Obama pardons his drug dealers

By WSJ Staff

The White House announced Thursday that President Barack Obama has granted clemency to 21 people, which included commuting the long sentences of several people serving life sentences for drug crimes. Many of the prisoners to be freed by Thursday’s move would have received lesser sentences if convicted of the same crimes today, Mr. Obama said in a statement. 

Here is the list, as released by the White House.

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Today President Barack Obama granted clemency to twenty-one individuals, consisting of eight commutations and thirteen pardons.

The President granted commutations to the following eight individuals:

· Clarence Aaron – Mobile, Ala.
Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base; possession with intent to distribute cocaine; attempt to possess cocaine with intent to distribute (Southern District of Alabama)
Sentence: Life imprisonment, five years’ supervised release (Dec. 10, 1993)
Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on April 17, 2014

· Stephanie Yvette George – Pensacola, Fla.
Offense: Conspiracy to possess cocaine base with intent to distribute (Northern District of Florida)
Sentence: Life imprisonment, ten years’ supervised release (May 5, 1997)
Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on April 17, 2014

· Ezell Gilbert – Tampa, Fla.
Offense: Possession with intent to deliver cocaine base; possession with intent to distribute marijuana (Middle District of Florida)
Sentence: 292 months’ imprisonment, five years’ supervised release (Mar. 25, 1997)
Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to time already served

· Helen Alexander Gray – Ty Ty, Ga.
Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine base; possession with intent to distribute cocaine base; possession of a firearm by a convicted felon (Middle District of Georgia)
Sentence: 240 months’ imprisonment (Apr. 19, 1996)
Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on April 17, 2014

· Jason Hernandez – McKinney, Tex.
Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute controlled substances; possession with intent to distribute and distribute crack cocaine and methamphetamine; possession with intent to distribute a mixture of methamphetamine and cocaine hydrochloride; distribution of a controlled substance between 1,000 feet of a protected property; establishing a place for manufacture and distribution of controlled substances (Eastern District of Texas)
Sentence: Life imprisonment; eight years’ supervised release; $5,000 fine (Oct. 2, 1998)
Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to 240 months (20 years)

· Ricky Eugene Patterson – Fort Pierce, Fla.
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute cocaine base; possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (Southern District of Florida)
Sentence: Life imprisonment (Aug. 3, 1995)
Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on April 17, 2014

· Billy Ray Wheelock – Belton, Tex.
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of crack cocaine; possession with intent to distribute more than 5 grams of crack cocaine within 1,000 feet of a school; possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine (Western District of Texas)
Sentence: Life imprisonment, 10 years’ supervised release, $3,000 fine (Jun. 9, 1993)
Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on April 17, 2014

· Reynolds Allen Wintersmith, Jr. – Rockford, Ill.
Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute cocaine and cocaine base; possession with intent to distribute crack (Northern District of Illinois)
Sentence: Life imprisonment, five years’ supervised release, $1,000 fine (Nov. 23, 1994)
Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on April 17, 2014

The President granted pardons to the following thirteen individuals:

· William Ricardo Alvarez – Marietta, Ga.

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin ; conspiracy to import heroin (District of Puerto Rico)
Sentence: Nine months’ imprisonment, four years’ supervised release (Apr. 30, 1997; amended Jul. 31, 1997)

· Charlie Lee Davis, Jr. – Wetumpka, Ala.
Offense: Possession with intent to distribute cocaine base; use of a minor to distribute cocaine base (Middle District of Alabama)
Sentence: 87 months’ imprisonment, five years’ supervised release (Mar. 21, 1995)

· Ronald Eugene Greenwood – Crane, Mo.
Offense: Conspiracy to violate the Clean Water Act (District of South Dakota)
Sentence: Three years’ probation, six months’ home confinement, 100 hours community service, $5,000 restitution, $1,000 fine (Nov. 18, 1996)

· Joe Hatch – Lake Placid, Fla.
Offense: Possession with intent to distribute marijuana (Southern District of Florida)
Sentence: 60 months’ imprisonment, four years’ supervised release (May 15, 1990)

· Martin Alan Hatcher. – Foley, Ala.
Offense: Distribution and possession with intent to distribute marijuana (Southern District of Alabama)
Sentence: Five years’ probation (Nov. 9, 1992)

· Derek James Laliberte – Auburn, Me.
Offense: Money laundering (District of Maine)
Sentence: 51 months’ imprisonment subsequently reduced to 18 months due to substantial assistance, 2 years’ supervised release (Oct. 2, 1992; amended May 21, 1993)

· Alfred J. Mack – Manassas, Va.
Offense: Unlawful distribution of heroin (District of Columbia)
Sentence: 18 to 54 months’ imprisonment (Apr. 5, 1982)

· Robert Andrew Schindler – Goshen, Va.
Offense: Conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud (District of Utah)
Sentence: Three years’ probation, four months’ home confinement, $10,000 restitution (May 14, 1996)

· Willie Shaw, Jr. – Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Offense: Armed bank robbery (District of South Carolina)
Sentence: Fifteen years’ imprisonment (Aug. 7, 1974)

· Kimberly Lynn Stout – Bassett, Va.
Offense: Bank embezzlement; false entries in the books of a lending institution (Western District of Virginia)
Sentence: One day imprisonment, three years’ supervised release (including five months home confinement) (Nov. 9, 1993)

· Bernard Anthony Sutton, Jr. – Norfolk, Va.
Offense: Theft of personal property (Eastern District of Virginia)
Sentence: Three years’ probation, $825 restitution, $500 fine (Apr. 4, 1989)

· Chris Deann Switzer – Omaha, Neb.
Offense: Conspiracy to violate narcotics laws (District of Nebraska)
Sentence: Four years’ probation, six months home confinement, drug and alcohol treatment, 200 hours’ community service (Jun. 25, 1996)

· Miles Thomas Wilson – Williamsburg, Ohio.
Offense: Mail fraud (Southern District of Ohio)
Sentence: Three years’ imprisonment (suspended), three years’ supervised release (Jul. 15