President Obama commutes Providence man’s sentence

May 6, 2016 6:53 am

By The Associated Press

ABC6 News contributed to this report

news@abc6.com

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) _ A South Providence man convicted of running a “fortified crack house” in 2004 was among 58 federal inmates who had their prison sentences commuted by President Obama.

Forty-four-year-old Charles Brown was the first drug offender in Rhode Island to be sentenced to serve life in federal prison without parole. He is now expected to be released in September following Obama’s commutation.

Brown was arrested in 2003 for running a crack-cocaine empire in South Providence that operated out of a Burnside Street home outfitted with surveillance cameras, steel grates on its windows and steel-reinforced doors. He received a life sentence because of the amount of crack involved in the bust and two prior trafficking convictions.

The commutations are part of Obama’s efforts to reduce punishments for nonviolent drug offenders.

"It’s a good day for the criminal justice system," said his lawyer, Judith Crowell. "It’s a certainly good day for Mr. Brown." Crowell filed his petition for clemency in January 2015.

She believes Providence Police pushed for Brown’s case to be argued in federal court for a harsher punishment. Providence Police declined to comment.

Rhode Island’s ACLU chapter is also applauding the president’s move. "Life is such an extreme sentence for something that was ultimately a non-violent offense," Hillary Davis said.