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The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release

President Obama Grants Pardons and Commutation

WASHINGTON, DC - 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 R. 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 (Oct. 8, 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 within 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, 10 years' supervised release (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:  Time served after 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, conditioned on six months' home confinement, 100 hours community service, $5,000 restitution, $1,000 fine (Nov. 18, 1996) 

  • Little Joe Hatch, aka Joe Hatch Sr. - 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: 18 months' imprisonment, 2 years' supervised release (Oct. 2, 1992; amended May 21, 1993) 

  • Alfred J. Mack - Manassas, Va.
    Offense: Unlawful distribution of heroin  (District of Columbia Superior Court)
    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, formerly known as Kimberly Lynn Cooley - 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 (methamphetamine) (District of Nebraska)
    Sentence: Four years' probation, conditioned on six months home confinement, 200 hours' community service (Jun. 25, 1996) 

  • Miles Thomas Wilson - Williamsburg, Ohio.
    Offense: Mail fraud (Southern District of Ohio)
    Sentence: Three years' probation (Jul. 15, 1981)