‘I’ve done my time:’ Alabama man celebrates pardon from President Donald Trump after January 6 riot
Click here for updates on this story
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (WVTM) — President Donald Trump pardoned nearly 1,500 people involved in the January 6 Capitol riot on his first day in office. A Leeds man is celebrating forgiveness for his involvement.
Joshua Black said he’s happy to be pardoned by Trump. He said he spent 14½ months in federal prison—72 days of which were in solitary confinement—and he had to wear an ankle monitor for another 27 months.
According to the Department of Justice, Black was sentenced for three felony charges and two misdemeanors. He was ordered to pay $2,000.
Before his conviction, Black told WVTM 13 that he ran a successful lawn and garden business. He said he spent eight years building and got to a point where he couldn’t take any more customers, but his conviction caused business to take a hit. Black said when he got out of prison, he only had about four or five customers. Now, he’s looking forward to rebuilding his life.
“This year’s going to be good because it always picks up in the spring,” Black said. “I’ll get 80% of my calls or new customers. I wound up turning down calls by mid-April. Usually, in May, I can’t take anymore. God’s always taken care of me, and he’ll do it again.”
Black said he prayed about being pardoned while he was in jail and waited patiently. He felt it was only a matter of time before it happened. He said he hasn’t got any official paperwork to say he’s been pardoned, but he’s more worried about those who are still in jail.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.