Latest news with #FreeLarryHooverBenefitConcert
USA Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- USA Today
Trump pardons former Chicago gang leader Larry Hoover
Trump pardons former Chicago gang leader Larry Hoover Show Caption Hide Caption Trump pardons former congressman Michael Grimm for tax fraud conviction Former Republican Congressman Michael Grimm has received a presidential pardon from Donald Trump, according to the White House. unbranded - Newsworthy President Donald Trump commuted the federal sentence of Larry Hoover, a Chicago gang leader who has been serving multiple life sentences for charges including murder, extortion and money laundering. It's one of several pardons by Trump announced Thursday, May 28 that also includes a former U.S. Army officer who was found guilty by a special court martial during the Biden administration for refusing to follow COVID-19 safety measures, a pair of reality television personalities and former U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm, a New York Republican who resigned after being convicted of tax fraud. Hoover led the Gangster Disciples and was convicted in a 1973 murder in Illinois, court documents say. While serving up to 200 years for the crime, he was convicted of several federal crimes associated with continuing to run the gang from prison, tacking on a life sentence in 1997. Trump's pardon wipes out his federal charges, but the original state charges remain in effect, keeping the 74-year-old behind bars. Trump's latest wave of pardons: A rapper, GOP governor convicted of corruption The former gang leader attracted celebrity support over the last several years. Chicago-born rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, and Drake hosted a "Free Larry Hoover Benefit Concert" at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum December 2021. Ye posted to X May 28 thanking the president for the pardon. Hoover's son, Larry Hoover Jr., who has publicly advocated for his father's release and for prison reform and sentencing fairness, thanked Ye after the pardon was announced. Beginning in the early 1970s, the Gangster Disciples sold cocaine, heroin and other drugs in Chicago. At its height, the criminal enterprise had approximately 6,000 members and raked in $100 million annually, according to court documents. Hoover, also known as "King Hoover," led the gang internally referred to as "the Family," court filings say. Hoover, alongside fellow gang member Andrew Howard, was convicted of murdering 19-year-old drug dealer William "Pooky" Young in 1973 and was sentenced to a term of 150 to 200 years imprisonment. While serving the sentence, the government in 1993 obtained recordings of the convicted gang leader by hiding transmitters in badges worn by Hoover's visitors, leading to federal charges associated with Hoover continuing to lead the Gangster Disciples from behind bars. Hoover has spent nearly three decades serving the sentence at a maximum security prison in Colorado. Contributing: Zac Anderson, USA TODAY. Kathryn Palmer is a national trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at kapalmer@ and on X @KathrynPlmr.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Donald Trump Commutes Life Sentence of Former Chicago Gang Leader Larry Hoover
President Donald Trump has commuted the sentence of Larry Hoover, as the former Chicago gang leader was set to spend the rest of his years behind bars in Colorado. Trump has dished out quite a few pardons in recent weeks while in the Oval Office, and he commuted the multiple life sentences of the Gangster Disciples' founder on Wednesday (May 28), according to the Chicago Sun–Times. More from Billboard Kanye West Puts On Masterclass With Drake's Help For Larry Hoover Benefit Concert Reneé Rapp Says Her Name Was Designed for Pop Stardom John Butler Returns With New Solo Album 'PRISM' However, CBS News reports that the 74-year-old will still have to serve the remainder of his 200-year sentence for the murder of drug dealer William 'Pooky' Young in 1973. Federal prosecutors accused the drug kingpin of running a 'criminal enterprise' from behind bars, which helped him still oversee gang activities while imprisoned. Hoover was hit with 40 additional charges and found guilty in 1997. Ye (formerly Kanye West), who is a Chicago native, has long advocated for Hoover's freedom. He spoke about Hoover during a White House visit with Trump in 2018 and then headlined the Free Larry Hoover Benefit Concert with Drake in December 2021 at the Coliseum in Los Angeles. West was overjoyed to learn that Trump commuted Hoover's sentences. 'WORDS CAN'T EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE FOR OUR DEVOTED ENDURING PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP FOR FREEING LARRY HOOVER,' he wrote to X on Wednesday. Ye even showed love to Drake for joining him onstage in 2021. 'Thank you to Drake for helping to bring Larry Hoover home,' Yeezy added. West gave Larry Hoover's son, Larry Hoover Jr., a guest appearance on his 2021 Donda album and shouted out Hoover on 'Jesus Lord' as well as Vultures 2's 'River.' Hoover Jr. also joined Ye during his Drink Champs interview in 2021. Hoover has continued to petition for a criminal sentence, and U.S. District Judge John Blakey heard a mercy bid from the former gang leader in 2024. 'We did what so many said was impossible,' Hoover's attorney, Justin Moore, told the Sun-Times. 'We got Larry Hoover out of federal prison.' Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
