President Donald Trump has reportedly commuted the prison sentence of Carlos Watson, the founder of the now-defunct digital media startup Ozy Media.
This decision came on March 28, 2025, mere hours before Watson was set to begin serving a 10-year federal sentence for fraud.
Watson was convicted last July for orchestrating a scheme that misled investors about Ozy Media’s financial status.
He received a 116-month prison sentence in December for his role in allegedly fabricating claims about collaborations with high-profile figures like Google and Oprah Winfrey.
Just before his scheduled surrender to the Federal Correctional Institution in Lompoc, California, Trump’s intervention provided Watson with executive clemency.
Additionally, Trump commuted a one-year probation sentence imposed on Ozy Media due to the same fraud case, effectively dropping the requirement for Watson and the company to pay $96 million in restitution.
No explanation was provided by the White House for Trump’s decision, and neither Watson’s attorney nor federal prosecutors from the Eastern District of New York commented on the commutation.
Following Watson’s conviction, U.S. Attorney Breon Peace expressed satisfaction with the outcome, criticizing Watson for engaging in a “years-long, audacious scheme” that deceived investors and lenders. Peace emphasized that Watson’s actions reflected a blatant disregard for the law and the values that underpin American entrepreneurship.
Trump’s decision to commute Watson’s sentence has sparked discussions about the implications of such actions and raises questions about the administration’s stance on white-collar crime.
This move underscores the ongoing complexities surrounding legal accountability and executive power within the federal justice system.
[READ MORE: Man in Texas Arrested After Ramming Tesla]
