North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper commuted the sentences of six people in North Carolina prisons Monday and granted pardons to nine others.
Locally, Toney King, 62, had his sentence commuted. He has served 30 years for armed robberies of hotels in Rowan, Cabarrus, and Mecklenburg County. His sentences were set to run concurrently.
King has done extensive educational programming, including completing a bachelor's degree and working in the Field Ministry Program. King will now become eligible for parole but that will be decided by the N.C. Post Release Supervision and Parole Commission.
Additionally, Sharon Redfearn, 55, was pardoned. She was convicted of drug charges in Mecklenburg County in 1993. Since then, she has worked as a peer support specialist and helped care for developmentally disabled people.