Gary Meyer has been offered the CEO position at a law firm, as well as the opportunity to manage a hedge fund, but his drug arrest from 24 years ago prevented either scenario from coming to fruition – leading him to tell his story at the 3rd annual Prisoner Reentry Conference in Jersey City this morning.
[fve]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ds7yugQ9Jm0&feature=youtu.be[/fve]
Ex-Gov. Jim McGreevey, now the executive director of the Jersey City Employment and Training Program, kicked off the discussion by asking Andrew Napolitano – who sat in the bench in both Hackensack and Freehold before retiring – where he sees reentry, as a nation, progressing in the next 10 years.
Next, Rev. Al Sharpton was posed with the question of what is the best way to put as much emphasis on reintegrating offenders back into society as there is on putting them in jail.
Napolitano later argued that once somebody serves their time they should not have to face any further ostracizing from society, also stating that the prisoner reentry program in Jersey City could be the model program in the United States.
Furthermore, Sharpton spoke from personal experience about how difficult it was growing up in a single parent home, indicating that in some instances, the criminal justice system can ruin families.
During the question and answer session, Gary Meyer said he was tired with the rhetoric and wanted to see action – as his criminal record has prevented him from taking his professional career to the next level.
He revealed that he was arrested for selling drugs in 1992, the result of a gambling addiction that spiraled out of control, before being released in 1994 and starting a gambling help hotline.
Despite eventually graduating from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in the top five percent of his class, being fluent in four languages and owning his own tech company, Meyer remains frustrated by the fact that his arrest from 24 years ago still comes back to haunt him.
McGreevey resigned in disgrace in August 2004, announcing he was “a gay American” and was resigning after having an affair with another man, who was later revealed to be on his staff. He has been waging a comeback of sorts through the JCETP.
The Prisoner Reentry Conference was once again hosted at St. Peter’s University’s Mac Mahon Student Center, where ex-Gov. Jim Florio (D), Assemblywoman Angela McKnight (D-31) state Senator/Union City Mayor Brian Stack (D-33), state Senator Sandra Cunningham (D-31), Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and countless other officials join hundreds in attending the event.
Exonerate Gary Meyer…He is a good man…and…helps our world to be a better place to live in…I have been helped for having this great guy in my life…
Thank you Liz! Hugs, Gary
How exactly does his record hold him from taking his career to the next level? Also, he can get it expunged since it is his only felony and it has been over 10 years can’t he? Get a lawyer instead of a petition. How does he help the world be a better place anyway?
Hello Angelo and good questions. I am precluded from having my record expunged in New Jersey by statue. My conviction was a 2nd degree non-violent drug offense and my only offense. That in itself is not expungable and FYI two eight balls of cocaine is 2nd degree in New Jersey, so not like I had 50 kilos of cocaine. To answer your question, my ability to travel is severely impaired with a felony conviction, as well as obtain any licensing from SEC series 6, 7, 63, hold positions at nearly every corporate environment. I can’t work as a cashier at CVS or around nearly anything like other felons but in my case, international travel is part of my business. There are very little things a convicted felon can do, but in my case I own my own business, essentially forced to stay and not even sell it because what else can I do besides start anther company? Even if I started another company,the imposed limitations are relentless-my hands should not be tied decades later. I can’t even run for mayor and I was asked by many to run in my own town.
Over the past 20 years, I guarantee I would have made over $1,000,000 additional income had my record be expunged giving the state and federal government additional tax revenue. If we tie people’s hands and tell them to get a good job and pay taxes and they cannot assimilate and or support themselves, they will often go back to crime by necessity alone. The real question is do we want to reintegrate people that have a long proven record into society, or do we want to box them in and then pay for them to stay on social services and or incarceration. If the answer is to not give non-violent offenders a path to be free many years later-why try?
Flood Governor Chris Christie’s office with emails requesting Gary’s pardon. Use this link http://www.state.nj.us/governor/contact/
Write a letter and send it to this address:
Office of the Governor
PO Box 001
Trenton, NJ 08625
609-292-6000
Help Gary get the pardon he deserves! Gary is a great person who has helped so many, myself included and he deserves to have this removed from his record.
I personally know Gary and I’ve known no one like him that has done so much to help others. He’s a wonderful person and very highly educated. He needs a 2nd chance. He’s already paid his debt to society! I’ve known murderers that get out sooner and are a danger to society.