JAY-Z and Team Roc have been stumbling on roadblocks amid their fight to release a weed offender. As TMZ reported, Hov and his social justice team claim Valon Vailes is being held in jail over “ticky-tac offenses” despite meeting the terms for a compassionate release.
In recent court documents obtained by the outlet, Team Roc Attorney Alex Spiro alleged that the feds are refusing to release the inmate because he snuck leftover chicken into his cell and used part of his uniform as “workout equipment.” Despite the setback, however, he maintains Vailes is a model inmate who not only meets all the criteria for an early release but is needed at home to take care of his mentally-ill brother. He is pushing to get the offender’s sentence commuted and hopefully freed from prison.
As REVOLT previously reported, Vailes’ case was brought to Hov’s attention after the inmate, who is serving a 20-year sentence, wrote a letter hoping to get some legal assistance.
“This correspondence is a plea to ask for your help with the intent to campaign for my clemency,” he wrote in February. “13 and a half years is a long time to be still incarcerated over a substance that has become the ultimate green rush.”
“While incarcerated, I have lost loved ones. My mother passed in 2020; my grandmother in 2009; my nephew in 20 2 0. Also, my best friend died from COVID[-19] in 2021. I have four children, the youngest is 1.4, and 3 granddaughters,” Vailes continued. “A lot has changed in my life, but most importantly, I have a newfound view of society. Therefore, I pledge to my family, my children, and myself that my incarceration would not be in vain.”
Spiro has since filed multiple petitions on the prisoner’s behalf, claiming he is “not a danger to the community.” He argued that Vailes would have already been released if he were sentenced under current law.