Jay-Z Pushing For Release Of Inmate Serving 20-Years For Weed

Jay-Z's legal team is fighting for a "compassionate release" for a 55-year-old man serving a 20-year sentence for marijuana charges.

BYAron A.Sep 29, 20213.1K Views

Jay-Z's billion-dollar status has allowed him to cop luxury timepieces that he gets to flex in the Hamptons. However, it's also afforded him an exceptional legal team that he's brought on numerous times to help fight against injustice. A 55-year-old fan named Valon Vailes who is currently sitting behind bars on a 20-year-sentence for cannabis possession is now being backed by Hov and his attorney Alex Spiro in an attempt to get him out of prison on a "compassionate release."

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Per PageSix, Spiro filed a second motion requesting for a "compassionate release" after the first motion was dismissed over Vailes vaccination record. Spiro said that the request for his release never made any mention of COVID-19 or "any COVID-19-related argument as
a basis for arguing in favor of a reduced sentence."

Vailes was found guilty of conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute more than one ton of marijuana. He was hit with a 20-year sentence, along with an additional 10-year sentence.

Vales initially sent a letter to Jay-Z from New York’s Otisville Correctional Facility pleading for help to fight for his release. "This correspondence is a plea to ask for your help with the intent to campaign for my clemency,” the letter read. “13 and a half years is a long time to be still incarcerated over a substance that has become the ultimate green rush.”

Vailes continued to explain that his family is in need of him to help support them, especially with four children and three granddaughters. "It is a bittersweet reality that I am a casualty and a commodity of this system filled with injustice," he concluded.

After Jay-Z read the letter, he brought on Spiro who has been fighting for Vailes.

"Mr. Vailes has exhausted his administrative remedies with the [Federal Bureau of Prisons]; extraordinary and compelling reasons warrant compassionate release in his case; the relevant factors support release; and Mr. Vailes is not a danger to the community,” Spiro argued. "It is unjust to allow Mr. Vailes to remain in prison when, if sentenced under the current law, and with his good behavior credits, he would have already been released.”

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Aron A.

Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.