Scott Powers
President Barack Obama commuted the sentences of seven Florida men convicted in federal courts of dealing cocaine or methamphetamine, the White House announced late Thursday.
Two of the federal prisoners, Benjy Neil Allums of Niceville, and Virgil Leon Darville of Boynton Beach, will be eligible for release from prison in February under the commuted sentences. The others still have many years to serve even under the commuted sentences, but had originally been sentenced to life in prison.
They are among 102 commutations the White House announced Thursday.
Allums was convicted in 2005 of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine. He originally was sentenced to 20 years in prison, but will get out eight years early.
Darville was convicted in 2009 of conspiracy to distribute cocaine base and possession of cocaine. He also had originally been sentenced to 20 years, and will get out 12 years early.
The others, Todd Fitzgerald Frazier of Largo, Jefferson Levine of Hollywood, Ricky Gene Minor of Niceville, Raul Perez of Miami, and Ronald Lee Razz of West Palm Beach each had been sentenced to life in prison for either distributing cocaine or manufacturing methamphetamine. All still have lengthy prison sentences left under the commutations. Minor will be the first of them eligible for release, in 2022.
