A convicted drug dealer who was granted clemency by President Donald Trump has been ordered back to federal prison after repeatedly violating the conditions of his supervised release. Jonathan Braun, a Long Island resident once described by prosecutors as a major player in an international marijuana smuggling ring, was sentenced Monday to 27 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Kiyo Matsumoto in Brooklyn.
The judge said she hoped Braun’s “expressions of remorse” and pledges to “lead a law-abiding life” were sincere, warning him not to “squander” the opportunity for rehabilitation.
Prosecutors had sought the maximum five-year penalty, arguing that Braun’s “brazen and violent conduct caused fear and terror in his victims” and that he remained a “serious danger to the community.” The new offenses, they said, showed that Braun had “learned nothing” since being granted clemency.
Braun, 39, was arrested in April and held at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center after a string of incidents that included allegedly swinging an IV pole at a nurse, threatening to kill her, sexually assaulting his family’s nanny, and evading bridge tolls dozens of times in his luxury vehicles. That time already served will be credited toward his sentence.
Defense attorney Kathryn Wozencroft had requested Braun’s immediate release, citing his participation in psychiatric counseling, sobriety efforts, and renewed engagement with his faith community. She said Braun had spent the past seven months “reflecting on the very serious harm his behavior caused” and was “taking steps to rebuild his life.”
Braun originally pleaded guilty in 2019 to trafficking more than 100,000 kilograms (over 220,000 pounds) of marijuana from Canada into the United States. He served about a year of a 10-year sentence before Trump commuted it in January 2021 during the final days of his first term. Though freed, Braun remained under court supervision and was required to pay a fine and avoid further criminal conduct.
Court filings detailed a series of disturbing post-release episodes. In January, prosecutors said, Braun attacked a nurse in a Long Island hospital, swinging an IV pole and shouting death threats. The following month, he allegedly groped and restrained the family’s nanny, who testified that she locked herself in a bathroom and called her husband for help. In March, prosecutors said, Braun confronted a fellow worshipper during a synagogue service, grabbing his arm and asking, “Do you know who I am?”
Authorities said Braun also dodged bridge tolls at least 40 times, accruing unpaid fees while continuing to live in a multimillion-dollar home and drive high-end cars. He allegedly failed to make court-ordered fine payments or submit accurate financial disclosures to probation officers.
Prosecutors said Braun’s repeated disregard for the law demonstrated why his clemency had been misplaced. “The defendant’s actions since his release show a pattern of entitlement and violence,” they wrote.
Braun’s case has renewed debate over several controversial clemency decisions made during Trump’s first term, particularly those involving convicted drug traffickers.
