Las Cruces man among those to have sentence commuted by Obama
A New Mexico man is among the dozens of non-violent drug offenders who had their sentences commuted by President Barack Obama.
John M. Wyatt of Las Cruces was convicted in federal court in Illinois on a charge of possession with intent to distribute marijuana. He was sentenced in August 2004 to nearly 22 years in prison, eight years of supervised release and a $500 fine.
His commuted sentence will expire Nov. 10, 2015.
According to court documents, police stopped an RV driven by Wyatt and discovered a large amount of marijuana. He was sentenced based on his status as a career offender.
In a failed appeal, Wyatt claimed – among other things – that he would not have pleaded guilty had his lawyer not assured him that he wouldn’t be subject to a career offender sentence.
