US President Joe Biden issues clemency to four Indian-Americans

US President Joe Biden has issued clemency to nearly 1,500 people, including four Indian-Americans. These four Indian-Americans are Meera Sachdeva, Babubhai Patel, Krishna Mote and Vikram Dutta.

“America was built on the promise of possibility and second chances. As President, I have the great privilege of extending mercy to people who have demonstrated remorse and rehabilitation, restoring opportunity for Americans to participate in daily life and contribute to their communities, and taking steps to remove sentencing disparities for non-violent offenders, especially those convicted of drug offenses,” Biden said in a statement on Thursday.

“That is why, today, I am pardoning 39 people who have shown successful rehabilitation and have shown commitment to making their communities stronger and safer. I am also commuting the sentences of nearly 1,500 people who are serving long prison sentences – many of whom would receive lower sentences if charged under today’s laws, policies, and practices,” he said.

Today, I’m pardoning 39 people with non-violent crimes who have demonstrated remorse and rehabilitation, and I’m commuting the sentences of nearly 1,500 others – many of whom would have received lower sentences today.

America was built on second chances. That’s what these… pic.twitter.com/OigPcN8qkJ

— President Biden (@POTUS) December 12, 2024

This was the largest single-day act of clemency in recent times.

In December 2012, Dr Meera Sachdeva was sentenced to 20 years in prison and ordered to repay nearly USD 8.2 million for fraud at a former Mississippi cancer centre she ran. She is now 63.

Babubhai Patel was sentenced to 17 years on 26 convictions for a healthcare fraud conspiracy, a drug conspiracy, and related fraud and drug violations in 2013.

Also in 2013, Krishna Mote, 54, was sentenced to serve life in prison after he was convicted of conspiracy to distribute more than 280 grams of crack cocaine and more than 500 grams of cocaine, and distribution of crack cocaine as an aider and abettor.

Vikram Dutta, 63, was in January 2012 sentenced in a Manhattan federal court to 235 months in prison after he was found guilty of conspiracy charges stemming from his use of his perfume distribution business to launder millions of dollars for a Mexican narcotics organisation.