President Donald Trump has officially commuted the federal sentence of the 74-year-old Chicago Disciples Leader Larry Hoover. The gang leader, who was also known as King Larry in his prime, was serving multiple life sentences in a federal prison. According to the records, Larry Hoover had a long history of crimes before finally getting arrested in 1973. If you are someone who wants to know more about Larry Hoover being commuted by President Trump, the following article is for you. It brings you everything you need to know, including the reactions of all the important personalities attached to the Larry Hoover case.
Who Exactly Is Larry Hoover, And Why Is He Serving In Federal Prison?
Larry Hoover, who is currently 74 years old, is the co-founder of the Chicago gang called Gangster Disciples. The gang leader was serving a 200-year life sentence on state charges in the state of Illinois for the murder of a 19-year-old drug dealer in 1973. He was later convicted of federal charges in 1997 and was sentenced to six life terms. Larry Hoover was one of the 39 Gangster Disciples leaders who were indicted as a result of Operation Headache in 1995. According to the accusations of the federal prosecutors, Larry was leading a criminal enterprise that helped him oversee his gang while he served in prison. The federal prison records suggest he’s currently serving 6 life sentences in a maximum security prison located in Colorado.
What Did Larry Hoover’s Attorney Say About Him Getting Commuted By Trump?
Jennifer Bonjean and Justin Moore, who are the attorneys of Larry Hoover, mentioned that they were thrilled to see him released from federal custody. In an official statement, they mentioned how the court was completely unwilling to consider Hoover’s considerable growth and complete rehabilitation. Despite that, Hoover kept raising his voice through the incredible work of many advocates and supporters. They further added that President Trump has finally heard his pleas and delivered him justice. Jennifer Bonjean mentioned in a following interview that she’s thrilled for him, his family, as well as his supporters, who have been chanting “Free Larry Hoover!” for a pretty long time.
What Did Larry Hoover Say About His Rehabilitation While Serving In Prison?
Back in 1993, when Larry Hoover was 42 years old, CBS News Chicago’s reporter John Davis interviewed him about his 20 years in prison. Hoover mentioned that he had already done his time and served his debt to society. He further mentioned that the extensive time in prison gave him much time to think. Therefore, he did think a lot about senseless gang violence, which was affecting the lives of innocent people in Chicago. He further mentioned how one teenager doesn’t like the other because their ideologies are different. Hoover revealed he’s part of a fragile gang truce and is also arranging protests over plans to close healthcare clinics in African American neighborhoods.
What Did Wallace “Gator” Bradley And Harold “Noonie” Ward Say About Hoover Being Released From Federal Custody?
Wallace “Gator” Bradley, who is a former enforcer for Larry’s gang, Gangster Disciples, has always been talking about how Larry Hoover should be released. He mentioned that he had been advocating for his release since 1992 or 1993. Bradley said that he knows Hoover has served his time and that he is happy to see him finally getting rreleased On the other hand, Harold “Noonie” Ward, who is also a former high-ranking member of the Gangster Disciples, mentioned that everyone deserves a second chance and that Hoover’s sentence getting commuted by Trump didn’t surprise him. Ward was the member who served his time with Larry Hoover and then became an anti-violence advocate.
What Did Ron Safer Say About Larry Hoover Being Commuted?
Ron Safer, who was the lead prosecutor in Hoover’s federal trial, expressed his disappointment about Hoover’s sentence being commuted. Safer explained how Larry was running a continuing criminal enterprise that had approximately 30,000 members across 28 states. He also revealed that he has sold over $100 million worth of drugs in the state of Illinois every year. Safer also stated that he’s operating the organization from within the prison. He further added that Larry was recorded saying teenagers needed to sell drugs for his criminal organization after he was interviewed by John Davis. Safer believes that Larry’s crimes are so heinous that he should have been punished to the full extent of the law.
Is Larry Hoover Going To Be Released From Prison?
It is currently unclear how soon Larry will be released from federal custody. However, he’ll still have to serve the remaining 200-year sentence in Illinois. He was sentenced to 200 years in prison for the murder of a 19-year-old back in 1973. As of yet, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has made no statement regarding whether he’s also going to consider commuting Hoover’s sentence at the state level.
