WASHINGTON — Three men each from either D.C., Maryland, and Virginia were among the 39 people pardoned by President Joe Biden.
According to White House officials, all three men had been convicted of non-violent drug offenses during the 1990s.
D.C.
Norman Brown, 56 years old
A Washington, D.C. resident, Brown is on the board of directors for the D.C.-based nonprofit FAMM - Families for Justice Reform. He was in prison for 24.5 years for a nonviolent drug crime he was found guilty of when he was 22 years old in 1993.
"If Mr. Brown had been sentenced under current law and today's sentencing practices, he likely would have received a shorter sentence," the White House said on Thursday. "... Family members and colleagues describe Mr. Brown as a man of grace and integrity and an exceptional human being."
President Barack Obama commuted Brown's sentence during his second term in 2015.
Maryland
Arthur Lawrence Byrd, 58 years old
A resident of Clinton, Md., Byrd pleaded guilty to non-violent offenses when he was 23, according to the White House. Since then, the Prince George's man has worked as an equipment operator and is a frequent volunteer at his local church.
"People who know him attest to his willingness to help others, his work ethic and his character," according to the White House.
Virginia
Brandon Sergio Castroflay, 49 years old
An Army veteran, Castroflay worked for both the Army and the Air Force as a civilian. Since he pleaded guilty to a non-violent drug crime when he was 21, the Alexandria, Va. resident has also volunteered for Gold Star families and wounded service members.
"Mr. Castroflay has been described as exceptionally hard-working, dedicated and trustworthy by those who knew him," the White House said Thursday.
Nearly 1500 Pardons
In addition to Brown, Byrd and Castroflay, President Biden had also commuted the sentences of nearly 1500 people, making Thursday the largest single-day act of clemency in modern American history.
"America was built on the promise of possibility and second chances," Biden said on Thursday "As President, I have the great privilege of extending mercy to people who have demonstrated remorse and rehabilitation."
Biden has made the most acts of clemency out of any U.S. President with 8,027 since he took office in 2017. These have included 6,500 sentenced for simple possession of marijuana and his son Hunter, who had been found guilty on federal gun and tax charges.
Comparatively, Donald Trump pardoned 143 people during his first four years in office, commuting 94 sentences. While Barack Obama granted clemency to 1,927 people during his two terms, among those were 212 pardons.