Trump commutes federal sentence of Larry Hoover, notorious gang leader, at age 74

Larry Hoover, once considered the violent leader of the Gangster Disciples in Chicago, had his federal life sentence commuted by President Donald Trump, the White House confirmed. "He's not released. He has a life state sentence and he was only getting a federal one commuted; he may never even be released," said Jordan A. Kondo, an attorney for Hoover. Prosecutors indicated that Hoover, who was initially sentenced for murder in the 1970s, was still influencing the gang while in custody, including after he was sent to a supermax prison in Colorado.

Although Hoover was commuted, it is still very unlikely that he will be released from custody any time soon since he has a separate state sentence in Illinois and is projected as eligible for parole in 2062 when he will be 111 years old. The action demonstrated how Trump was willing to offer clemency to select prisoners, even people with histories of violent crimes.

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A long road to clemency

Efforts to liberate Hoover had spanned years lead by advocacy groups, lawyers, and various celebrities, including entertainer Ye (formerly known as Kanye West). According to attorney Jennifer Bonjean, lobbying escalated in recent months, particularly in light of Alice Johnson—whose own life sentence was commuted by Trump—being appointed to provide advice to the White House on matters of clemency.

Lawyer, Justin Moore, said that communication with Johnson ramped up significantly in the weeks prior the decision. Hoover’s legal team was informed on Monday that Trump would grant the commutation. Moore pointed to Hoover's age and health as factors. "This is an older gentleman that has a lot of health issues and has aged out of crime."

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Legacy of power and controversy

Even though Hoover has been in prison for decades, prosecutors claim he continued to run the Gangster Disciples gang while incarcerated in prison. They characterized the gang as a huge, sophisticated criminal enterprise that sold drugs, laundered money, used brutality and fear to control entire neighborhoods. In a 1995 indictment, federal prosecutors characterized the gang as an outlaw empire, collecting what they called "street taxes" while using drug money to support civic endeavors.

Supporters of Hoover claim he has been rehabilitated during his time served in solitary confinement, where he has physically resided under strict confinement for more than 20 years. However, as recently as fall 2024, federal prosecutors had claimed that Hoover retained symbolic power to the Gangster Disciples gang and that he was one of the most infamous criminals in Illinois history. Ronald Safer, the attorney who headed Hoover's federal prosecution, expressed concerns about the commutation noting the historical level of crime and gang's imprint on a national level.