Darron Carmon, who served eight years in prison for an armed robbery he didn’t commit, received a pardon on Wednesday (Nov. 13) from outgoing North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper. Carmon, who’s now a pastor, spent three decades fighting the charges against him.
Although he was exonerated in 2022, Carmon wasn’t eligible for restitution unless granted a “pardon of innocence.” Now he can receive $50,000 from the state for every year of incarceration.
As a 19-year-old college student, Carmon was arrested in 1993 for robbing a Winterville convenience store at gunpoint. But he didn’t match the eyewitness description of the suspect, and his defense attorney didn’t call all his alibi witnesses to the stand.
RELATED: Wrongfully Imprisoned NC Pastor Went From ‘Hero of the Year’ to Shunned by the Town
Carmon, who was convicted and sentenced to 40 years in prison, attempted suicide while behind bars. He was released for good behavior after eight years and then pursued a ministry career.
Pastor Darron Carmon Is Suing the City, Police Officers
Darron Carmon, the son of pastors, serves at two North Carolina churches: Rebuild Christian Center Church in Winterville and Greater Village Gate Church in Lewiston. He also started two nonprofits, adopted five children, and has been publicly recognized for his outreach efforts.
As ChurchLeaders reported, Winterville named Carmon its Hero of the Year in 2021 and 2022. He was set to receive that honor again in 2023, but Winterville withdrew its support after Carmon sued the city and two former police officers for civil rights violations and emotional distress.
The city also canceled what would have been the fifth annual day in Carmon’s honor, citing ongoing litigation. At the time, the pastor said that felt like being “victimized again.”
Carmon’s lawsuit alleged that police hid fingerprint evidence that proved his innocence. New interviews also revealed that clerks at the convenience store often reported fake robberies and kept the cash. In early 2024, Carmon filed a second lawsuit against Winterville. He has requested that the two filings be consolidated. The original lawsuit is scheduled for trial in December.
Pastor Darron Carmon Maintained His Innocence
After receiving news of the pardon, Darron Carmon expressed gratitude to the governor for doing “what a real leader would do.” He said, “A Black boy went to prison for a crime he didn’t do, and Gov. Cooper, from a state’s perspective, said, ‘I’ll do what we need to do.’ We need more leaders like that who are willing to accept responsibility.”
Carmon’s attorney, Abraham Rubert-Schewel, said:
This pardon is a testament to Darron Carmon’s resilience and character. Most of us would have given up long ago, but he continued to fight, continued to profess his innocence, and that innocence has finally been recognized. We are incredibly grateful to Governor Cooper and [Pitt County District Attorney] Faris Dixon for recognizing the injustice that occurred over 30 years ago.
The attorney added that Carmon has received “every sort of accolade you can possibly imagine, from governors Republican and Democrat over the years. This is actually the first true assertion by any government of his innocence.”
 from outgoing North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper. Carmon, who’s now a pastor, spent three decades fighting the charges against him.){kind=link}