A drug dealer freed by U.S. President Donald Trump has been found guilty of violating parole and is facing charges for violent offenses, including groping his nanny.
Jonathan Braun, 42, was granted clemency during Trump’s first presidency in 2021 after serving roughly one year of a 10-year sentence for drug trafficking.
Braun now faces a further five years in prison after being accused of groping his family’s nanny, swinging an IV pole at a nurse, threatening a fellow synagogue member, and evading tolls.
Highlights
- Jonathan Braun, a drug dealer freed by Trump’s 2021 clemency, faces 5 more years for groping his family nanny and other violent acts.
- Braun’s family had close ties to Charles Kushner, Jared Kushner’s father, influencing his controversial release from prison.
- Braun reportedly groped his nanny in February, forcing her into a headlock.
- He also allegedly swung an IV pole at a nurse, threatened a synagogue member, and evaded $160 in bridge tolls with deliberate tailgating.
Donald Trump commuted Jonathan Braun’s sentence in 2021
Image credits: Howard Schnapp/Newsday RM via Getty Images
On September 5, a federal judge ruled that prosecutors had proved the alleged parole violations “by a preponderance of the evidence,” The Guardian reported.
Braun’s family had close ties to Charles Kushner, the father of Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, as well as a senior White House advisor, and used that influence to secure his release in 2021, The New York Times reported.
At the time, federal prosecutors said Braun held a senior role in an international organization responsible for smuggling 220,460 pounds of marijuana into the U.S. from Canada.
According to The Daily Beast, Braun also had a loan-shark business, and he exchanged information to aid a predatory lending investigation to help facilitate his release.
The commutation of his sentence was highly controversial and sparked outrage among law enforcement officials.
Braun’s family had close ties to Charles Kushner, the father of Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner
Image credits: Patrick McMullan/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images
As reported by NYT, Braun’s nanny told a court in April that she was left “terrified” after he entered her room in the family home on February 15.
She said Braun put her into a headlock after pushing her down onto the bed and forced her hand over his bare genitals as he groped her breasts.
The nanny said that after Braun informed her he had always wanted to have sexual intercourse with her, she managed to break free from his hold and flee to the bathroom.
Inside, she messaged her husband to tell him she feared for her life and he contacted police, who arrived about one hour later.
Image credits: The White House
Further witness testimony reported by the NYT revealed that Braun allegedly swung a pole at a hospital nurse and threatened to kill staff in January.
Nassau County Bridge Authority Executive Director Raymond Webb testified that Braun tailgated cars with E-ZPass tags to avoid 75 bridge tolls, totaling $160.
“There was a methodology applied by the evader,” Webb said.
Braun is also accused of threatening a synagogue member in March after he asked him to be quiet during a service.
A further incident at his home on March 29 did not meet the legal burden for charges, Judge Kiyo Matsumoto said.
Prosecutors had alleged that Braun struck a guest in the face, knocked him to the ground, and then pushed his 3-year-old son down, leaving a red mark on the child’s back.
Braun has been in federal custody since he was detained in April and is expected to be sentenced on October 9.
He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.