Record at a Glance
- Clemency type
- Pardon
- Presidential term
- 2025–Present
- Federal district
- Eastern District of Louisiana
- Offense
- Possession of an unregistered silencer
- Sentence
- 24 months' imprisonment; three years' supervised release (January 9, 2024)
- Current status
- The Supreme Court declined to hear Peterson’s appeal in April 2026. Trump pardoned him five months later, making the executive grant—not a judicial reversal—the final event in the covered federal case.
Original Case
George Peterson operated PDW Gun Solutions, a federally licensed firearms business, from his Louisiana home. During a warranted search, federal agents found a silencer in his bedroom safe; testing showed that ammunition had been fired through it, and it was not registered to him in the federal firearms registry. Peterson pleaded guilty to possessing the unregistered silencer and received 24 months in prison, three years of supervision, and a $100 assessment on January 9, 2024.
Clemency
September 3, 2026: full and unconditional pardon for the offenses in United States v. Peterson, No. 2:22-cr-231. The pardon is not a judicial reversal of the conviction.
Trump Connection
Peterson challenged his silencer conviction through the federal appellate system and sought Supreme Court review before receiving clemency. His case fit the administration’s broader set of firearms-related pardons, but the public record names no advocate and shows no personal, campaign, or business relationship with Trump. The pardon followed the Supreme Court’s refusal to hear the case; it was executive relief, not a successful constitutional appeal.
Sources
- Primary Documentation
DOJ: Clemency Grants by President Donald J. Trump (2025–Present)U.S. Department of Justice2026-09-24 - Primary Documentation
DOJ clemency document: George PetersonU.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Pardon Attorney2026-09-24 active - Primary Documentation
Original prosecution and sentenceU.S. Department of Justice - Primary Documentation
Signed pardon warrantDOJ / President of the United States - Primary Documentation
Peterson v. United States, No. 25-1076 docketSupreme Court of the United States