Left: Henri L. Buckner appears virtually in court from the Bay County Jail on April 13, 2026 (Saginaw County District Court/MLive). Right: Former President Joe Biden speaks to the South Carolina Democratic Party on Friday, Feb. 27, 2026, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley).
A Michigan resident who received clemency from former President Joe Biden now faces charges remarkably similar to the crime for which he was originally pardoned.
Henri L. Buckner, aged 44, is facing two counts related to the possession with intent to deliver over 1,000 grams of narcotics or cocaine, according to court documents from Saginaw County reviewed by Law&Crime. Records from the U.S. Department of Justice reveal that on January 17, 2025, just days before President Biden’s term ended, Buckner’s prison term was commuted. He had been serving a sentence exceeding seven years for the distribution of more than 28 grams of cocaine base.
Buckner began his federal prison term on May 11, 2023, but his commuted sentence meant he was released early, on March 18, 2025, after serving less than two years.
The case against Buckner dates back to a federal indictment in September 2020, where prosecutors alleged that he, along with four others, engaged in a conspiracy to possess and distribute drugs. In April 2021, Buckner pleaded guilty to charges of distributing cocaine base.
Now, just over a year after receiving clemency, Michigan authorities claim Buckner has resumed criminal activities. Alongside three other individuals, he has been charged and could face a life sentence if convicted, as reported by MLive.
Buckner was formally charged last Friday and made a virtual court appearance on Monday. He is scheduled to return to court on April 22 for a notice of hearing, with a preliminary examination set to follow the next week.
Buckner was not the only person who saw a lighter sentence after Biden’s action on Jan. 17, 2025. The departing president commuted the sentences of nearly 2,500 people, a record.
His predecessor and successor, President Donald Trump, has since continued the trend, pardoning and commuting the sentences of thousands of defendants, many of whom were involved in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
