NEW YORK (WCBS 880) -- Gov. Andrew Cuomo, with just a week left in office, announced Tuesday that he has granted clemency to 10 people.
Cuomo announced the commutation of five sentences and the full pardoning of five people. Many of the commutations come from high-profile cases, with backings from family and friends of multiple years to shorten their jail stay.
Among the commutations was Nehru Gumbs, 36, Jon-Adrian Velazquez, 45, George Martinez, 60, Dontie Mitchell, 41 and Richard “Lee” Chalk, 63.
The five pardons were given to James Pamphile, 44, Ivelisse Castillo, 60, Jorge Quinones, 47, Miriam Ordonez, 40, Catherine Valdez, 35.
The Release Aging People in Prison Campaign celebrated the governor's moves, but said more should be done.
NEHRU GUMBS was convicted of manslaughter, criminal possession of a weapon and assault in 2005 when he was 18, according to the governor’s office. He has served 17.5 years of a 25-year sentence.
According to the New York Times, Gumbs fired a gun on New Year’s Day in 2004, mistakenly shooting a nurse’s aide.
Cuomo’s office pointed to Gumbs’ work as a youth counselor, as well as his earning of an Associate’s Degree from Mercy College. They said he has enrolled in vocational programs and a 4-year program at Mercy.
JON-ADRIAN VELASQUEZ was convicted on murder, attempted murder, robbery and attempted robbery in 1999 and has served 23.5 of a 25-year sentence.
Velazquez’s story has been subject of plenty of scrutiny and investigations. The New York Times reported in 2011 that after three people identified him in the killing of a retired police officer, two later recanted and the other had doubts on their observations.
He was the subject of a Dateline NBC investigation, writing many letters to producers, including one saying, “I am not ‘simply’ innocent, I am CLEARLY INNOCENT!”
Velazquez earned an Associate’s Degree in 2012 and a Bachelor’s two years later, while receiving recognition at graduation for community service. The governor’s office said he works with Hudson Link and as a teaching fellow for a Columbia University professor.
Velasquez also was part of establishing Voices From Within, described as an educational initiative against gun violence, and Forgotten Voices, which aims to bridge policymaking gaps between those incarcerated and the public.
GEORGE MARTINEZ was convicted of burglary and others charges in 1992, 1995 and 2007 and has served 15 years on a 17.5-to-life sentence.
While in custody, the governor’s office said he has worked toward a GED and provided voluntary cooking services for many events.
DONTIE MITCHELL has served time on robbery, grand larceny and other charges from 1997 and 2003, which the governor's office said included crimes committed at 17. He had served 24.5 years out of a 27-to-54-year sentence.
On a Change.org petition asking for clemency from multiple years ago, Mitchell said, “I didn't hurt or physically harm anyone” but takes responsibility for his behavior.
Since he’s been incarcerated, Mitchell has mentored young men who grew up without role models, worked toward an Associate’s and has served as a GED tutor and youth chairman for the Sing Sing NAACP.
RICHARD CHALK was convicted on two counts of murder, robbery and burglary in 1988 in an incident where he was the driver, not the gunman, according to Cuomo's office. He has served 33 years on a 50-to-life sentence.
In an interview with Gothamist, Chalk said he entered prison with rage, feeling his sentence was harsh, but eventually came to realize, “It would be more beneficial for everyone to do better for other people, instead of just destroying stuff.”
Chalk has earned various training certificates the include legal research, food service and the Fatherhood & Family Law Program. He was also a volunteer for Project Care and American Cancer Society.
For those pardoned, Cuomo’s office denoted all five pardons will help them remain in the United States and remain with family members.
JAMES PAMPHILE was convicted on bail jumping and attempted assault in 2013, as well as assault in 2011. Cuomo’s office said Pamphile’s childhood in Haiti was marred by abuse due to his sexual orientation. They report that he is an accomplished dancer and has remained crime-free for eight years.
IVELISSE CASTILLO, who was convicted of attempted criminal possession of a controlled substance in 2001, has been a volunteer at a community garden, nursing home and church, and has not committed a crime in 19 years, according to a news release.
JORGE QUINONES was convicted of attempted criminal sale of a controlled substance in 1996. Cuomo said he has since earned a Master’s Certificate from Boston University in computer engineering and works within the cybersecurity industry, including helping to build communication helmets for the U.S. military. He is denoted for being crime-free for 25 years.
MIRIAM ORDONEZ was convicted with attempted criminal sale of a controlled substance in 1999, when she was 17. According to the release, at that time, she was working at a coffee shop run by a drug dealer that sought to take advantage of undocumented children. She was also convicted of disorderly conduct in 2016.
CATHERINE VALDEZ was convicted on attempted robbery charges in 2002, at 16 years old. Cuomo said she has since worked as a caregiver and earned a Personal Care Assistant certificate. She’s also working toward a Home Health Aid certification and wants to be a nurse.