Disgraced Gov. Andrew Cuomo Pardons Convicted Felons, Touts ‘Power of Redemption’

In his final few days in office, disgraced New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) announced Tuesday that he decided to commute sentences of five felons and pardon five felons to “harness the power of redemption.”

Five men, including a convicted teenage murderer, a cop killer, a member of the ‘Brooklyn Six,’ and a serial robber had their sentences commuted, meaning they will not serve the remainder of their sentences in prison, the Daily Mail reported.

“Five other men all immigrants – were pardoned, meaning that their sentences were struck from their records and they can’t be deported for having a criminal record,” according to the report. 

Cuomo, 63, resigned on August 10 after an investigation confirmed he had sexually harassed nearly a dozen women. He is also accused of hiding thousands of nursing home deaths, though President Joe Biden’s Department of Justice has declined to investigate. He gave himself two weeks to step down, making his last day August 24. This week, he filed to receive his $50,000 annual state pension. 

The soon-to-be former governor, who a majority of New Yorkers polled would like to see criminally charged for sexual harassment, said he hopes the clemencies will “empower everyone to work toward a better future” and would pave the way for a “more fair, more just, more equitable, and more empathetic New York.”

Richard ‘Lee’ Chalk, 71,  is one of the three commuted sentences connected to a murder. Chalk was a member of the ‘Brooklyn Six,’ who killed two drug dealers in New York in 1988. Even though one of the other members killed the men, Chalk, who was 30 at the time, drove the getaway car. He has since served 33 years of a 50-to-life sentence.

Cuomo also commuted the sentences of Nehru Gumbs, 36, and Jon-Adrian Velasquez, 45, both of whom are convicted of  murder.

Gumbs was 18 when he shot and killed Tralane Walker, 25, in 2004 in Brooklyn. Walker was exiting First Baptist Church of Crown Heights with his mom in a crime of mistaken identity, Daily Mail reported.

Jon-Adrian Velasquez, now 45, was found guilty of killing retired NYPD Officer Albert Ward in 1999, though his lawyer argues he was wrongfully convicted. Actor Martin Sheen has been a very vocal advocate for Velasquez since 2011.

“It should break everyone’s heart that a talented, wonderful man had to spend this much time behind bars when injustice kept him there,” his lawyer Robert Gottlieb told DailyMail.com. “There was plenty of evidence that another person, who didn’t even resemble Velasquez, committed the crime.”

Cuomo also commuted the sentences of George Martinez, now 60, and Dontie Mitchell, now 41.

“Martinez was convicted of second-degree burglary, attempted burglary, fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property and attempted criminal possession of a weapon in 1992, 1995 and 2007. The most recent case was in connection with a burglary of a Bronx home,” according to the report, which noted he has served 15 years of a 17.5 year sentence.

Mitchell committed several Albany robberies in 1997 when he was 17.

“During a February 11, 1997 robbery of a McDonalds, Mitchell fired his gun, locked an employee in the freezer and took off with over $1,000, according to court documents. He was finally caught a town over from Albany,” Daily Mail reported.

Five other people, who are immigrants, were pardoned, and most were convicted of “low-level drug offenses, a minor assault and one robbery as teenagers.” They will be allowed to stay in the U.S.

“One of the foundational promises of New York State is that of equal justice, and equal compassion, for all under the law,” Cuomo said in a statement.