The Telegraph
In his last day in office as US president, Donald Trump granted pardons to 73 people and commuted the sentences of another 70. Below are some of the details given by the White House of who was chosen, and why. Todd Boulanger – Full pardon In 2008, Mr Boulanger pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit honest services fraud. He has taken full responsibility for his conduct. Mr Boulanger is a veteran of the United States Army Reserves and was honorably discharged. He has also received an award from the City of the District of Columbia for heroism for stopping and apprehending an individual who assaulted an elderly woman with a deadly weapon on Capitol Hill. Abel Holtz – Full pardon Mr Holtz is 86. In 1995, he pled guilty to one count of impeding a grand jury investigation and was sentenced to 45 days in prison. Representative Rick Renzi – Full pardon In 2013, Mr Renzi - a father of 12 - was convicted of extortion, bribery, insurance fraud, money laundering, and racketeering. He was sentenced to two years in Federal prison, two years of supervised release, and paid a $25,000 fine. Before his conviction, he served three terms in the House of Representatives. His constituents considered him a strong advocate for better housing, quality education, and improved healthcare—especially for the underprivileged and Native Americans. Kenneth Kurson – Full pardon Prosecutors have charged Mr Kurson with cyberstalking related to his divorce from his ex-wife in 2015. In a letter to the prosecutors, Mr. Kurson’s ex-wife wrote on his behalf that she never wanted this investigation or arrest and, “repeatedly asked for the FBI to drop it… I hired a lawyer to protect me from being forced into yet another round of questioning. My disgust with this arrest and the subsequent articles is bottomless…” Casey Urlacher – Full pardon Mr Urlacher, the Mayor of Mettawa, Illinois, has been charged with conspiracy to engage in illegal gambling. Throughout his life, he has been committed to public service and has consistently given back to his community. Carl Andrews Boggs – Full pardon In 2013, Mr Boggs pled guilty to two counts of conspiracy. Since his release, he has rebuilt his company, has employed hundreds of people, and has dedicated countless hours and financial resources to his community. Jaime A. Davidson – Sentence commuted In 1993, Mr Davidson was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in relation to the murder of an undercover officer. Notably, witnesses who testified against him later recanted their testimony in sworn affidavits and further attested that Mr Davidson had no involvement. The admitted shooter has already been released from prison. James E. Johnson, Jr. – Full pardon In 2008, Mr Johnson pled guilty to charges related to migratory birds. Mr Johnson received 1 year probation, was barred from hunting during that period, and a $7,500 fine was imposed. Throughout his life, Mr Johnson has made numerous contributions for the conservation of wildlife. Tommaso Buti – Full pardon The Chief Operating Officer of a large Italian company, he has started a successful charitable initiative to raise funds for Unicef. More than 20 years ago, Mr Buti was charged with financial fraud involving a chain of restaurants. He has not, however, been convicted in the United States. Bill K. Kapri – Sentence commuted More commonly known as Kodak Black, the recording artist was sentenced to 46 months in prison for making a false statement on a Federal document. He has served nearly half of his sentence. Before his conviction and after reaching success, Kodak Black became deeply involved in numerous philanthropic efforts. Jawad A. Musa – Sentence commuted In 1991, Mr Musa, 56, was sentenced to life imprisonment for a non-violent, drug-related offence. His sentencing judge and the prosecutor on the case have both requested clemency on his behalf. Adriana Shayota – Sentence commuted She was convicted of conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods, commit copyright infringement, and introduce misbranded food into interstate commerce. During her time in prison, Ms Shayota mentored those who wanted to improve their lives. Glen Moss – Full pardon After pleading guilty in 1998, [the official document does not say what for] Mr Moss has been a vital member of his community and committed to numerous philanthropic efforts. Anthony Levandowski – Full pardon Mr Levandowski is an American entrepreneur who led Google’s efforts to create self-driving technology. He pled guilty to a single criminal count arising from civil litigation. Notably, his sentencing judge called him a “brilliant, groundbreaking engineer that our country needs". Aviem Sella – Full pardon Mr Sella is an Israeli citizen who was indicted in 1986 for espionage in relation to the Jonathan Pollard case. The State of Israel has issued a full and unequivocal apology, and has requested the pardon in order to close this unfortunate chapter in U.S.-Israel relations. Michael Liberty – Full pardon In 2016 Mr. Liberty was convicted for campaign finance violations and later was indicted for related offenses. A father of seven children, he has been involved in numerous philanthropic efforts. Greg Reyes – Full pardon The former CEO of Brocade Communications, he was convicted of securities fraud. Ferrell Damon Scott – Sentence commuted Mr Scott has served nearly nine years of a life imprisonment sentence for possession with intent to distribute marijuana. Under today’s sentencing guidelines, it is likely that Mr Scott would not have received such a harsh sentence. Jerry Donnell Walden – Sentence commuted Mr Walden has served 23 years of a 40-year prison sentence [crime unspecified]. He is known as a model inmate. Jeffrey Alan Conway – Full pardon Since his release from prison, [crime not specified] Mr Conway has led a successful life and currently runs 10 restaurant businesses that employ nearly 500 people. Mr Conway is active in his community and in various philanthropic efforts. Benedict Olberding – Full pardon Convicted on one count of bank fraud. After completing his sentence, he purchased two aquarium stores, as well as a consulting business to train prospective mortgage brokers. Syrita Steib-Martin – Full pardon Ms Steib-Martin was convicted at the age of 19 and sentenced to 10 years in prison and nearly $2 million in restitution for the use of fire to commit a felony. After her release from prison, she became an advocate for criminal justice reform. Michael Ashley – Sentence commuted Mr Ashley was convicted and sentenced to three years in prison for bank fraud. Since his conviction, Mr Ashley has spent time caring for his ailing mother and paying his debt back to society. Lou Hobbs – Sentence commuted Mr Hobbs has served 24 years of his life sentence [crime unspecified]. Mr Hobbs is dedicated to improving his life and is focused on his family and friends who have assisted him during difficult times. Matthew Antoine Canady – Sentence commuted Mr Canady had an unstable childhood and all of his prior drug-related convictions occurred during his teenage years. Mario Claiborne – Sentence commuted Mr Claiborne is serving life imprisonment and has already served more than 28 years in prison [crime unspecified]. For more than 20 years, Mr Claiborne has maintained clear conduct. Rodney Nakia Gibson – Sentence commuted In 2009, Mr Gibson was convicted of trafficking drugs. Mr Gibson is a first time, non-violent offender who has been a “model inmate” for more than 11 years in custody. Tom Leroy Whitehurst – Sentence commuted Mr Whitehurst led a conspiracy to manufacture at least 16.7 kilograms of methamphetamine and possessed numerous firearms during the course of the conspiracy. The court sentenced him to life imprisonment and he has served nearly 24 years in prison. While incarcerated, he has demonstrated exemplary prison conduct. Monstsho Eugene Vernon – Sentence commuted Mr Vernon has served over 19 years in prison for committing a string of armed bank robberies in Greenville, South Carolina. While incarcerated, Mr Vernon has worked steadily, programmed well, and recovered from a bout of cancer. Luis Fernando Sicard – Sentence commuted Mr Sicard was sentenced in 2000 for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm during and in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He has served 20 years with clear conduct.
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