Jay-Z urges the release of the 55-year-old man who has served two decades for possession of marijuana

By Nina Zdinjak

Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter, music industry mogul and chief visionary officer of cannabis company TPCO Holding Corp., which does business as The Parent Company, helps Valon Vailes get out of jail.

Jay-Z, known in the cannabis community for his luxury weed brand Monogram, and his legal team have twice requested a North Carolina judge for the “compassionate release” of Vailes, now 55, who is sentenced to 20 years in prison was about cannabis-related charges, Page Six reported.

Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images for The Recording Academy

According to court documents received from Page Six, attorney Alex Spiro asked the court to reconsider his earlier application, which was dismissed by Vailes on the basis of Vailes’ COVID-19 vaccination card.

“Mr. Vaile’s motion for compassionate release does not mention COVID-19 and does not rely on any argument related to COVID-19 as an argument for a reduction in the sentence,” argued Spiro.

An emotional letter to Jay-Z

Back in December 2007, Vailes was found guilty of spreading more than a ton of weed between 2003 and 2007. He was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison with an additional supervised release of 10 years.

Jay-Z and his legal team became aware of Vaile’s case after the detainee sent the rapper an emotional letter saying, “This correspondence is a request for your help with the intention of soliciting my mercy. 13 and a half years is a long time to be imprisoned for a substance that has become the ultimate green high. “

Vailes noted that while following Jay-Z’s career, he was touched by the musician’s advocacy for the “underprivileged and voiceless.”

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“A lot has changed in my life, but most importantly, I have a new perspective on society,” wrote Vailes. “So I promise my family, my children, and myself that my imprisonment will not be for nothing.”

Injustice

Vailes highlighted the injustice of the judicial system.

“It is a bittersweet reality that I am a victim and a commodity of this injustice-filled system,” wrote Vailes.

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After reading the letter, Jay-Z connected Spiro and his team at Monogram and asked them to petition on behalf of Vailes. The first petition for a compassionate request for release was filed last August.

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On Wednesday another filing attempted to release Vailes by reducing his sentence to the time served, Spiro argued, “Mr. Vailes has its administrative remedies with the [Federal Bureau of Prisons]; exceptional and compelling reasons warrant a compassionate release in his case; the relevant factors support the release and Mr. Vailes is not a threat to the community. “

A Change.org petition campaigning for Vaile’s release already has more than 4,300 signatures.

This article originally appeared on Benzinga and was republished with permission.