(

        1. Prst. V.Jeltz Silver badge

          Re: Why Now?

          Well sometimes they write it down in the parlimental bribery log book - like Starma and his concert tickets

      4. MachDiamond Silver badge

        Re: Why Now?

        "For some inexplicable reason its not called bribery when you lobby politicians."

        In motorsports, it's called "Sponsorship". In art it's called "Patronage".

    2. jake Silver badge

      Re: Why Now?

      It's to deflect attention away from all the other, more complicated things the anti-american Trump is doing to destabilize and bring down the US.

    3. Sorry that handle is already taken. Silver badge

      Re: Why Now?

      It's funny* how blatant it is. It's quite obviously a kickback but they simply don't care any more.

      *Well it isn't funny, but you have to laugh anyway...

      1. MachDiamond Silver badge

        Re: Why Now?

        "It's funny* how blatant it is. It's quite obviously a kickback but they simply don't care any more."

        It's the blatancy that's triggering people. Lightly polished the surface of politics and the corruption underneath is clear to see. It used to be quite buried.

    4. sitta_europea Silver badge

      Re: Why Now?

      "...only due to the 'support' his campaign was given?"

      I have no doubt. Doesn't Trump still owe over eighty million dollars to somebody that he sexually assaulted? He has to pay it somehow.

      1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

        Re: Why Now?

        >He has to pay it somehow.

        Did you know the word "gullible" isn't actually in the dictionary?

    5. Wang Cores

      Re: Why Now?

      Trump is capable of reading a room, and knows he needs as much credibility with anti-government types as he can get so courted the insane libertarian cohort who believes every man is his own nation (and not in a good way) by tweeting "ROSS ULBRICHT WAS UNJUSTLY IMPRISONED - VOTE FOR ME TO PARDON HIM" and they turned out.

      DPR also had a shitload of bitcoin, so it could potentially also be an opportunity for profit as well.

  4. Omnipresent Silver badge

    but cartels?!

    The frumpy kingpin specifically stated anybody that donates a billion dollars will get priority.

    Crime,

    crime,

    crime,

    felony,

    felony,

    felony....

    There are no more laws. There is no good left. It's only evil, and all the criminals that comes with it.

    1. dangerous race
      Happy

      Re: but cartels?!

      You can't spell felon without elon.

      1. Benegesserict Cumbersomberbatch Silver badge

        F.Elon Musk

        I demand to know what his real first name is! Show us the Birth Certificate!

    2. jake Silver badge

      Re: but cartels?!

      Do you really expect a convicted felon to obey the law?

    3. JoeCool Silver badge

      Re: but cartels?!

      yeah, this is the big point. You can debate the appropriatenes, but the sentence was delivered under full due proccess of american justice, and the really troubling part is Trump and the Republicans are now systematically monetizing justice. The US isn't becoming an oligarchy ...

    4. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: but cartels?!

      and his partner Biden Pre-pardons everyone in his family but himself, is pretty effed up. I wonder what changes he expects them to face.

      I lost all trust in the US government once I got old enough (40 years ago) to understand it well.

      Only greedy people take positions of power, because those are the only people that want those jobs.

      Expecting anything else, is crazy.

      1. UnknownUnknown

        Re: but cartels?!

        Biden has absolute immunity for (official) acts whilst President. He benefits too from the SCOTUS stupidity in elevating a President to a Monarch.

        Trump is invited to strike this down ….. through Congress.

  5. Howard Sway Silver badge

    sentenced to two life sentences, plus an additional 40 years,

    Always enjoyed the lack of logic at work when reading about US sentences like this being passed. That additional 40 years must be such a drag after having died twice in prison already.

    1. Doctor Syntax Silver badge

      Re: sentenced to two life sentences, plus an additional 40 years,

      Suppose that two of the convictions had been overturned on appeal. Now do you see the logic of multiple sentences?

      However, as we have seen, logic is now out of fashion in US government.

      1. MachDiamond Silver badge

        Re: sentenced to two life sentences, plus an additional 40 years,

        "Suppose that two of the convictions had been overturned on appeal. "

        It also has an effect on eligibility for parole. Even in cases where the sentence says that somebody isn't eligible, that's not always carved in stone.

        The odd sentencing is when somebody is convicted on multiple charges with punishment to run concurrently. I expect that's it's often for the same reasons since consecutive sentences can be so long as to be meaningless.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: sentenced to two life sentences, plus an additional 40 years,

      Usually it's a matter of commuted or lessened sentences, or "good behavior" shortening of time-to-be-served.

      People usually get out early for a lot of different reasons, and the multiple life sentences, and additional years, is a way to ensure that people *really do* stay in jail for (ever) a very long time.

      Keep in mind too: the US is one of: "An eye for an eye," "One's debt to society," "A punishment fit for the crime," etc. It's not about rehabilitation or reintroducing people into society. It's all about hurting members of society that they don't like - and don't ever believe someone who says anything otherwise ("rehabilitation"). Torture, suffering, pain, slavery - that is the goal of the American (in)justice system.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: sentenced to two life sentences, plus an additional 40 years,

        "Torture, suffering, pain, slavery - that is the goal of the American (in)justice system."

        The US has the best justice system money can buy.

        1. Captain Boing

          Re: sentenced to two life sentences, plus an additional 40 years,

          I agree, Harris keeping those mostly black men incarcerated past their release dates and refusing to submit evidence which cleared at least two individuals should see her in The Hague.

          1. ecofeco Silver badge

            Re: sentenced to two life sentences, plus an additional 40 years,

            LOL wut?

            Oh boy, have I got some bitcoin for you!

    3. rcxb Silver badge

      Re: sentenced to two life sentences, plus an additional 40 years,

      That additional 40 years must be such a drag after having died twice in prison already.

      The sentence passed in US courts are the MAXIMUM. i.e. Those who receive a "life" sentence can serve as little as 2 years (longer is far more common). A true life sentence is only when explicitly stated as "without the possibility of parole".

      Multiple life sentences, plus extra years, is desirable in the event that one of the individual charges is overturned on appeal... the convict will still have to serve the other life sentence in that situation.

      e.g. "So instead of the original charge and a possible sentence of two years in the brig, they've been found guilty on another charge and got an entirely different two years in the brig. That's going to be a great comfort to them." - Red Dwarf

      And in the US, this differs from state to state, or state vs federal trials. Lots of details here:

      https://recordinglaw.com/how-long-is-a-life-sentence/

      This is the opposite of many other countries' court systems, which may sentence someone to a short prison term, then later revise it to be longer. That can't happen in the US. There are also no retrials in the US if someone is acquitted... the government gets just one try to convict, while convicts can repeatedly appeal to get sentences reduced, or fully exonerated.

      1. MachDiamond Silver badge

        Re: sentenced to two life sentences, plus an additional 40 years,

        "https://recordinglaw.com/how-long-is-a-life-sentence/"

        That's a really good reference! Thank you.

      2. MachDiamond Silver badge

        Re: sentenced to two life sentences, plus an additional 40 years,

        " the government gets just one try to convict, while convicts can repeatedly appeal to get sentences reduced, or fully exonerated."

        In the case of a hung jury where a unanimous decision can't be reached by a jury, the court can be dissolved and a new court assigned. Once a determination has been reached, yes, one cannot be tried again. Once a sentence is pronounced, it can be shorted or commuted, but not lengthened. I'm not sure if the time it takes to be eligible for parole can be changed.

    4. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: sentenced to two life sentences, plus an additional 40 years,

      Another aspect of the USA criminal justice system is sometimes sentences can be served at the same time while other times sentences have to be served consecutively (parallel vs serial). This article didn't say which way the sentences were being served.

      1. jake Silver badge

        Re: sentenced to two life sentences, plus an additional 40 years,

        "(parallel vs serial)"

        Concurrent or consecutive.

        1. Prst. V.Jeltz Silver badge

          Re: sentenced to two life sentences, plus an additional 40 years,

          tomayto tomahto

          1. Jedit Silver badge

            Re: sentenced to two life sentences, plus an additional 40 years,

            No, there's a very big difference between consecutive and concurrent.

            Let's say you commit six counts of Aggravated Shitposting and get six sentences of 10 years served concurrently. After three or four years - I forget the exact percentage of time served, I think it's 30% but it might be 40% - you will be eligible for parole on all six sentences and will probably be freed if you're paroled on any of them. If you're serving those sentences consecutively, then after the three or four years you're only eligible for parole on the first sentence and even if you are paroled, you have to start from scratch serving time on the second. So with concurrent sentences you serve a maximum of 10 years even if you are deemed to be an irredeemable shitposter, but with consecutive sentences you'd serve at least 18 to 24 years even if you're deemed to be rehabilitated.

  6. Phones Sheridan Silver badge
    Facepalm

    I think we need a new topic called "Trump" on the site seeing as we're going to be reading so much about him in the next 4 years.

    1. MonkeyJuice Bronze badge

      Some sites have recently added an optional 'Dark theme'.

      Maybe thereg should have a 'Stupid theme'.

      1. jake Silver badge

        Just so long as they don't use Comic Sans ...

        1. ChoHag Silver badge
          Trollface

          My first ever downvoteon this site, sorry.

          Please quote everything Trump says in Comic Sans.

          1. jake Silver badge
            Pint

            a) I never see votes (up, or down). All they are is noise. Add blockers are your friend, and not just for adds anymore.

            b) My comment was about El Reg taking on an over-all "stupid" theme. I'll bet you don't want to see all of ElReg in Comic Sans, either.

            c) Have a beer.

    2. Yes Me Silver badge
      Devil

      Icon not found

      I think we can simply ask Vulture Central to provide a new icon; they never replaced Paris. For now we can make do with this ---->

    3. PB90210 Silver badge

      The Bugle's latest podcast is '1460 Days To Go' and Last Leg on C4 had a countdown of how many seconds to go until he's out (provided he hasn't made himself Pres for life in the meantime)

  7. IGotOut Silver badge

    This is a tricky one.

    The sentence was complete and utter bullshit and the judges were loaded against him.

    Part of his sentence was due to him wanting to hire hitmen. The problem is, he was never arrested, tried, nor convicted for that crime. Yet the judge still used that in his summing up. Each judicial body pretty much went "nah can't be bothered".

    So it was a complete fit up when it came to sentencing.

    But should he be pardoned? Nope

    1. Sorry that handle is already taken. Silver badge
      FAIL

      Re: This is a tricky one.

      Is the fact that he documented everything he did, including his thought processes when he decided and then attempted to have those people killed, not at all important to you? He wasn't tried and found not liable for those offences; he simply wasn't tried, because it was unnecessary at the time.

      His sentence was as stiff as it was only partly because of the attempted murder for hire. He was found guilty of multiple very serious crimes and exhibited absolutely no remorse or even understanding that what he did was wrong.

    2. Benegesserict Cumbersomberbatch Silver badge

      Re: This is a tricky one.

      The people who call themselves tough on crime know the crime they want toughness against when they see it, and this ain't it.

      Walking past someone's front door while African American in Florida, that's the sort of crime that needs someone to be tough on. Lethal force authorised.

      All the crimes that Mango Largo just pardoned - not really crime.

      What really offends the tech bros was the fact that some part of the sentence was deterrence: Anyone else tries this, look what you'll get. Now, under 47, the gates aren't just unlocked, but wide open.

  8. mark l 2 Silver badge

    If the US justice system didn't come out with such ridiculous long sentences in the first place then it probably wouldn't need a pardon.

    Considering hes done about 10 years in prison now then this seems a reasonable amount for the crimes he did. But getting a pardon now means hes effectively never committed the crime so no criminal record, so he can now put it behind him like it hasn't happened. Unlike the others who helped operate the site who will have criminal records for life and might still be in prison for while yet.

    But of course he must me a white male as if he was a person of colour then im sure Trump would be claiming his sentence was too lenient and asking the supreme court to review it.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      FWIW, Trump also had the option to commute the sentence. NAL, but my understanding is that commuting is basically "yep, you're guilty, but the court imposed too harsh of a penalty on you, so you're good to go home now".

      1. Sorry that handle is already taken. Silver badge

        Another commenter mentioned this judgement that suggests accepting a pardon at least doesn't magically make you innocent.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          afaik this has always been the case in the UK

          Note this means there is no question of compensation for time spent in jail as there might be for someone whose conviction was quashed/reversed years after imprisonment (I'm not sure this is a thing in the US)

          1. doublelayer Silver badge

            "Note this means there is no question of compensation for time spent in jail as there might be for someone whose conviction was quashed/reversed years after imprisonment (I'm not sure this is a thing in the US)"

            It can be, especially if there was misconduct in law enforcement, prosecutorial, or judicial matters. It wouldn't apply to a pardoned or commuted person though.

  9. Philo T Farnsworth Silver badge

    If Pete Hegseth's nomination goes sour. . .

    We have our next Secretary of Defense nominee right here.

    1. Eclectic Man Silver badge
      Coat

      Re: If Pete Hegseth's nomination goes sour. . .

      NAH, with his experience in 'procurement' he'll be RFK Jr.'s deputy at Health.

      Coat please! The one with the white powder on the lapels.

  10. Boris the Cockroach Silver badge
    Unhappy

    The party of

    law and order................ yeah right.

    Contrast this with the confession of someone who took part in th jan 6th attempted election blocking riot.

    "I'm refusing a pardon because I know how wrong it was for us to do what we did that day"

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvged988377o

    But then its not on fox news entertainment so its not true..

    1. jake Silver badge

      Re: The party of

      Fox News is nothing more than the propaganda department for the Unamerican MAGA Party.

      Don't ignore them ... instead, use them as a warning for what is about to come.

      1. This post has been deleted by its author

      2. Sorry that handle is already taken. Silver badge

        Re: The party of

        Unfortunately there's a problem; they already tried that over the last year or so, but nobody was listening...

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Line go up for a while longer?

    So, anyone else think this is part of the biggest pump and dump scheme the world has seen yet? Ie, part of a scheme to keep the trajectory of cryptocurrencies upwards for a while?

    1. jake Silver badge

      Re: Line go up for a while longer?

      No. Trump is not capable of thinking that far out. Senility will do that to you.

      Neither is President Elon. Pot will do that to you.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Line go up for a while longer?

        Ketamine is a hell of a drug

  12. Androgynous Cupboard Silver badge

    Criminals look after their own

    Don by name, don by nature

  13. Eclectic Man Silver badge

    Pam Bondi - Attorney General

    I wonder how Trump's nomination for the new US Attorney General, Pam Bondi, will respond to questions about the presidential pardons of people who have been convicted of serious criminal offences, including Ulbricht, and the J6 'hostages' who assaulted police officers. Are the congressional confirmation hearings in the Capitol, protected by officers whose colleagues were assaulted?

    https://www.npr.org/2025/01/15/g-s1-42712/trump-cabinet-picks-pam-bondi-confirmation-hearing

    1. jake Silver badge

      Re: Pam Bondi - Attorney General

      "'hostages'"

      They were not hostages, not in any sense of the word. They were willing participants in an attempted insurrection, and got caught and jailed.

      Calling them "hostages" is nothing but more misdirection. Don't fall for it.

      1. IGotOut Silver badge

        Re: Pam Bondi - Attorney General

        That's why he put it in quotes.

      2. SundogUK Silver badge

        Re: Pam Bondi - Attorney General

        Insurrection is a federal crime under Title 18 U.S. Code § 2383. Not one person was charged, tried or convicted of insurrection or attempted insurrection for the events of J6.

        1. HereIAmJH Silver badge

          Re: Pam Bondi - Attorney General

          If you're being pedantic, no. Several were convicted of Seditious Conspiracy.

          American Heritage definition of Sedition:

          1. Conduct or language inciting rebellion against the authority of a state.

          2. Insurrection; rebellion.

          3. The raising of commotion in a state, not amounting to insurrection; conduct tending to treason, but without an overt act; excitement of discontent against the government, or of resistance to lawful authority.

          So keep on telling yourself it was a 'day of love', if it makes you feel better.

  14. Fruit and Nutcase Silver badge

    Trump coin

    Let's see what happens when he gets scammed and cleaned out of his crypto holdings.

    The Feds may catch the culprits, but will he let them go?

    1. jake Silver badge

      Re: Trump coin

      Well, his wife took him for about 7 billion over the weekend ...

  15. CowHorseFrog Silver badge

    So Trump spent his first day freeing this bastion of society instead of stopping the UKRAINE war on day one ?

    1. DS999 Silver badge

      I guess you missed where he threatened Russia with tariffs and sanctions if they don't end the war immediately. I guess he doesn't know the US imports almost nothing from Russia so tariffs are a non factor, and they are already so heavily sanctioned that additional sanctions will have very little effect. Or maybe Trump really is dumb enough to believe tariffs are a tax on another country, and that Russia will have to somehow pay the US if they export stuff to China lol

      He's too stupid to understand that Putin doesn't want to end the war now, he's hoping that with the pipeline of support from the US going away that Europe won't be able to support Ukraine enough to avoid Russia making slow gains by throwing bodies at it. He's even got North Korea to contribute soldiers, who based on reports from ones Ukraine captured thought they were going to Russia for training and had no idea they were being sent to die in someone else's war.

      1. anonymous boring coward Silver badge

        "I guess you missed where he threatened Russia with tariffs and sanctions if they don't end the war immediately"

        No one missed that. Did it stop the war in 24 hours?

      2. Not Yb Bronze badge

        Unfortunately it will take some time to get through the courts before the unconstitutional orders get separated from the merely political ones.

    2. Dan 55 Silver badge
      Joke

      I know... First insurrectionists, now PHP developers. I don't know how much lower he can go.

  16. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Tainted evidence?

    From the linked El Reg article:

    "Ulbricht also argued that his inability to introduce evidence of investigator corruption tainted his case. Former Secret Service agent Shaun Bridges and former Drug Enforcement Administration agent Carl Force, while working for those organizations, exploited their positions to steal bitcoin and were subsequently arrested and convicted of money laundering and obstruction of justice.

    Bridges was sentenced to 71 months in prison. Force, who also pleaded guilty to extortion, was sentenced to 78 months.

    Much of what these investigators did was not raised during Ulbricht's trial, but the judges don't see that as an issue."

    1. Prst. V.Jeltz Silver badge

      Re: Tainted evidence?

      I dont see that as an issue either . Its not as if the only evidence of his crimes came from these two.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Tainted evidence?

        All these down votes for tainted evidence concerns, is the Horizon posse in town?

        https://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2024/6/notes/division/2?view=plain

  17. Sorry that handle is already taken. Silver badge

    Double standards

    So today we learned that Chinese fentanyl is evil if the "evil Chinese" are sending it, but absolutely fine if a white libertarian is sending it.

    Likewise all that cocaine, evil if the "evil Mexicans" are sending it, but absolutely fine if a white libertarian is sending it.

    Illegal guns? Fine. Poisons that if you have a legitimate need for, you can obtain without going through the darkweb? Fine. Illegal pornography? Fine too! As long as it was sent by a white libertarian.

    But woe betide you if you were locked up for possession of a few milligrams of methamphetamine or crack cocaine and you're not a white libertarian.

    1. anonymous boring coward Silver badge

      Re: Double standards

      I agree in general, but I don't think he "sent" anything? "Just" facilitated exchanges. But I may be wrong.

  18. Grumpy Fellow
    WTF?

    So, can Silk Road resume operations?

    Asking for a friend.

    1. Sleep deprived

      Re: So, can Silk Road resume operations?

      Sure. Didn't his family say he was "given a second chance"?

  19. ecofeco Silver badge
    FAIL

    Insanity

    Utter insanity.

    1. Sorry that handle is already taken. Silver badge

      Re: Insanity

      We are truly living in the dumbest timeline

  20. StargateSg7 Bronze badge

    There is the more-than-slight-issue where Ulbricht TRIED to get a low-level drug dealer in White Rock, British Columbia, Canada MURDERED by trying to pay what turned-out-to-be a fake 1% Biker gang member to do a targeted hit and Ulbricht either got scammed himself OR it was an actual undercover RCMP operation (Royal Canadian Mounted Police -- i.e. Canada's version of the FBI) that tried to use a cryptocurrency to fund said Assassination/Targeted hit as a form of "entrapment". The fact that Ulbricht INITIATED the murder attempt shows HIS INTENT to commit a heinous crime and that should NOT have been pardoned! That's a 150 to 20 year sentenced right there just for that!

    Ulbricht is NOT an innocent man! He is a wanna-be murderer AND was an operator of website that traded in illicit goods and services. While his EARLIEST intention at a Silk Road marketplace was probably INTENDED to be a libertarian attempt at a free and open digital marketplace, the fact that there IS EVIDENCE of his attempted murder upon a "fellow drug dealer" definitely should have factored further in his pardon by Trump but was not!

    It should probably be noted that his 11 years in federal U.S. custody WAS NO PICNIC and U.S. prison conditions are beyond-harsh making even the worst UK prison look like a North London Horse & Hound Country Club! Let's just say he's been "Stretched Out" more than just a few times by the larger, stronger and more violent prisoners while in U.S. Federal Prison custody! He's been aching a heck of lot for 11 years in places where the sun don't shine!

    V

  21. Winkypop Silver badge
    FAIL

    Welcome to Dodge

    Don’t like the new Sheriff?

    Tough.

    ‘merica!

    1. Wang Cores

      Re: Welcome to Dodge

      Dodge City may be less lawless than the new America. At least you could run the snake-oil salesmen and hucksters out of town at gunpoint, but with them occupying every corner of government...

      1. PB90210 Silver badge

        Re: Welcome to Dodge

        Prior to his first term he did promise to 'drain the swamp'... and he promptly filled it with toxic waste!

        He's really doubling down on his promise this time round...

  22. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Fascist scum

    Next hacker and the Fed podcast will be an interesting listen if Trump called the FBI agents scum

  23. Captain Boing

    does trying to get your opponents knocked-off (5 times) not count... The Clintons must be getting trembly their record is in danger. (I don't care who you are, no-one has 46 friends liven't themselves, including 2 aircraft crashes, one mid air "explosion" and a guy who shot himself in the back of the head... twice)

    1. anonymous boring coward Silver badge
  24. Marty McFly Silver badge
    Pint

    FREE KEVIN!!

    Oh, oops. Wrong generation. Got my wrongly convicted threat actors mixed up for a moment.

    A beverage for both of them, although RIP Mr. Mitnick.

  25. spold Silver badge

    ARRRgh!

  26. anonymous boring coward Silver badge

    "His family is also now appealing for donations to help Ulbricht reintegrate into society"

    Screw that! What a bunch of grifters. Decent people struck down by illness or war actually need money rather than this dubious individual.

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