Clinton Matthews, Stacia Smith, Steven Speal, Cheryl Howard, Greg Collins, Paul Free, Schearean Means, Michael Holmes, Tammie Francis, Cullen Harris

Monday, December 19, 2016 is a date to remember for 15 CAN-DO members, 4 women and 6 men were on the CAN-DO Top 25 Lists for Men and Women!  The ten featured in our photo were in the CAN-DO Guardian Angel program.  To date, Obama has pardoned 148 people and granted 1,176 commutations for federal prisoners since the launch of Clemency Project 2014, and according to White House Counsel, Neil Eggleston, Obama plans to issue more before he leaves office!   The fortunate individuals include:

Rodney Bates  — Milan, Tenn.
Offense: Possession with intent to distribute 24.1 grams of cocaine base; Western District of Tennessee  Sentence: 188 months’ imprisonment; four years’ supervised release (August 10, 2006)
Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on July 31, 2017.

Gregory Collins — Greenville, Ill.
Offense: Engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise; employing a person under 18 in drug trafficking; money laundering; Southern District of Illinois
Sentence: Life imprisonment (April 10, 1992)
Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 360 months’ imprisonment.

Tammie Francis — Lee’s Summit, Mo.
Offense: Possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base; possession with intent to distribute cocaine; Western District of Missouri
Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (June 28, 1996)
Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 360 months’ imprisonment.

Paul Free  — Coronado, Calif.
Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of marijuana; Eastern District of Michigan  Sentence: Life imprisonment (June 14, 1995)
Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 360 months’ imprisonment.

Cullen Reed Harris — Shreveport, La.
Offense: Conspiracy to manufacture more than 1,000 grams of methamphetamine; manufacture of more than 1,000 grams of methamphetamine; Western District of Texas
Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release; $50,000 fine (March 27, 1992)
Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 420 months’ imprisonment.

Michael Holmes — Plano, Tex.
Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances; possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (four counts); use of a communication facility to commit a controlled substance offense; distribution of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a school; establishment of a place for the manufacture and distribution of a controlled substance (two counts); Eastern District of Texas  Sentence: Life imprisonment; eight years’ supervised release; $5,000 fine (October 2, 1998)
Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on April 18, 2017.

Cheryl Howard — Sarasota, Fla.
Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine base; possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (two counts); Middle District of Florida
Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (April 21, 1995)
Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on December 19, 2018, conditioned upon enrollment in residential drug treatment.

Mary Beth Looney — Wichita Falls, Tex.
Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and aiding and abetting; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and aiding and abetting (two counts); Northern District of Texas  Sentence: 548 months’ imprisonment; five years’ supervised release (May 19, 2006); amended to 511 months’ imprisonment (June 2, 2016)
Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 211 months’ imprisonment, conditioned upon enrollment in residential drug treatment.

Clinton Matthews — Norfolk, VA
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, cocaine base and heroin; distribute a mixture or substance containing cocaine base; possess with intent to distribute cocaine (five counts); possess with intent to distribute heroin; Eastern District of Virginia
Sentence: Life imprisonment; five years’ supervised release (November 30, 1993)
Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on April 18, 2017.

Schearean Means — Birmingham, Ala.
Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance; possession with intent to distribute cocaine, crack cocaine, and marijuana; use of a communication facility to commit, cause or facilitate commission of drug felony (five counts); Northern District of Alabama
Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release; $5,000 fine (May 29, 1996)
Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 360 months’ imprisonment.

Jamael Aaron Nettles — Mobile, Ala.
Offense: Possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine; possession with intent to distribute cocaine; simple possession of marijuana; Southern District of Alabama
Sentence: 365 months’ imprisonment; four years’ supervised release (August 15, 2006); amended to 293 months’ imprisonment (June 4, 2008); amended to 235 months’ imprisonment (January 30, 2012); amended to 188 months’ imprisonment (July 9, 2015)
Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on April 18, 2017.

Stacia Smith — Dolton, Ill.
Offense: Narcotics conspiracy; use of a telephone in drug conspiracy (two counts); using/carrying a firearm in relation to a drug offense; Northern District of Illinois
Sentence: 252 months’ imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (October 26, 2005)
Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on April 18, 2017.
Melissa Sosa — Midland, Tex.
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute over five kilograms of cocaine; Western District of Texas Sentence: 240 months’ imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (August 5, 2010)  Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on December 19, 2018, conditioned upon enrollment in residential drug treatment.

Steven Speal — Oklahoma City
Offense: Conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance; possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; possession with intent to distribute marijuana; possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime; possession of a firearm by a prohibited person (two counts); District of Kansas
Sentence: Life plus 60 months’ imprisonment; five years’ supervised release; $5,000 fine (October 30, 1997) Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on December 19, 2018, conditioned upon enrollment in residential drug treatment.

Vincent Lee Twiggs, II — Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Offense: Possession of five grams or more of a substance containing cocaine base with intent to distribute; Eastern District of Missouri
Sentence: 188 months’ imprisonment; four years’ supervised release (March 27, 2009)
Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 151 months’ imprisonment, conditioned upon enrollment in residential drug treatment.

To date, Obama has pardoned 148 people and granted 1,176 commutations for federal prisoners since the launch of Clemency Project 2014, and according to White House Counsel, Neil Eggleston, Obama plans to issue more before he leaves office!