Former Gary Boxer Seeks Prison Release

GARY, IN — A Gary man convicted nearly a decade ago for leading a local drug trafficking gang is hoping to be released from prison as he and others believe he's earned that opportunity. Chicago Tribune reported 38-year-old Charles "Duke Got Next" Tanner, an ESPN-status, undefeated light heavyweight boxer, was convicted as a leader of the Renegades gang that trafficked thousands of pounds of marijuana and crack cocaine. According to the news report, Tanner's prison sentence was shortened a couple years ago, before President Obama's administration denied his request for clemency.

Thanks to recent prison reform talks by President Trump, and the release of Alice Marie Johnson and heavyweight boxing champion Jack Jackson, Tanner is encouraged to get out of the Allenwood, Pennsylvania federal correctional facility.

According to Chicago Tribune, Tanner has taken classes, mentored inmates, and kept up with pen pals in hopes to help future generations avoid his path. The news report said Tanner admits his crimes, but believes he'll be set free as there's "a chance" for him to receive clemency.

A change.org petition for Tanner's clemency was created by Rita Cushenberry, and details the process the current inmate has gone through. The petition has more than 500 supporters.

In the petition, Cushenberry writes, "Duke is a perfect candidate for clemency and sets the perfect example for which the Clemency Initiative was put in place for!"

According to The U.S. Department of Justice Clemency Initiative, former Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole announced the initiative in 2014 to "encourage qualified federal inmates to petition to have their sentences commuted, or reduced, by the President of the United States."

The department states "Under the new initiative, the Department will prioritize clemency applications from inmates who meet all of the following factors:

• They are currently serving a federal sentence in prison and, by operation of law, likely would have received a substantially lower sentence if convicted of the same offense(s) today;
• They are non-violent, low-level offenders without significant ties to large scale criminal organizations, gangs or cartels;
• They have served at least 10 years of their prison sentence;
• They do not have a significant criminal history;
• They have demonstrated good conduct in prison; and
• They have no history of violence prior to or during their current term of imprisonment."

"If ever there was a man more worthy and deserving of clemency, it is Charles “Duke” Tanner," Cushenberry wrote. "Duke is a perfect candidate for clemency and sets the perfect example for which the Clemency Initiative was put in place for! Duke was convicted of his FIRST and ONLY case in his life in 2004 for a NON VIOLENT drug conspiracy; that which the Government alleged began in January 1993, naming Duke as the leader in the case. In 1993, Duke was only 12 years of age. Consequently, in 2009 Duke was sentenced to 2 LIFE sentences."

More: Tanner's change.org petition

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