Trump must issue a pardon decree, as well as notify the Department of Justice.
A pardon does not erase the conviction from court records.
Today, January 20, Donald Trump officially assumed the presidency of the United States for the next four years. Among his pending tasks for the Bitcoin and cryptocurrency community is the release of Ross Ulbricht, founder of the fallen Silk Road marketplace, the first to use bitcoin (BTC) as a means of payment.
Ross Ulbricht was sentenced to two life sentences, plus 40 years, for creating and operating Silk Road, a website where drugs and other illegal products were apparently sold, using bitcoin as a payment method.
For the Bitcoin community, Ulbricht’s release is significant because it represents one of the first mass uses of the world’s largest digital currency. and symbolizes the fight for digital freedom and online privacy, ideas that Ulbritch also defends.
Donald Trump promised to free Ross Ulbricht during his speech at the Libertarian National Convention on May 25, 2024. At the time, he stated that, if re-elected president, he would commute Ulbricht’s sentence on the first day of his term, after he would have served 11 years in prison.
The process for Trump to finally make good on his promise to free Ross Ulbricht goes beyond simply signing an executive order.
We detail how it would proceed:
Granting of pardon: The first step is for President Trump to issue a clemency decree. This can be total or partial. A full pardon would free Ulbricht immediately and would cancel all penalties associated with his conviction. A partial pardon, on the other hand, could reduce your sentence or modify specific conditions of your incarceration, but it would not necessarily free you immediately.
Notification: Once the clemency is granted, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) are notified. Other federal agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Homeland Security also receive this notification to update their databases and records.
Review and Processing: The BOP reviews the pardon decree to ensure that it is properly authorized and that it includes all the necessary information about the beneficiary. If the pardon is complete, the BOP proceeds to the immediate release. If it is partial, the specific conditions of the pardon must be reviewed.
Release: If the pardon is complete and Ulbricht is still in prison, the BOP coordinates his release. This includes preparing documentation, coordinating with local authorities if necessary, and notifying Ulbricht and his attorney.
Records and Rights restored: with a full pardon, the record of the conviction It may be expunged or sealed, depending on state and federal laws. This could restore rights such as voting or bearing arms, although this varies by state.
However, it is important to clarify that A pardon does not erase the conviction from court records. Even with a pardon, Ulbricht could face specific restrictions or conditions he must follow.
For example, you could be on no-travel lists or have employment restrictions that are not automatically removed with a pardon, possibly requiring additional legal actions to resolve these issues.
The release of Ross Ulbricht remains a debt to pay on Trump’s agenda. In the next few hours, it will be seen if the president decides to grant the pardon. to one of the historical references of the Bitcoin ecosystem.