John Forte's Sentence Commuted

Earlier today, President Bush commuted the prison sentence of rapper/producer John Forte. Forte was behind bars due to drug charges, and had previously worked extensively with the Fugees.

Arrested in 2000 at Newark International Airport for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and conspiracy to distribute, Forte was discovered in the airport with two briefcases filled with liquid cocaine, by police. Estimates placed the value of the narcotics at over $1.4 million.

Forte received a mandatory minimum sentence of 14 years, and was imprisoned at Fort Dix, New Jersey. His new release date is December 22, bringing his period of incarceration to just over seven years. After release, Forte will have to serve five years of supervised probation.

Forte co-wrote two songs on the Fugees' 1996 album, The Score. He also released two albums independently, Poly Sci (produced by the Fugees' Wyclef Jean) and I, John.

The reason behind the commuting of his sentence was unclear.