Former New York Mets player Darryl Strawberry speaks to the media before the jersey number retirement ceremony before a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Citi Field in New York City on June 1, 2024.
Adam Hunger | Getty Images
President Donald Trump has pardoned Major League Baseball legend Darryl Strawberry, who pleaded guilty to tax evasion three decades ago, the White House announced Friday.
A White House official said in a statement to CNBC that Strawberry, 63, “served his time in prison and repaid his taxes” after his conviction.
“Over the course of his career, Mr. Strawberry found his Christian faith, has been sober for more than a decade, became active in ministry, and started a recovery center that continues to operate today,” officials said.
Strawberry was an eight-time MLB All-Star and helped the New York Mets and New York Yankees win the World Series. He pleaded guilty in 1995 to one count of tax evasion by failing to report tens of thousands of dollars in income on his federal returns.
Strawberry, who has long struggled with substance abuse issues, failed a drug test in 2000 and was suspended by MLB, effectively ending his career.
Strawberry is the latest celebrity to be pardoned by President Trump.
Last month, the president commuted the prison sentence of disgraced former Republican congressman George Santos, who pleaded guilty to charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
Days later, President Trump pardoned Zhao Changpeng, the founder of the cryptocurrency exchange Binance, who had served four months in prison after pleading guilty to failing to combat money laundering.
