Earlier this week President Obama granted commutation of prison sentences to 79 individuals, and by doing this have now commuted the sentences of over 1,000 individuals during his presidency. He has now commuted more sentences than the past 11 presidents combined, according to the White House.
The president declared during the course of his second term his intention to commute the sentences of nonviolent drug offenders and other non-violent convicts who he believed had received harsh sentences, in many cases life sentences, that were not appropriate to the crimes committed.
In making the latest commutations, he said “It makes no sense for a nonviolent drug offender to be serving decades, or sometimes life, in prison. That’s not serving taxpayers, and it’s not serving the public safety.”
Not all of those receiving commutations on Monday will be freed immediately. Some will remain in prison until in 2017 or 2018, and some have to meet conditions like undergoing drug treatment programs.
The 79 individuals who had their sentences commuted included 9 from Flrida, which in turn include Thomas Brown and Lavan Maurice Walker from Miami and Warren Lavall Jackson of Port St. Lucie.
Brown sentence is targeted to be commuted in November 2017. In 1989 he was sentence to life imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute at least five kilograms of cocaine.
Since March 2004 Walker had been serving a 420 month sentence on two counts for possession with intent to distribute “a detectable amount of heroin, and possession of a firearm in the furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm. His prison sentence has been commuted to expire in March 2017.
Jackson sentence will also be commuted in March 2017. He was serving a life sentence for possession with the intent to distribute cocaine since 2000.
The other Floridians with sentences commuted were men from Winter Garden, Winter Park, Kissimmee, Fort Walton Beach, Orlando, and Pensacola.
- Roy Edward Detreville, Jr. – Winter Garden, FL
Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of crack cocaine; Middle District of Florida
Sentence: 262 months’ imprisonment; five years’ supervised release (February 8, 2005)
Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on March 22, 2017.
- Luis Diaz – Winter Park, FL
Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin, and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine hydrochloride; Middle District of Florida
Sentence: Life imprisonment; five years’ supervised release (July 25, 1996); amended to 360 months’ imprisonment (July 1, 2015)
Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on March 22, 2017.
- Jamere Ireadus Hall – Kissimmee, FL
Offense: Possession with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base; felon in possession of firearm; District of Maryland
Sentence: 360 months’ imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (August 1, 2005)
Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 210 months’ imprisonment.
- Robert Jeffrey Harris – Fort Walton Beach, FL
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base; possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base; Northern District of Florida
Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (December 12, 2006)
Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 210 months’ imprisonment.
- Warren Lavell Jackson – Port St. Lucie, FL
Offense: Possession with intent to distribute cocaine; Southern District of Florida
Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (March 7, 2000)
Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 300 months’ imprisonment.
Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on March 22, 2017.
- Dexter Bert Tyson – Orlando, FL
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a mixture containing cocaine base and a mixture containing cocaine; possession with intent to distribute a mixture containing cocaine base and cocaine, aiding and abetting; possession with intent to distribute a mixture containing cocaine, aiding and abetting (two counts); possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, aiding and abetting; possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, aiding and abetting, felon in possession of a firearm; felon in possession of ammunition; District of Maryland
Sentence: Life plus 60 months’ imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (January 13, 2006)
Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 300 months’ imprisonment.
- Lavan Maurice Walker – Miami, FL
Offense: Possession with intent to distribute a detectable amount of heroin (two counts); possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; Southern District of Florida
Sentence: 420 months’ imprisonment; six years’ supervised release (March 9, 2004)
Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on March 22, 2017.
- Sterling Kenneth Westberry – 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 (September 15, 1998)
Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on March 22, 2017.
