Convicted drug dealer pardoned by Trump, arrested again
Jonathan Braun, a convicted drug dealer whose sentence was commuted by Donald Trump in 2021, has been arrested again. This marks the fourth time since his pardon by the former President of the United States.
The 41-year-old from Long Island, New York, has been charged with assault, endangering the welfare of a child, and causing injury to a child under 7 years old. According to court documents accessed by HuffPost, Braun allegedly punched an acquaintance in the face and then pushed his 3-year-old son to the ground. The boy suffered a noticeable red mark on his back, accompanied by intense pain.
Donald Trump pardoned him. He has a lengthy criminal record
Braun's legal troubles date back to 2010 when federal prosecutors charged him with drug offenses. In 2011, he pleaded guilty to marijuana importation and money laundering, for which he was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison.
In February 2022, Braun was fined $20 million following a lawsuit by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which accused him of engaging in "predatory lending practices." The agency stated that his loan company illegally withdrew money from customers' accounts and sometimes threatened them with physical violence to enforce repayment. The FTC stated that the evidence indicates that Mr. Braun was directly involved in the unlawful actions and appeared to take pleasure in them, showing minimal regret for his behavior.
In August of the same year, Braun was charged with three counts of assault in Nassau County, New York. According to the Associated Press, he allegedly attacked his wife and her 75-year-old father in their home in Atlantic Beach. In the same month, he was also charged with petty theft for evading $160 in tolls by driving sports cars through E-Z Pass lanes without license plates.
Braun's problems did not end there. In February of this year, a nanny working in his home accused him of sexual assault. A month later, he was arrested for allegedly threatening a nurse with metal IV stands.
The lawyer representing Braun did not respond to a request for comment from HuffPost. According to the "Times," Braun was released on bail.
