The latest federal pardon out of the White House came November 6 for Major League Baseball player Darryl Strawberry.
In 1995 the former New York Mets star was charged with a federal income tax evasion charge; for which Strawberry pled guilty.
He was charged with failure to report $350,000 earned in personal appearances and autograph signings.
The original plea bargain included three months in jail but became six months of home confinement. He also was ordered to pay penalty and interest fees of over $430,000.
In 1999, Strawberry pled no contest to possession of cocaine and solicitation. He was sentenced to eleven months in a Florida prison, 21 months of probation and was suspended for 140 days by Major League Baseball.
Strawberry played 17 seasons for the Mets where he had 335 home runs, 1,000 RBI’s, and was an eight time All Star.
According to the statement issued by the White House, “following his career, , Mr. Strawberry found faith in Christianity and has been sober for over a decade – he has become active in ministry and started a recovery center which still operates today.”
The now 63 year old Strawberry used social media thank the White House saying the pardon allowed him, “to be truly free and clean from all of my past.”
In March the White House announced that they would be giving a full pardon to baseball star Pete Rose; while Rose has been reinstated by MLB and now eligible for induction into the Hall of Fame, the pardon from the White House has yet to come forth.