WASHINGTON 鈥� President Barack Obama cut the prison sentences of , including five convicts from Virginia and one from Maryland.
Obama granted the commutations of sentence because 鈥渢heir punishments didn鈥檛 fit the crime.鈥�
鈥淣early all of these individuals would have already served their time and returned to society if they were convicted of the exact same crime today,鈥� the White House along with a video from Obama.
Below is a list provided by the White House of the Virginia and Maryland convicts who are receiving a commutation of sentence:
- Norman O鈥橬eal Brown 鈥� Hyattsville, Maryland
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鈥� supervised release (Jan. 15, 1993)
Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on Nov. 10, 2015.
- Larry Darnell Belcher 鈥� Martinsville, Virginia
Offense: Possession with intent to distribute cocaine; possession with intent to distribute marijuana (Western District of Virginia)
Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years鈥� supervised release (Dec. 15, 1997)
Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on Nov.听10, 2015.
- Alex William Jackson 鈥� Mineral, Virginia
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute cocaine base (Western District of Virginia)
Sentence: 262 months鈥� imprisonment; 60 months鈥� supervised release (Dec. 22, 1999); amended to 240 months鈥� imprisonment (June 25, 2008)
Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on Nov.听10, 2015. 听
- Kenneth Lorenzo Lewis 鈥� Charlottesville, Virginia
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute cocaine base (Western District of Virginia)
Sentence: 262 months鈥� imprisonment; five years鈥� supervised release (Nov. 17, 2000)
Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on Nov.听10, 2015.
- Jermaine Lee Osborne 鈥� Roanoke, Virginia
Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute at least 50 grams of cocaine base (Western District of Virginia)
Sentence: 240 months鈥� imprisonment; 10 years鈥� supervised release (May 2, 2006)
Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on Nov. 10, 2015. 听
- James Marion Stockton 鈥� Martinsville, Virginia
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鈥� imprisonment; eight years鈥� supervised release (May 27, 2003)
Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire Nov. 10, 2015.
See the full list on .
Obama has now issued nearly 90 commutations during his presidency.
A commutation leaves the conviction in place, but ends the punishment.
