The former 19–0 boxer, released by clemency on October 21, 2020, now serves as Vice President of Community Affairs at Engineered Tax Services and Co-CEO of Legacy Impact Technology & Foundation
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Six years ago this week, Charles “Duke” Tanner walked out of a Pennsylvania prison on a sentence that was never supposed to end in freedom.
On October 21, 2020, President Donald Trump granted clemency to the former professional boxer from Gary, Indiana. Tanner had been arrested in 2004 on a first, non-violent drug conspiracy offense. He was originally sentenced to two life terms, later reduced to 30 years, and had already served 16 years, six months, and 21 days. His projected release date had been 2030. He came home instead.
The anniversary is not only a date. For Tanner it is a measurement of what he has done with the years since the gate opened — and what he still intends to do.
“Prison didn’t break me — God rebuilt me,” Tanner said. “The fight ain’t over… we just getting started.”
The Years Inside
Tanner started boxing at six. He turned professional at 18, went 19–0, and was building a career when the arrest stopped it. His son was two when he was taken away. He came home to a young man who had grown up without him in the house.
He has not asked the public to treat those years as a highlight reel. He has spoken of setbacks, closed doors, and days when he had to pray, dig deep, and give everything he had just to keep moving. He lost time with his parents. He lost ordinary days with his son. He has said the uncertainty of starting over was real, and that freedom without purpose can become another kind of prison.
A full presidential pardon followed on May 28, 2025. He wrote Duke Got Life: A Boxer’s Fight for Freedom and One Last Shot at Redemption so the years between the headlines would stay on the record. He is a husband, a father, and a grandfather. The book and the public work, he has said, exist so a speech cannot shrink what the sentence actually cost.
The Work After the Gate
Julio Gonzalez, Founder and CEO of Engineered Tax Services, met Tanner shortly after his release. Today Tanner serves as Vice President of Community Affairs & Outreach and National Ambassador for the firm, and as Co-CEO of Legacy Impact Technology & Foundation.
“Duke is just getting his feet wet,” Gonzalez has said.
Tanner is clear about what the titles mean. “This is bigger than taxes, grants, or even money. It’s about how many people we can help using those tools. It’s about opening doors for businesses, strengthening communities, supporting charitable giving, and fighting for second chances.”
At ETS he develops relationships with businesses, churches, nonprofits, municipalities, and people the funding system was never built to brief. He identifies opportunities in grants, incentives, and contracting, and stays after the introduction. Through Legacy Impact he is building technology and foundation work aimed at reentry and lasting outcomes. He also works with the Jack Brewer Foundation, REFORM Alliance, and the Aleph Institute. A 12-week prison-based fatherhood program, Round by Round, has been built from Duke Got Life.
Businesses, nonprofits, and community organizations looking for help identifying grants, contracts, or incentives can text DUKE to 26786.
What the Milestone Asks
Six years after the gate opened, Tanner’s measure is not survival. It is impact. He has said he wants his son to remember that his father came home and became the man he was supposed to be. He is blunt with men getting out now: do not let pride block the ask for help, stay away from the people and places that threaten the freedom, and be honest with the family. You do not have to fix 16 years on the first day. Every decision still has to move toward stability.
“Man can say no today and God can open a door tomorrow that nobody can close,” Tanner said. “I want to use the chance God gave me to help make this world better.”
He pointed to the same scriptures that carried him inside: “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” (Galatians 6:9) and “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Philippians 4:13).
Whatever someone is facing, he said, keep the faith and give it all you’ve got. Some days progress is simply finding the strength to try again. Keep showing up. Respect and love come first. Helping people is the purpose.
From a life sentence to a life of impact. Six years free. Still putting in the work.
About Charles “Duke” Tanner
Charles “Duke” Tanner is Vice President of Community Affairs & Outreach and National Ambassador for Engineered Tax Services, and Co-CEO of Legacy Impact Technology & Foundation. A former 19–0 professional boxer and author of Duke Got Life, he was released by clemency on October 21, 2020, and received a full presidential pardon in May 2025. He advocates for second chances, reentry, fatherhood, and economic access.
About Engineered Tax Services
Engineered Tax Services is a national specialty tax, incentives, grants, and government-funding firm headquartered in West Palm Beach, Florida.
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