TRUMP COMMUTES SENTENCE OF B-TOWN'S CHARLIE FRAGOSO

(To those who played in the golden era of the Brownsville High School Golden Eagles, the name of Charlie Fragoso brings back memories of a standout athlete good at any sport, especially football - as ever put on the Eagle jersey. As a sophomore, Fragoso, a product of the West Monroe Street barrio, was good enough to play with the varsity team in the heyday of Brownsville H.S. football.

Then he fell into the allure of high-stakes marijuana smuggling and then drifted off to cocaine. With more than  30 years served of a life sentence, he was one of the individuals whose sentence was commuted by outgoing President Donald Trump. Below is a character sketch provided by the Trump administration in the last day of his presidency.)  

Kenneth Charles Fragoso –  President Trump commuted the sentence of Kenneth Charles Fragoso. Mr. Fragoso is a 66 year-old United States Navy veteran who has served more than 30 years of a life sentence for a nonviolent drug offense. Mr. Fragoso has an exemplary prison history and has worked for UNICOR for over 20 years, learned new trades, and has mentored fellow inmates.

From: US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit - 978 F.2d 896 (5th Cir. 1992)

On September 5, 1990, Fragoso was charged in a three-count indictment with (1) conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute in excess of 5 kilograms of cocaine, (2) aiding and abetting the possession with intent to distribute in excess of 5 kilograms of cocaine, and (3) possession with intent to distribute in excess of 5 kilograms of cocaine. 

After finding that the seizure of the cocaine violated the Fourth Amendment, the district court suppressed the cocaine, and the government moved to dismiss Counts 2 and 3 of the indictment. Fragoso went to trial only on Count 1, the conspiracy count. He was found guilty after a trial by jury. 

Fragoso had two prior felony drug convictions, and he was sentenced to life imprisonment.