Newport Beach Man Among 79 Pardoned by Gov. Brown

Gov. Jerry Brown issued pardons to 79 convicted felons Monday, including a Newport Beach man who was sent to prison three times between 1970 and 1983.

Brown singled out Thomas George Pfleger, 61, for his work with philanthropies since being released more than 26 years ago.

“For many years now, Mr. Pfleger has been a generous and active supporter of numerous charitable and philanthropic causes, including the areas of child welfare, substance abuse recovery, wildlife preservation and medical research,” Brown wrote on Pfleger’s letter of clemency. 

Pfleger was granted a pardon after obtaining recommendations from the Superior Court of the State of California, the Board of Parole Hearings and a majority of the justices of the state of California.

According to the letter of clemency, Pfleger was sent to prison in 1970 for possession of narcotics with the intent to sell and released in 1975. In July 1976 he was sentenced for second degree robbery and released in December 1981. Pfleger’s final sentence was handed down in May 1983 for being under the influence of a controlled substance, and he was released in May 1986.

All of Pfleger’s cases were tried in Orange County.

Granting pardons is a traditional gubernatorial action during the holidays. The governor’s office said all of those whose requests were granted have served their sentences and been law-abiding for at least a decade.

A full list of pardons issued by Brown is attached to this article in the PDF section.