Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Tuesday she reduced the sentences of four men who were serving long prison terms, making them immediately eligible for parole.
Three of the four men have been in prison for more than 20 years.
Michael Thompson, 69, and Lawrence Cadroy, 65, were convicted of drug crimes in Genesee County. Lorenzo Garrett, 52, and Larry McGhee, 51, were convicted of drug crimes in Oakland County.
“These commutations offer a second chance to four individuals who have accepted responsibility and paid their debts to society and whose sentences span decades for non-violent offenses,” Whitmer said.
She said each case was vetted by the Michigan parole board. Without clemency, Thompson would not have been eligible for parole until 2038.
He’s completed marijuana-related sentences but remained in prison on a gun charge. Thompson’s sentences were enhanced by his previous record.
“The story is not heroic by any measurement or means,” said Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley, who is Thompson’s nephew. “It just talks about the humanitarian efforts of a good-minded government.”
