Biden Commuted Inmate Arrested on New Drug, Firearm Charges
Willie Frank Peterson, 52, whose prison sentence for a cocaine distribution conspiracy was commuted by former President Joe Biden earlier this year, has been arrested again on multiple drug and firearms-related charges, Fox News reports.
Peterson was originally convicted in 2023 of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and sentenced to six years and three months in prison. His sentence commenced on September 13, 2023, according to court records.
However, on January 17, Biden issued an executive grant of clemency, commuting Peterson’s sentence to 20 months. This allowed Peterson to be released from custody shortly thereafter.
On Monday, Peterson was booked in Dothan, Alabama, after being arrested by the Dothan Police Department. According to police records, Peterson faces two counts of unlawful possession of a controlled substance, one count of possession of marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Adding to the severity of the situation, Peterson was also arrested on three firearms-related offenses.
The arrest comes after Biden, in the final days of his presidency, issued a significant number of commutations and pardons. He touted the completion of the “largest single-day grant of clemency” on December 12, commuting sentences for 1,500 individuals and pardoning 39 others. Then, on January 17, the former President commuted the sentences of nearly 2,500 inmates, largely those convicted of non-violent drug offenses. Peterson was among this group.
