Controversies continue to ensue regarding some of the beneficiaries of Joe Biden's recent act of clemency, where he commuted the sentences of almost 1,500 people and pardoned 39 more who had been convicted of nonviolent crimes.
The latest name that raised eyebrows after emerging is that of Nevin Shapiro, who was convicted of running a Ponzi Scheme for over $900 million and had been sentenced in 2011 to 20 years in prison.
Like the others who saw the commutation of their sentences, Shapiro had been released from prison during the Covid-19 pandemic and placed under home confinement.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Miami Herald about the case, but did say when announcing the decision that the individuals benefited were sentenced under "outdated laws, policies, and practices that left them with longer sentences than if the individuals were sentenced today."
The outlet detailed that Shapiro has been helping care for his father in Boca Raton with permission from the federal government. He had already requested compassionate release but was rejected by a New Jersey federal judge, who nonetheless noted that Shapiro "has invested himself and attempted to contribute to society."
"Defendant cooperated with law enforcement to recover forty million dollars in funds connected with his fraudulent scheme, and he is a witness in a civil trial to recover more funds," said the judge, Susan D. Wingenton. He had already been ordered to return almost $83 million to defrauded investors.
His Ponzi scheme in question was ran through Capitol Investments USA, which he claimed was dedicated to buying wholesale groceries to sell upmarket. He became a booster for the University of Miami, even bragging about giving athletes expensive gifts and favors with the ulterior goal of signing them to a sports agency he was involved in launching. His actions catalyzed a NCAA probe which put the university of probation for three years. It also took away nine football scholarships and three basketball ones.
Other controversial commutations include that of Rita Crundwell, a former public official convicted of embezzling over $50 million from a city in Illinois. Crundwell was the comptroller of Dixon, Illinois, and was sentenced in 2013 of embezzling $53 million in actions that went as far back as 1990. She pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to 19 years in prison.
According to her plea deal, she opened in 1990 a bank account under the name of Dixon but used her for personal expenses, including a horse breeding business, credit card purchases and several properties. She also created fake invoices to make it seem like the funds were being used for legitimate expenses and justified shortfalls saying the state was late in payment of tax revenues to the city.
Another case that made headlines is Michael Conahan, a former judge found guilty of taking kickbacks from for-profit detention centers in exchange for sentencing minors who were not guilty of the accusations against them.
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