Official Statement from Anthony Alegrete

OG Article

03-19-2025

I want to address recent claims made about me, knowing that these kinds of situations often get amplified on social media and in the public eye. It’s not easy dealing with narratives that are inaccurate, but after much consideration, our team and I have decided to address it head-on.

First, I’d like to humbly highlight that we’ve made significant contributions to this community, particularly in advocating for justice-impacted individuals. We’ve helped bring thousands of people to job opportunities, expungements, resume fixes, and more, to those in need. We’ve built platforms and made key introductions to give justice-impacted entrepreneurs real seats at the table. Personally, I’ve spent my life savings to build this brand, help countless others, and get my friend released from a life sentence. This industry is challenging—over-taxed, compliance-heavy, and in constant flux and everyone is always tearing each other down. Despite the difficulties, we’ve continued to fight because we believe in the cause.

I say all of this to emphasize that I would never betray my lifelong friend of 30 years or cause harm to others. These accusations have serious consequences, not just for me but for many people. I take them very seriously. I have never been an informant and never will.

While it may appear as if I cooperated against him, let me be clear: I did not do that or testify against anyone. The only information I provided was about my own actions, because I had already been convicted and served time for them. I was forced to take responsibility for the things I did because of others who cooperated against me.

I fought this case for nearly two years, while everyone else had cooperated within days of their arrests, except for those who actually went to trial.

At the time of my arrest, I had been six years removed from any criminal activity related to the conspiracy.

The reduction I received under the 5K1 guideline can easily be misunderstood, and I fully recognize how it may appear concerning. However, it’s important to clarify that my cooperation was strictly limited to information about my own actions.

In my mind, I was simply acknowledging my past actions, believing they no longer had any legal consequences.

This legal strategy can seem risky, and I understand why some may question it. The reality is that navigating the justice system sometimes requires difficult decisions.

I refused to betray my brother or fabricate or make up information just to benefit myself. If I had done so, the accusations being made against me today would be justified — but I didn’t.

I fully acknowledge that the situation may look bad, and I understand the perception. The legal process, with its intricate strategies, sometimes forces you into uncomfortable positions. But just because statements were made doesn’t mean they were factual. I stand firm that I didn’t cause harm to anyone. I didn’t get anyone arrested, nor did I impact anyone’s sentence increase. The people who went to trial—Evelyn, Natalia, Parker, and Corvain—can all confirm that I never spoke on them.

If you read the full sentencing report, you’ll see that I had nothing to do with the life I was once involved in. After I got out of prison, I spent the next five years completely and sincerely changing my life. I worked hard to rebuild myself and was reformed. This is why a procedural sentencing hearing that usually lasts 20 minutes lasted for hours. This is also the reason for why I was able to receive a reduced sentence.

At the time, I had founded the Jump for Joy Foundation, which helped thousands of kids lead healthier lives. I was at the top of my class at the university I attended and received the Outstanding Student Graduate Award for my class. I was a senator for the college of business for 7 straight semesters. I created curriculums that were adopted across the state, and we had hundreds of television appearances to help grow the charity I started. Documented proof that I helped impact thousands of kids’ lives but most importantly I actually had left the conspiracy and was considered by the court to be reformed.

I even had Four different people fly from 3,000 miles away, on their own dime to testify to my character. 

Despite all of this, the prosecutor still wanted to give me 78 months (you can see this in the sentencing document). The case we presented for my sentence reduction was extensive—hundreds of pages of evidence and documentation, all focused on proving that I had long been removed from the conspiracy. 

We even used actual case law that mirrored my circumstances to show a precedent where someone could prove they had left the conspiracy years before their arrest and thus be allowed to not be treated as if they were still in the conspiracy at sentencing. 

In the history of this judge’s tenure, he had never seen anything like what we presented which says a lot. 

Most people who get into trouble are usually still involved in the crimes they were busted for, or they haven’t been removed from that life as long as I had been, and were still involved in their conspiracies. But I was not only out of the conspiracy and I was able to prove that  I was truly reformed.

Typically, judges tend to align with the prosecutor’s recommendations, especially in cases involving serious charges. However, in my situation, the judge chose not to follow the prosecutor’s request. This decision was based on the overwhelming evidence we presented, which clearly demonstrated that I had completely removed myself from the conspiracy long before my arrest and had since dedicated myself to a reformed and positive lifestyle. 

By presenting both compelling evidence of my reformation and relevant legal precedent, the judge saw the truth of my transformation and granted me a reduced sentence.

The important thing to remember here is that I took full ownership of my past. What I spoke about were things I had already been convicted of and served time for and argued we’re past the statute of limitations anyways. Just like you could confess to something from the past, such as robbing a bank, and if it’s past the statute of limitations, it’s no longer actionable.  

It’s not about defending the past, but simply acknowledging what I was convicted of and thought was already behind me. 

I want to be clear, I did not cause harm to Corvain Cooper, Evelyn LaChapelle, Natalia Wade, or Parker Coleman. As a matter of fact, Parker was already arrested and convicted long before my sentencing hearing, and he was not even part of our direct case. I never knew him, met him, or did business with him. The same goes for Evelyn and Natalia—I didn’t know them, I never met them, and I had no business dealings with them. And as far as the fugitive, the only fugitive was Big C and I never met the guy, did business with him, or know anything about him. Corvain writes in detail about him and all of these very topics in his book he’s releasing soon.

In light of the circumstances and the damage this has caused to the brand, I’ve come to a difficult conclusion. After much discussion with the team, it’s clear that no matter how hard I fight these claims or how much good I continue to do for the community, there will always be a group of people who criticize, don’t believe, and continue to attack me, which directly impacts the brand. This isn’t just about me; it’s about the brand and mission. If it were just me, I’d brush off what’s said and keep moving forward, but the reality is that the brand has been affected, and that’s the most important thing here. Because of this, I have decided that it’s time for me to step down and allow the brand to move forward without these distractions. 

We live in a time where cancel culture and salacious social media thrive, and many find satisfaction in the suffering of others. The impact is real—affecting not just the individuals involved but also their children, friends, family, and colleagues. When people are torn down in this way, it removes the potential for the positive contributions they have done to have effects in the future. We are literally undermining the good that can come from people when they are diminished by the harmful actions of cancel culture.

The mission is bigger than me. It’s about freeing everyone still incarcerated for this plant and giving real opportunities to those who have been system-impacted because of it. Given this, I believe it’s in the best interest of the brand and the community to take this step. While I cannot change the past, stepping down allows the brand to move forward without the continued distractions. Please reach out to Corvain Cooper directly at CV@40tons.co with any questions.

I stand on the facts. I’ve always fought for the voiceless, and while this situation is painful, I know the work I’ve done speaks for itself. The community will continue to grow, and the good we’ve done together will carry on and maybe in the future there will be a seat at the table for me again.