OBAMA PARDONS 46 PRISONS WITH MINOR DRUG OFFENSES

A week after the White House announced the president would commute sentences for dozens of non-violent drug offenders this summer, Barack Obama made good on the promise, freeing 46 non-violent drug offenders Monday afternoon. Some, like 65-year-old Patrick Roberts of Detroit, were serving life sentences.

The move is a historic one; the president commuted more sentences at one time than any president has since Lyndon B. Johnson, the Washington Post points out.

In a video posted to Facebook, Obama expounded on the effort to correct the tough and unfair sentencing that disproportionately affects minority men and, in turn, destroys communities.

“These men and women were not hardened criminals. But the overwhelming majority had to be sentenced to at least 20 years,” he said, noting that in his letters to them he made sure they needed to make different choices now that they were free.”But I believe that at its heart, America’s a nation of second chances. And I believe these folks deserve their second chance.”

“These men and women were not hardened criminals. But the overwhelming majority had to be sentenced to at least 20 years,” he said, noting that in his letters to them he made sure they needed to make different choices now that they were free.”But I believe that at its heart, America’s a nation of second chances. And I believe these folks deserve their second chance.”

During his presidency, Obama has commuted sentences for 89 people. Since agreeing to rectify the unfair sentencing that is a large pillar of prison reform, about 35,000 inmates have applied to be considered for early release.

Surprisingly, prison reform has become a bipartisan issue, garnering support from Democrats, Republicans, and those in between. Obama’s latest effort comes just days before he’s set to make history as the first sitting president to visit a federal prison.

On Thursday, Obama will meet with law enforcement officials and inmates at El Reno Federal Correctional Institution outside Oklahoma City. According to a White House press release, the president will also be conducting an interview for a “Vice” documentary focused on the criminal justice system in this nation.

SOURCE: Washington Post | VIDEO SOURCE: Washington Post

The White House provided a list of the people whose sentences are being commuted, listed below:

Jerry Allen Bailey – Charlotte, NC

Offense: Conspiracy to violate narcotics laws (crack) (Western District of North Carolina)

Sentence: 360 months’ imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (Apr. 2, 1996)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on November 10, 2015.

Shauna Barry-Scott – Youngstown, OH

Offense: Possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (Northern District of Ohio)

Sentence: 240 months’ imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (Oct. 18, 2005)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on November 10, 2015.

Larry Darnell Belcher – Martinsville, VA

Offense: Possession with intent to distribute cocaine; possession with intent to distribute marijuana (Western District of Virginia)

Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (Dec. 15, 1997)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on November 10, 2015.

John L. Houston Brower – Carthage, NC

Offense: Distributed cocaine base (“crack”) (Middle District of North Carolina)

Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (June 22, 2002)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on November 10, 2015.

Nathaniel Brown – Orange Park, FL

Offense: Conspiracy to distribute cocaine (more than five kilograms) and cocaine base (more than 50 grams); distribution of cocaine base (two counts) (Middle District of Florida)

Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (Aug. 1, 2002)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on November 10, 2015.

Norman O’Neal Brown – Hyattsville, MD

Offense: Distribute quantity of mixture or substance containing a detectable amount cocaine base (crack), aiding and abetting (five counts); possess with intent distribute quantity of mixture or substance containing detectable amount of cocaine base (crack), aiding and abetting (District of Maryland)

Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (Jan. 15, 1993)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on November 10, 2015.

Joseph Burgos – Chicago, IL

Offense: Distribution of cocaine; use of a communication facility in the commission of a felony (Northern District of Illinois)

Sentence: 360 months’ imprisonment; eight years’ supervised release; $200,000 fine (Sept. 2, 1993)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on November 10, 2015.

Clarance Callies – San Antonio, TX

Offense: Conspiracy to distribute in excess of 50 grams of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine base (“crack cocaine”); possession with intent to distribute in excess of 50 grams of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine base (“crack cocaine”) (Western District of Texas)

Sentence: 240 months imprisonment; 8 years’ supervised release (Mar. 25, 2002)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on November 10, 2015.

Anthony Leon Carroll – Tampa, FL

Offense: Possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (Middle District of Florida)

Sentence: 262 months’ imprisonment; 5 years’ supervised release (Sept. 3, 1999)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on November 10, 2015.

Juan Diego Castro – Laredo, TX

Offense: Possession with intent to distribute a quantity in excess of five kilograms of cocaine (Southern District of Texas)

Sentence: 240 months’ imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (Feb. 1, 2002)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on November 10, 2015.

Joe Louis Champion – Houston, TX

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 376.9 grams of cocaine base (crack); aiding and abetting the possession with intent to distribute 376.9 grams of cocaine base (crack) (Southern District of Texas)

Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release; $4,000 fine (June 19, 1997)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on November 10, 2015, and the remaining balance of the fine remitted.

Cedric Culpepper – Orlando, FL

Offense: Possession with intent to distribute cocaine base; possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of cocaine base (Middle District of Florida)

Sentence: 188 months’ imprisonment; 4 years’ supervised release (Nov. 15, 2004)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on November 10, 2015.

Walter R. Dennie – Gary, IN

Offense: Conspiracy to distribute cocaine (two counts) (Middle District of Florida)

Sentence: 240 months’ imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (Apr. 25, 2002)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on November 10, 2015.

Steven D. Donovan – Oak Creek, WI

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine; interstate travel to promote distribution of cocaine; possession with intent to distribute cocaine (Eastern District of Wisconsin)

Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (Oct. 16, 1992)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on November 10, 2015.

Romain Dukes – Chicago, IL

Offense: Conspiracy to distribute cocaine base, “crack”; distribution of cocaine base, “crack” (two counts) (Southern District of Iowa)

Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (Oct. 1, 1997)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on November 10, 2015.

Tony Lynn Hollis – Knoxville, TN

Offense: Possession with intent to distribute 26.5 grams of cocaine base (Eastern District of Tennessee)

Sentence: 262 months’ imprisonment; eight years’ supervised release (June 8, 2001)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on November 10, 2015.

Alex William Jackson – Mineral, VA

Offense: Conspiracy to distribute cocaine base (Western District of Virginia)

Sentence: 262 months’ imprisonment; 60 months’ supervised release (Dec. 22, 1999); amended to 240 months’ imprisonment (June 25, 2008)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on November 10, 2015.

Jackie Johnson – Townsend, DE

Offense: Possession with the intent to distribute more than 50 grams of a cocaine base (District of Delaware)

Sentence: 240 months’ imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (Jan. 30, 2007)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on November 10, 2015.

Jerome Wayne Johnson – Fort White, FL

Offense: 1. Cultivation of marijuana plants (Middle District of Florida)

Conspiracy to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute more than 1,000 marijuana plants (Northern District of Florida)

Sentence: 1. 60 months’ imprisonment, 5 years’ supervised release (June 25, 2003)

20 years’ imprisonment, concurrent to sentence imposed above, 10 years’ supervised release (May 27, 2004)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on November 10, 2015.

Willie C. Johnson – Steele, MO

Offense: The defendant did knowingly conspire to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine base; the defendant did knowingly distribute cocaine base; the defendant did knowingly possess with the intent to distribute cocaine base (Eastern District of Missouri)

Sentence: 360 months’ imprisonment; five years’ supervised release (Feb. 18, 2005); amended to 168 months’ imprisonment (Feb. 12, 2015)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on November 10, 2015.

Mark Anthony Jones – Boynton Beach, FL

Offense: Distribution of cocaine base (Northern District of Florida)

Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (July 28, 1999)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on November 10, 2015.

Roy Larry Lee – St. Petersburg, FL

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine base (enhanced penalty); distribution of 50 grams or more of cocaine base (two counts) (Middle District of Florida)

Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (May 3, 1990)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on November 10, 2015.

Kenneth Lorenzo Lewis – Charlottesville, VA

Offense: Conspiracy to distribute cocaine base (Western District of Virginia)

Sentence: 262 months’ imprisonment; five years’ supervised release (Nov. 17, 2000)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on November 10, 2015.

Douglas M. Lindsay, II – Newberry, SC

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine and cocaine base (District of South Carolina)

Sentence: Life imprisonment; five years’ supervised release (Dec. 20, 1996); amended to 293 months’ imprisonment (Mar. 4, 2015)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on November 10, 2015.

Kevin Matthews – James Island, SC

Offense: Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine base (District of South Carolina)

Sentence: 232 months’ imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (Feb. 11, 2004)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on November 10, 2015.

Marlon McNealy – St. Petersburg, FL

Offense: Conspiracy to commit racketeering (two counts); conspiracy to distribute cocaine base; knowingly and intentionally distributing 50 grams or more of cocaine base (three counts) (Middle District of Florida)

Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (Aug. 18, 1993)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on November 10, 2015.

Brian Nickles – New Orleans, LA

Offense: Distribution of more than 50 grams of cocaine base (two counts) (Eastern District of Louisiana)

Sentence: 240 months’ imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (Apr. 28, 2004)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on November 10, 2015.

Jermaine Lee Osborne – Roanoke, VA

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute at least 50 grams of cocaine base (Western District of Virginia)

Sentence: 240 months’ imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (May 2, 2006)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on November 10, 2015.

Marcus H. Richards – Miami, FL

Offense: Conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine and more than 50 grams of cocaine base (Northern District of Florida)

Sentence: 240 months’ imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (June 13, 2005)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on November 10, 2015.

Patrick Roberts – Detroit, MI

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute controlled substances (Eastern District of Michigan)

Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (July 8, 1999)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on November 10, 2015.

Bryant Keith Shelton – Kissimmee, FL

Offense: Distribution of cocaine base (Middle District of Florida)

Sentence: 188 months’ imprisonment; five years’ supervised release (Apr. 1, 2003)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on November 10, 2015.

Ezekiel Simpson – St. Louis, MO

Offense: Possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (Eastern District of Missouri)

Sentence: 240 months’ imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (Feb. 3, 2005)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on November 10, 2015.

Katrina Stuckey Smith – Montrose, GA

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base (Middle District of Georgia)

Sentence: 292 months’ imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (July 20, 2000); amended to 240 months’ imprisonment (Apr. 2, 2008).

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on November 10, 2015.

James Marion Stockton – Martinsville, VA

Offense: Possession with intent to distribute more than five grams of cocaine base; possession of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking offense; possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (Western District of Virginia)

Sentence: 420 months’ imprisonment; eight years’ supervised release (May 27, 2003)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire November 10, 2015.

Bart Stover – Ashland, OH

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute marijuana and cocaine; use of a communication facility to facilitate the commission of drug trafficking offense, aiding and abetting (Northern District of Ohio)

Sentence: 240 months’ imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (Apr. 12, 2005)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on November 10, 2015.

Robert Earl Thomas, Jr. – Houston, TX

Offense: Possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance (Eastern District of Texas)

Sentence: 262 months’ imprisonment; five years’ supervised release (June 29, 1999)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on November 10, 2015.

Bruce Todd – Atlanta, GA

Offense: Distribution of at least 50 grams of crack cocaine (Northern District of Georgia)

Sentence: 262 months’ imprisonment; five years’ supervised release (Mar. 3, 2003)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on November 10, 2015.

Jeffery Jerome Toler – Pensacola, FL

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base (Northern District of Florida)

Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (June 13, 1996)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on November 10, 2015.

Donald Vanderhorst – Charleston, SC

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of five kilograms or more of cocaine and 50 grams or more of cocaine base (District of South

Carolina)

Sentence: 240 months’ imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (Mar. 15, 2006)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on November 10, 2015.

James Nathan Walton – Thibodeaux, LA

Offense: Possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (Western District of Louisiana)

Sentence: 240 months’ imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (Sept. 16, 2004)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on November 10, 2015.

Telisha Rachette Watkins – Charlotte, NC

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base (Western District of North Carolina)

Sentence: 240 months’ imprisonment; eight years’ supervised release (Oct. 25, 2007)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on November 10, 2015.

Dunning Wells – Fort Myers, FL

Offense: Unlawful possession of a firearm; distribution of a quantity of cocaine; possession of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime (Middle District of Florida)

Sentence: 502 months’ imprisonment; six years’ supervised release (Feb. 20, 1992)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on November 10, 2015.

Kimberly A. Westmoreland – Columbus, OH

Offense: Conspiracy to distribute in excess of 50 grams of cocaine base; carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime (Southern District of Ohio)

Sentence: 180 months’ imprisonment; five years’ supervised release (Jan. 21, 2004)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on November 10, 2015.

James Rufus Woods – Leasburg, NC

Offense: Possess with intent to distribute cocaine base (“crack”) (Middle District of North Carolina)

Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (Nov. 23, 1998)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on November 10, 2015.

John M. Wyatt – Las Cruces, NM

Offense: Possession with intent to distribute marijuana (Southern District of Illinois)

Sentence: 262 months’ imprisonment; eight years’ supervised release; $500 fine (Aug. 30, 2004)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on November 10, 2015.

Robert Joe Young – Joppa, AL

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine; possession with the intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine; use of a firearm during and in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; possession with the intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing cocaine; carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime; endeavoring to influence and impede the administration of justice (Northern District of Alabama)

Sentence: 240 months’ imprisonment; 5 years’ supervised release (Dec. 16, 2002)

Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on November 10, 2015.