Wednesday President Obama commuted the sentence of 214 federal inmates, two are inmates in Lubbock. 

Raul Camargo-Flores of Lubbock was convicted of possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine.  In February 2003, Camargo-Flores was sentenced to 292 months in prison (more than 24 years) plus 10 years of supervised release. 

Arnold Ray Jones of Lubbock was convicted of distribution of less than 50 grams of cocaine base.  In November of 2002, he was sentenced to 235 months (less than 20 years) in prison plus 4 years of supervised release.

The White House said it was the largest single day grant in more than a century. 67 of the inmates were serving life-sentences, most for non-violent drug crimes. 

Including Wednesday’s announcement, the President has commuted 562 sentences to date. The White House said that is more than the last nine presidents combined. 

That statistic worries Lubbock Assistant Criminal District Attorney, Aaron Moncibaiz. 

“I just hope as a prosecutor,” Moncibaiz said. “Who has prosecuted hundreds of drug offenses, that these cases are being combed over, one-by-one, and a lot of attention is being paid to these decisions and these individuals who are going to be released out in our communities.” 
 
The case are federal and were not prosecuted by the Lubbock District Attorney’s Office. Moncibaiz said the action concerns him. 
 
“The numbers are pretty high,” Moncibaiz said. “Just based on the press release that the White House released earlier today, and I think just based on their own language they used in that release that there is a lot more to come.” 
 
Lubbock Criminal Defense Attorney David Guinn said the federal guidelines regarding drug sentencing are out of date and need to be re-evaluated. 
 
“One of the ideas with these big sentences is that it would be a deterrent,” Guinn said. “Well definitely generally that doesn’t work.” 
 
Guinn pointed out that only 214 prisoners out of hundreds of thousands were granted clemency, which is not the same thing as a pardon. 
 
“They are still a convicted felon,” Guinn said. “They have still served the time they have done and some of these people are not getting out tomorrow.” 
 
Both Jones and Camargo-Flores will be released on August 3, 2018.