A nonprofit leader who supports at-risk New Orleans youth. A social worker who fosters animals. A counselor and recovery coach who volunteers at organizations that fight sexual assault and domestic violence.
They are among the roughly 1,540 people whose sentences were commuted or who were pardoned by President Joe Biden on Thursday in what was the largest single-day act of clemency in modern history.
But not everyone was pleased by Biden’s decisions. A Republican state senator said a commutation for a woman who stole $54 million from a small town in Illinois was “a slap in the face” to residents.
Here are some of their stories:
TRYNITHA FULTON, 46, OF NEW ORLEANS
Fulton was pardoned after pleading guilty to participating in a payroll fraud scheme while serving as a New Orleans middle school teacher in the early 2000s. She was convicted of a felony and sentenced to three years of probation in 2008.
Fulton, who has two children and works as an elementary school teacher, said that for years she had lived with “a sense of embarrassment and shame” about the felony conviction.
Even though she completed a master’s degree in educational leadership in 2017, Fulton felt that her criminal record disqualified her from applying for principal positions she felt she could handle.
“The conviction has served as a mental barrier for me, limiting my ability to live a full life,” Fulton said.
Nearly a decade after she first applied for a presidential pardon, Fulton this week received a phone call informing her that it had been granted. “It was astonishing for me, I wasn’t expecting a call,” Fulton said, adding that the pardon will enable her to explore more career opportunities.
A White House news release commended Fulton as “someone who goes above and beyond for her community.” For years, Fulton has helped lead a nonprofit supporting at-risk New Orleans youth with hot meals, clothing and shelter and mental health referrals.
STEVONI DOYLE, 47, OF SANTAQUIN, UTAH
Doyle applied for a pardon six years ago. It had been so long that she had all but forgotten about it — until Wednesday.
“I was in shock,” Doyle said of the call she received from a Justice Department pardon attorney. “And honored.”
Doyle, who was once addicted to meth, had pleaded guilty to drug possession and check forging charges when she was 24. She served more than two years in state and federal prison.
Released in 2006, Doyle resolved to stay clean. She started a family, earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees and now works as a social worker with a behavioral health center.
Doyle applied for a pardon in 2018 and heard nothing until 2020, when the FBI reached out — and the vetting began.
“They talked to my boss, my boss’ boss, they talked to my mother’s boss, they called my doctors," Doyle said. “Just pretty much anybody that had any type of relationship with me in the past 20 years they contacted.”
After the vetting was over, she would have to wait some more: four years, it turned out.
“I just want people to know that are in the throes of addiction, or families to know that when they have somebody in their family that is addicted, that there is hope,” Doyle said Thursday. “This has just brought so much joy to me and my family and is just the continuation of my recovery.”
She has five children and three grandchildren, volunteers in her community, fosters animals and competes in roller derby.
RITA CRUNDWELL, 71, OF DIXON, ILLINOIS
Crundwell was sentenced to more than 19 years in prison in 2013 for stealing about $54 million over two decades when she was in charge of finances for Dixon, Illinois.
She was released to a halfway house program in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic before moving to home confinement. Biden’s commutation releases Crundwell from any restrictions.
Paul Gaziano, a lawyer who represented Crundwell in federal court, declined to comment Thursday.
Dixon Mayor Glen Hughes said he believes most of the town is probably stunned, and maybe even angry, that Biden would provide clemency to Crundwell. Republican state Sen. Andrew Chesney called Biden’s act “nothing short of a slap in the face to the people of Dixon.”
Dixon, best known as the childhood home of President Ronald Reagan, sued auditors and a bank after Crundwell’s theft was revealed and recovered $40 million in settlements.
Crundwell, who was a horse breeder, told a judge in 2020 that more than $15 million was repaid from the sale of her horses and other assets.
“I am going to do everything possible to make up for my mistakes," she told the judge in a handwritten letter that described various health problems. “I have taken responsibility for my actions since the first day.”
BRANDON CASTROFLAY, 49, OF ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA
Castroflay was pardoned after pleading guilty to nonviolent, drug-related offenses at age 21, the White House said.
After completing his sentence, Castroflay continued his career in the U.S. Army and went on to work as a civilian for both the Army and the Air Force, receiving multiple awards.
He took night classes to earn a bachelor’s degree while working full-time.
Castroflay volunteers for several charitable organizations that support Gold Star families and wounded service members. He has been described as exceptionally hard-working, dedicated and trustworthy by those who know him.
SHANNAN FAULKNER, 56, OF MULDROW, OKLAHOMA
Faulkner was pardoned after pleading guilty to a nonviolent drug offense and serving her 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 her inspirational character, her integrity and the remarkable impact she makes on the lives of those she helps.
TERENCE JACKSON, 36, OF SEATTLE
Terence Jackson of Seattle was pardoned after pleading guilty to a nonviolent drug offense he committed when he was 23.
If Jackson had been sentenced under current law and sentencing practices, he probably 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 degree while he works full-time.
Jackson has also volunteered, including as a barber to children in need. He is described by those who know him as dependable and caring and as someone who always tries 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.
The Associated Press
