BBC online -
US President Donald Trump says he has signed a full and unconditional pardon for Ross Ulbricht, who operated Silk Road, the dark web marketplace where illegal drugs were sold.
Ulbricht was convicted in 2015 in New York in a narcotics and money-laundering conspiracy and sentenced to life in prison.
Trump championed Ulbricht’s cause, joining libertarians who said the conviction was an example of government overreach. On Tuesday, he said he had called Ulbricht’s mother to inform her that he had granted a pardon to her son.
Silk Road, which was shut down in 2013 after police arrested Ulbricht, sold illegal drugs using Bitcoin, as well as hacking equipment and stolen passports.
Ulbricht was found guilty of charges including conspiracy to commit drug trafficking, money laundering and computer hacking.
During his trial, prosecutors said Ulbricht's website, hosted on the hidden ‘dark web’, sold more than $200m (£131m) worth of drugs anonymously. BBC online article 22nd January 2005, ‘Trump Pardons Silk Road Dark Web Market Creator Ross Ulbricht’