Chief Apostle Mccoy, Gator Bradley Join Larry Hoover’s Wife in Seeking Pardon (Chicago, IL) – In support of the wife of former gang leader Larry Hoover’s appealing to the First Lady of Illinois as a “wife and mother” to free her husband, Apostle William McCoy and Dr. Wallace “Gator” Bradley joined her in asking Gov. Pritzker to give him a second chance.
When President Trump commuted the federal drugs and extortion sentence of the 74-year-old Hoover, McCoy and Bradley called on Pritzker to do the “righteous thing” and grant the pardon.
Agreeing with Mrs. Hoover plea to First Lady Mary Kathryn Muenster (M.K.) Pritzker, they said a pardon would be in order because Hoover “has done his time, has shown remorse and can help end the violence in Chicago.”
In Mrs. Hoover’s letter published by CBS-TV, Mrs. Jenkins noted that her husband has already spent 50 years in prison with almost 30 years in solitary confinement where he has been at the Supermax ADX Prison in Colorado.
There, Hoover, the founder of the Gangster Disciples, is serving six life federal sentences, which has now been commuted by Trump
According to his lawyer, while Hoover, who is no longer in the federal prison after Trump commuted his federal sentence on May 29th. he still faces an Illinois state sentence for 150-200 years for the murder of William “Pooky” Young, a 19-year-old drug dealer.
Jenkins pointed out to the First Lady that her husband’s co-defendant in that trial allegedly admitted to killing Young but only served “just 20 years before being paroled.”
Mrs. Jenkins wrote, “In those decades of isolation, Larry reflected deeply on his past. He has expressed genuine remorse for the harm he caused and renounced the gang affiliations of his youth.”
And she made it clear that. “The man who went to prison in his 20s no longer exists. Today, Larry is an aging elder who seeks only peace, family, and the chance to live out his final years with dignity and love.”
Like Mrs. Jenkins, McCoy said, “I believe in second chances. The man has done all those years in prison, and he has renounced all of that negative activity. That’s all in the past. He has regretted it, and he’s remorseful. We just got to give him a chance as old as he is now.”
McCoy said the current gangs in Chicago are mostly independent. He believes if Hoover is released, he would be “instrumental in reducing crime on Chicago’s streets.”
“There are many of them out there who have changed their lives,” he said. “Crime is down now in Chicago and in the suburbs,” and he believes Hoover’s release would further reduce crime in the city.
He attributed the reduction of crime to positive leaders some are in City Hall and other places. “They are trying to give back, and I believe that is the intention of Mr. Hoover, to give back and not to take and destroy,” said McCoy.
“No matter what your nationality is, we all have to answer to one God. I believe in forgiveness and redemption.” He wants Gov. Pritzker to “listen inattentively to the will of God for the life of Mr. Hoover. That is my prayer,” said McCoy.
Bradley referred to the 1992 fatal shooting of 7-year-old Dantrell Davis outside of his Cabrini Green school and how he, Hoover and Jeff Fort, now 78, “put out a call to stop the violence. That is why we had the gang summit in the 1990’s.
“At the end of the day to God be the glory. We are praying that God will touch the heart and the soul of Gov. Pritzker and allow him to pardon Larry Hoover,” Bradley said. “The man has done his time. There have been many who have committed hideous crimes but they received pardons. I believe Pritzker will pardon Hoover because it is the right thing to do.”
While hopes are high among McCoy, Bradley and others that Hoover will be released after Trump commuted his federal sentence, Hoover still has to serve out his 200-year sentence in Illinois.
Last year, the Illinois Prisoner Review Board denied Hoover’s request for an early release. However, Hoover’s lawyer, Justin Moore, said on X, formerly known as Twitter, “After nearly 30 years in federal solitary and over 50 years behind bars, Larry Hoover has been granted executive clemency by President Trump.
“His federal life sentence is over. Justice, mercy, and redemption prevailed. The fight continues, but today, we celebrate.”
However, Ron Safer, the former federal prosecutor who on the Hoover case, told the Chicago Sun-Times that he did not “understand why Hoover, among all of the people in federal custody, is worthy of this result.
“In a state that spawned Al Capone, I do not believe that there’s a more notorious or prolific criminal than Larry Hoover,” said attorney Safer.
But, according to NBC News, it was Trump commuted the sentence of Hoover because of a plea made buy rapper Ye who reportedly told the president, “The reason why they imprisoned him is because he started doing positive for the community….
“He started showing that he actually had power, that he wasn’t just one of a monolithic voice, but he could wrap people around.”
Ye said it is very important that Hoover gets out of prison because “in an alternate universe, I am him, and I have to go and get him free because he was doing positive things inside of Chicago.”
Chief Apostle McCoy made it clear that he and Bradley “are avid supporters of Gov. Pritzker.”
According to Corrections1.com, Trump’s commutation clears Hoover for transfer from the ADX Florence prison, but he remains in prison under the Illinois 200-year sentence. Gov. Pritzker has not indicated his position on this case.
Chief Apostle Mccoy, Gator Bradley Join Larry Hoover’s Wife in Seeking Pardon
