A convicted drug dealer, whose prison sentence was cut short by Donald Trump, is back in jail after being charged with assaulting a 3-year-old child. Jonathan Braun was also accused of violating his supervised release.
Braun had already been arrested multiple times after Trump commuted his 10-year sentence in 2021. His release was part of a last-minute clemency decision, pushed through with the help of Braun’s family connection to Charles Kushner, father of Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, according to The New York Times.
This latest arrest marks the fifth time Braun has been taken into custody since his release. He now faces serious charges, including the assault on a young child, and a federal judge in Brooklyn ruled that he should remain in jail. Prosecutors argued that Braun posed a risk to the community, and the judge agreed, saying there was a real threat of harm.
“The behavior is erratic,” said U.S. District Judge Kiyo Matsumoto at the arraignment. “There’s the potential someone could really get hurt.”
Braun was reportedly agitated during the court proceedings, even challenging his lawyer and giving a middle finger to the audience.
“I could’ve gone to law school myself,” Braun told the judge. “I chose not to.”
Braun’s criminal history is long. He has been accused of numerous violent acts, including swinging a pole at a nurse, threatening a synagogue member, punching his wife and father-in-law, and assaulting a nanny. He had pled guilty in 2019 to smuggling and distributing marijuana.
On top of his criminal charges, Braun is also facing financial trouble. Last year, a judge ordered him to pay a $20 million fine after being accused of running a predatory lending scheme.
After all his legal troubles, Braun is once again behind bars, showing that the decision to grant him clemency has only led to more issues.
