President Joe Biden commuted close to 1,500 sentences and pardoned 39 people, making it the largest single-day act of clemency in modern history. The majority of those granted clemency had been convicted of non-violent crimes, many related to illegal drugs, and had been released from prison under the CARES Act due to the pandemic. Some of those pardoned had already completed their sentences but will now have their records wiped clean.
Among those who received clemency were a county commissioner convicted of accepting bribes, a tax attorney involved in a massive tax fraud scheme, and the owner of a Medicare billing company involved in a $26 million fraud. President Biden also pardoned a woman who was convicted of federal drug charges and has since become a role model in her community.
Some of the individuals granted clemency include a former Ohio county commissioner convicted of corruption charges, a man sentenced for drug and gun charges, and a medical billing company owner convicted of defrauding Medicare. Additionally, a former law partner convicted of overseeing fraudulent tax shelters and a man previously sentenced to life in prison for drug-related charges had their sentences commuted by President Biden.
Overall, the act of clemency by President Biden aimed to provide relief to individuals who had been convicted of non-violent crimes and had shown rehabilitation since their time in prison.
Photo credit
www.nbcnews.com