A leading nonprofit supporting at-risk New Orleans youth. Social worker who raises animals. Counselor and recovery coach who volunteers in organizations dealing with sexual assault and domestic violence.
They are among approximately 1,540 people their sentences were commuted or pardoned by the president Joe Biden on Thursday in what was the largest single-day clemency act in modern history.
But not everyone was happy with Biden’s decisions. A Republican state senator said the exchange of a woman who stole $54 million from a small Illinois town was “a blow” to residents.
Here are some of their stories:
Fulton was pardoned after pleading guilty to participating in a payroll fraud scheme while serving as a high school teacher in New Orleans in the early 2000s. He was convicted of a crime and sentenced to three years in prison in 2008.
Fulton, who has two children and works as an elementary school teacher, said for years she had lived with a “feeling of shame and embarrassment” about the felony conviction.
Although he earned a master’s degree in educational leadership in 2017, Fulton believed his criminal record disqualified him from applying for senior positions he could have handled.
“The conviction has served as a mental barrier for me, limiting my ability to live a full life,” Fulton said.
Nearly a decade after applying for a presidential pardon, Fulton received a phone call this week informing him that it had been approved. “It was a surprise to me, I wasn’t expecting a call,” Fulton said, adding that the pardon will allow him to explore more career options.
A White House news release praised Fulton as “someone who goes above and beyond for his community.” For years, Fulton’s non-profit has helped youth in New Orleans by providing hot meals, clothing and shelter, and mental health referrals.
Doyle applied for a pardon six years ago. It was so long that he forgot about it until Wednesday.
“I was shocked,” Doyle said of the call he received from a Justice Department pardon attorney. “And honored.”
Doyle, a one-time meth addict, pleaded guilty to drug possession and check forgery charges when he was 24. He spent more than two years in state and federal prisons.
Released in 2006, Doyle decided to stay clean. She raised a family, earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees, and now works as a social worker at a behavioral health center.
Doyle applied for a pardon in 2018 and heard nothing until 2020, when the FBI contacted him and began an investigation.
“They talked to my boss, they talked to my boss’s boss, they talked to my mom’s boss, they called my doctors,” Doyle said. “They contacted anyone who has had any type of contact with me in the last 20 years.”
After completing the examination, he would have to wait longer: four years, it turned out.
“I want people to know that people who are struggling with addiction, or families to know that there is hope when they have someone in their family who is an addict,” Doyle said Thursday. “This has brought me and my family great joy and is just a continuation of my recovery.”
She has five children and three grandchildren, volunteers in her community, raises animals and participates in roller derby.
Crundwell was sentenced to more than 19 years in prison in 2013 for embezzling about $54 million over two decades when he was the chief financial officer in Dixon, Illinois.
He was released to a halfway house program in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, before going into home confinement. Biden’s commutation frees Crundwell from any restrictions.
Paul Gaziano, the attorney who represented Crundwell in federal court, declined to comment Thursday.
Dixon Mayor Glen Hughes said he thinks most of the town is probably surprised, and maybe even angry, that Biden will pardon Crundwell. Republican state Sen. Andrew Chesney called Biden’s action “a slap in the face to the people of Dixon.”
Dixon, known as the childhood home of President Ronald Reagan, sued auditors and a bank after Crundwell’s theft was uncovered and recovered $40 million in settlements.
Crundwell, a horse breeder, told a judge in 2020 that more than $15 million was returned from the sale of his horses and other assets.
“I will do everything possible to make up for my mistakes,” he told the judge in a handwritten letter that described several health problems. “I have taken responsibility for my actions from day one.”
Castroflay was pardoned after pleading guilty to nonviolent crimes at age 21, the White House said.
After serving his sentence, Castroflay continued his career in the US Army and worked as a civilian for both the Navy and Air Force, receiving numerous awards.
He took night classes while working full-time to earn his bachelor’s degree.
Castroflay volunteers for various charities that support Gold Star families and injured service members. Those who know him have described him as exceptionally hardworking, dedicated and reliable.
Faulkner was pardoned after pleading guilty to a nonviolent drug offense and serving his sentence, the White House said.
Since then, Faulkner furthered her education and now works as a counselor and recovery coach with female trauma victims and people with disabilities.
Faulkner also volunteers with organizations dedicated to preventing sexual assault and domestic violence, as well as with local charities.
Colleagues attest to his inspirational nature, his integrity and the remarkable impact he makes on the lives of those he helps.
Terence Jackson of Seattle was pardoned after pleading guilty to a non-violent drug offense at the age of 23.
If Jackson had been sentenced under current law and sentencing practices, he likely would have received a shorter sentence, the White House said.
In the years since his release, Jackson has worked in the legal industry and is pursuing a bachelor’s degree while working full-time.
Jackson has also volunteered, including as a barber for children in need. Those who know him describe him as trustworthy and caring and always trying to help others.
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Associated Press writers Jack Brook in New Orleans, Ed White in Detroit, Mead Gruver in Cheyenne, Wyo., and Lisa Baumann in Bellingham, Wash., contributed to this report.
