CZ received and served a four month sentence for vague AML issues, the pardon didn’t really change anything for him. Ross Ulbricht had no connections prior to

CZ received and served a four month sentence for vague AML issues, the pardon didn’t really change anything for him. Ross Ulbricht had no connections prior to his imprisonment. His case demonstrates how even a man in supermax prison with essentially no money to his name was able to build good enough connections to get a presidential pardon for dealing massive amounts of drugs. Personal connections might matter if you do decide to commit serious crimes, but as Ulbricht demonstrates, anyone can develop those connections.