The Obama Eight Was Buried and A New Life Begun
Ezell Gilbert, 25 in 1997, arrested for selling crack and marijuana from a car in a Tampa housing project while his 5-year-old daughter sat in the back. He fled with his daughter as police arrived, received a 24 year prison term, and later faced a long set of appeals and release episodes before further legal actions. Gilbert married, sought truck driving work, and faced a fluctuating path through the justice system including a temporary release and return to prison. Billy Ray Wheelock, meanwhile, met a online partner who pledged enduring love even if he faced a life sentence.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Ezell Gilbert
Gilbert
Tampa
Allison Guagliardo
The
Tampa Tribune
Billy Ray Wheelock
Billy
Wheelock
Prisoners Turned Partners After Commutations
Billy Ray Wheelock, freed from a half way house, married two days later and plans ventures from a prison memoir to talks plus inmate counseling. He credits commutation with easing job prospects and urges using one’s past as a positive reference. Stephanie George, released April 17 2014, seeks to regain a cosmetology license after 17 years to life for drug dealing. She works 25 hours weekly, futilely chasing interviews after frequent résumé scrutiny and identity theft issues.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Stephanie George
George
Thomas Means
Washington
Aaron case exposes flaws in federal pardon process
Clarence Aaron’s case drew attention to clemency failures after an inspector general found Pardon Attorney Ronald Rodgers misrepresented facts to President Bush. White House aides said support from the sentencing judge and prosecutor might have changed the outcome. President Obama commuted Aaron’s sentence, replacing Rodgers, and Aaron says the case spurred review of other clemency requests as he rebuilds his life in Mobile Alabama.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Clarence Aaron
Clinton
Inspector General
Ronald Rodgers
Aaron
George W. Bush
White House
Washington Post
Obama
Bush
Rodgers
Mobile
Ala
From Prison to New Life in Dallas Stories of Clemency
Helen A Gray, once jailed, became a great grandmother before release and faces post prison job struggles while denying drug dealing. Jason Hernandez, freed by Obama in 2013, serves home confinement until August, works at Cafe Momentum, and credits his renewed life to second chances and on the job training.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Helen A. Gray
Helen Alexander Gray
Gray
Obama
Jason Hernandez
Hernandez
Bureau of Prisons
Cafe Momentum
Dallas
Patterson Paroled By Obama Despite Probation Strings
Ricky Eugene Patterson remained under court supervision for ten years after a commutation in 2013. He had an exemplary prison record, earning outstanding work reports, attending religious services, and taking restaurant management classes while petitioning for sentence modification seven times. The government cites significant cocaine involvement and prior drug charges.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Ricky E. Patterson
Obama
Ricky Eugene Patterson
Patterson
Obamas clemency for Wintersmith fuels questions on kinship
Reynolds Wintersmith, granted clemency after a 21 year sentence, faces scrutiny over his relation to Deval Patrick. Patrick says he never met the cousin and did not influence the process. Wintersmith, now in Chicago, describes a wary public perception and a new life focused on proving himself.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Reynolds Wintersmith
Obama
Deval Patrick
Massachusetts
Patrick
Boston Globe
Wintersmith
Chicago
Obama backs Iran deal amid GOP opposition pressure
President Obama and aides mount an aggressive campaign for the Iran nuclear agreement, arguing it blocks Iran’s weapons capability and reduces war risk. Republicans say inspections are leaky and could let Tehran cheat, while a veto may require a two thirds vote to defeat the deal. Drilling into details, Treasury Secretary Lew expresses confidence in winning the case. TSA will retrain every airport screener by September after a DHS inspector general report found failures in covert weapons tests. TSA chief Neffenger says fixing screening failures is the top priority and he met with the IG to learn why checkpoints missed threats.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Iran
Obama
Tehran
Congress
TSA
Department of Homeland Security
Transportation Security
Peter Neffenger
Nefsenger
Calais migrant attempt ends with death at tunnel entrance
More than 1,000 migrants tried to storm the Eurotunnel link to Britain in Calais for a second night. Local reports say a Sudanese man was killed when struck by a truck during the attempted entry, as crowds caused travel delays. One thousand plus migrants pursued entry amid ongoing border turmoil.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Britain
France
Calais
England
Jane Onyanga-Omara
Corrections Clarifications Correct Hammond Concert Shutdown
A state by state item corrects a Tuesday report that mislocated a hologram rap concert shut down by police in Hammond Indiana. Another Tuesday dispatch corrects Jonathan Pollard age to sixty, noting the spy was convicted of espionage.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Hammond
Ind
Jonathan Pollard
Also Mentioned on This Page
Hillsborough County Sheriff
Denver
Treasury
Jack Lew
David Jackson
U.K
Las Nieves
Spain
USA
Acconni Bren
Act
T Jones
Usatoday
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