Darryl Strawberry former New York Mets speaks to the media before a ceremony to retire his jersey number before a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Citi Field on June 1, 2024 in New York City.
Adam Hunger | Getty Images
President Donald Trump pardoned Major League Baseball legend Darryl Strawberry, who had pleaded guilty to tax evasion three decades ago, the White House said Friday.
Strawberry, 63, “served time and paid back taxes” after his conviction, a White House official said in a statement to CNBC.
“Following his career, Mr. Strawberry found faith in Christianity and has been sober for over a decade – he has become active in ministry and started a recovery center which still operates today,” the official said.
Strawberry is an eight-time MLB All-Star who helped take the New York Mets and the New York Yankees to World Series championships. He pleaded guilty in 1995 to one count of tax evasion for failing to report tens of thousands of dollars of income on his federal returns.
Strawberry, who dealt with substance abuse issues for years, was suspended from the MLB in 2000 after failing a drug test, effectively ending his career.
Strawberry is the latest high-profile figure to receive clemency from Trump.
Last month, the president commuted the prison sentence of disgraced former Republican Rep. George Santos, who had pleaded guilty to charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
Days later, Trump pardoned Changpeng Zhao, founder of cryptocurrency exchange Binance, who had served four months in jail after pleading guilty to failing to address money laundering on the platform.