A federal judge in Brooklyn on Friday found that Jonathan Braun, a Long Island resident whose 2019 federal prison sentence was commuted by former President Donald Trump, violated the terms of his release and could face up to five years behind bars when he is sentenced Oct. 9.
Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto ruled after a series of hearings that prosecutors had shown "by a preponderance of the evidence" that Braun violated conditions of his release. Braun has been in federal custody since he was ordered detained in April and pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges stemming from a string of incidents earlier this year.
Prosecutors accused Braun of multiple offenses, including menacing a hospital staffer in January by swinging an IV pole at her, threatening a man at a synagogue service in March and groping his family's nanny. Authorities also said Braun evaded bridge tolls at least 40 times last summer, accruing approximately $160 in unpaid fees.
Matsumoto, while finding enough evidence to sustain several violations of release terms, said prosecutors had not met the legal burden of proof on other charges tied to an altercation at Braun’s home on March 29. Prosecutors had alleged Braun punched a guest, shoved him to the ground and pushed the guest’s 3-year-old son to the ground, leaving a red mark on the child’s back. The judge said those particular allegations were not proved to the required standard.
Braun was sentenced in 2019 to 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to drug-related charges tied to his role in an international smuggling operation that prosecutors said moved more than 100,000 kilograms of marijuana from Canada into the United States. He served roughly a year behind bars before President Trump commuted his sentence in the final days of his first term in January 2021.
The commutation shortened Braun’s federal term but did not erase the underlying conviction. Federal supervision and conditions attached to his release remained subject to enforcement, prosecutors said in court filings.
Braun’s lawyers did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on Monday. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 9 and faces a statutory maximum of up to five years in prison for the violations the judge found proved.
The case draws renewed attention to clemency decisions made during the Trump administration and the limits of presidential commutations, which can alter sentences but do not always shield recipients from future criminal proceedings or conditions of supervised release. Matsumoto’s ruling underscores that separate criminal allegations can prompt revocation or additional penalties even after a commutation.
Federal prosecutors brought the post-release charges following the incidents earlier this year, and the court’s findings will shape sentencing at the upcoming hearing, where the judge will determine whether Braun’s violations merit imprisonment and the length of any additional term.