A New York man whose 10-year federal prison sentence for drug trafficking was commuted by former President Donald Trump in 2021 is now facing charges of domestic violence and assault.
Jonathan Braun, 41, was arrested on Long Island after he allegedly attacked his wife and her 75-year-old father at their Atlantic Beach home, Nassau County Police said.
According to court records, Braun was charged on Tuesday with three counts of assault for incidents that occurred on July 17 and Aug. 12.
In the first incident, his wife told police that he threw her off a bed, causing pain and bruising. Less than a month later, she claimed he threw her to the floor and repeatedly punched her in the head.
During one of the altercations, Braun is also accused of punching his father-in-law twice in the face as the elderly man tried to protect his daughter.
In addition to the assault charges, Braun faces a charge of petty larceny for allegedly evading $160 in tolls by repeatedly driving through E-ZPass lanes without license plates on his Lamborghini and Ferrari, crossing bridges approximately 40 times without paying.
Braun pleaded not guilty to all charges during his arraignment on Wednesday and was released on his own recognizance. Prosecutors had requested $35,000 bail. The judge did, however, issue orders of protection for the victims.
Braun’s attorney stated his client would “vigorously be defending the charges” when he appears in court on Aug. 29.
Earlier this year, Braun was hit with a $20 million fine in a civil case brought by the Federal Trade Commission for running a predatory lending operation.
In 2019, Braun was sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role in smuggling over 100,000 kilos of marijuana from Canada into the U.S., while operating out of his parents’ Staten Island home. He peddled the drugs throughout New York City and Long Island.
His sentence was later commuted by the former president, as reports emerged Braun’s family allegedly leveraged connections with Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and a senior White House aide.
With News Wire Services
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