(WXYZ) — President Joe Biden announced Tuesday the first pardons and sentence commutations of his presidency, and two people from Michigan were on the list.
According to the White House, Biden issued pardons to three people and commuted the sentence of 75 others – all of whom were charged with non-violent drug offenses or non-violent crimes.
On the list were Mario Cruz from Grand Rapids, who was sentenced to 121 months of prison and a three-year term of supervised release in 2017. He was charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute an unspecified quantity of cocaine and heroin.
According to the White House, his sentence will be commuted and expires on April 26, 2023, with the remainder to be served in home confinement, which in-effect leaves the three-year supervised release intact.
He also commuted the sentence of Jesse Alan Trimue from Buron, Mich., who was charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 5 grams of actual methamphetamine and 50 grams or more of methamphetamine mixture in Tennessee.
He was sentenced to 120 months of prison and and 8-year term of supervised release in 2016. His sentence will be commuted and expires on April 26, 2023, with the remainder to be served in home confinement.
"America is a nation of laws and second chances, redemption, and rehabilitation. Elected officials on both sides of the aisle, faith leaders, civil rights advocates, and law enforcement leaders agree that our criminal justice system can and should reflect these core values that enable safer and stronger communities," Biden said in a statement.
