U.S. President Donald Trump has commuted the sentence of a Chicago gang leader after lobbying from high-profile rappers.
Larry Hoover, 74, is the founder of the notorious street gang the Gangster Disciples, which grew into a powerful criminal organization.
The gang was involved in drug trafficking, extortion, and other illegal activities.
Highlights
- President Trump commuted the federal sentence of gang leader Larry Hoover after lobbying from rappers Kanye West and Drake.
- Hoover founded the Gangster Disciples and was convicted of murder in 1973, sentenced to 150-200 years.
- Despite the commutation, Hoover remains in prison due to his state murder conviction and will move from a federal supermax.
- Hoover has publicly renounced gang involvement, and supporters claim he is rehabilitated after decades behind bars.
- Critics warned that Hoover caused much harm and questioned Trump's motives.
Despite his commuted sentence, Larry Hoover will remain behind bars for a state murder conviction
Image credits: Chicago Tribune via Getty Images
In 1973, Hoover was convicted of ordering the murder of a fellow gang member and was sentenced to 150 to 200 years in an Illinois state prison.
While behind bars, he continued to lead the gang, resulting in a 1997 federal conviction on charges including conspiracy and running a criminal enterprise from prison.
He was sentenced to six consecutive life terms and has been held at the ADX Florence supermax facility in Colorado—the same facility that houses drug lord El Chapo.
Over the years, Hoover’s supporters, including rapper Kanye West, now known as Ye, have advocated for his release.
Image credits: Calla Kessler/The Washington Post via Getty Images
In 2018, during Trump’s first term, Ye met with Trump to discuss criminal justice reform and urged him to release Hoover.
“Larry Hoover is an example of a man that was turning his life around. As soon as he tried to turn his life around, they hit him with six life sentences,” Ye said.
“Larry Hoover is a living statue. He is a beacon for us that needs to see his family.”
In 2021, Ye and fellow rapper Drake organized the Free Larry Hoover benefit concert to raise awareness about his case.
Supporters have argued that Hoover has been rehabilitated during his decades behind bars and should be given a second chance.
In recent years, Hoover himself has publicly stated that he no longer associates with the Gangster Disciples and has renounced his involvement in gang activities.
In a 2022 letter to a federal judge, he declared, “I am no longer a member, leader, or even an elder statesman of the Gangster Disciples. I want nothing to do with it now and forever.”
While Trump has now commuted Hoover’s sentence, he will remain incarcerated due to his Illinois state murder conviction, for which he is serving 150 to 200 years.
Because his federal sentence has been lifted, Hoover will be transferred out of ADX Florence, where he has been held in extreme isolation for decades.
He is expected to be moved to an Illinois state prison to continue serving time for the 1973 murder conviction.
High-profile artists have been lobbying for Hoover's release for years
This move could place him in a facility with less restrictive conditions compared to the federal supermax facility, though the exact details about his next prison have not yet been released.
His lawyers Jennifer Bonjean and Justin Moore welcomed the move.
“The Courts have demonstrated a complete unwillingness to consider Mr. Hoover’s considerable growth and complete rehabilitation,” they said in a statement to CBS News.
“Despite the Court’s unwillingness to do the right thing, Mr. Hoover has been able to keep his voice alive through the incredible work of many advocates and supporters.
“Thankfully, Mr. Hoover’s pleas were heard by President Trump who took action to deliver justice for Mr. Hoover.”
Ye also reacted positively to the news online.
“WORDS CAN’T EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE FOR OUR DEVOTED ENDURING PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP FOR FREEING LARRY HOOVER,” he posted on X.
Chance the Rapper was among those celebrating, but many appear to believe Hoover was fully released, which he was not.
“I am glad that Larry Hoover’s home,” Chance the Rapper, whose real name is Chancelor Johnathan Bennett, said. “And I got to remind y’all that he was a political prisoner that was set up by the federal government.”
But not everyone welcomed the news, with prosecutors urging people to remember the destruction caused by criminal gangs.
“The President of the United States has the authority to pardon whoever he wishes,” FBI Special Agent in Charge Douglas DePodesta told the Chicago Tribune.
Image credits: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
“I think Larry Hoover caused a lot of damage in this city and he deserves to be in prison, and he will continue to be imprisoned in the state system.”
Some critics believe that Trump’s decision to commute Hoover’s sentence was partly motivated by a desire to appeal to Black voters.
Given Hoover’s high profile in Chicago and the strong support from influential Black artists such as Ye, the move has been seen by some as an attempt to gain favor within communities affected by mass incarceration, without majorly changing policies.
Supporters, however, maintain that it reflects a genuine effort to address long-standing issues in the criminal justice system.
It is just one of many commutations Trump has issued since resuming office in January; in his first 100 days, he granted clemency to over 1,500 individuals.
This included all defendants charged in connection with the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack.
Other recent and notable pardons include reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley, Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht, and a Virginia sheriff convicted of accepting bribes for badges.