{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/b2fb5f0b-0ce7-4e5c-b6e0-9b1febd06aea/679c037e2ca2b62f97bcbac5?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"Ross Ulbricht: The online drug kingpin pardoned by Donald Trump  ","description":"<p>Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht was one of the hundreds of prisoners who walked free thanks to a pardon from US president Donald Trump.</p><p><br></p><p>His online marketplace facilitated the sale of everything from illegal drugs to weapons, hacking equipment to stolen passports, all delivered to your door at the push of a button. He had more than a million customers worldwide.</p><p><br></p><p>The campaign for his release began as soon as his double life sentence was handed down in 2015. They came from his family; his mother Lyn was tireless in her lobbying and also from the Libertarian Movement whose the support Trump sought in the run up to the presidential election.</p><p><br></p><p>New York Times technology reporter David Yaffe Bellany explains the background.</p><p><br></p><p>Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey.</p>","author_name":"The Irish Times"}