Jason Bradley DeFord, better known by his stage name “Jelly Roll,” just received a very important title in Michigan.
Sheriff Christopher Swanson swore DeFord in as a deputy of the Community Cares Task Force, prompting the singer to declare that he has gone “from convict to deputy.” A video from the ceremony was posted to a local radio station’s Instagram page, capturing the emotional moment.
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“This is the real deal. You walk into any facility now, you can tell them you’re a Deputy Sheriff from Genesee County,” Swanson can be heard saying.
DeFord has previously recounted being convicted of aggravated robbery and possession with intent to sell, a felony that has followed him around to this day. Despite being 16 at the time of the crime, he was charged as an adult and spent one year in prison and the next seven years on probation. While he has successfully turned his life around and made a killing in the music industry, he still finds himself unable to travel to some countries due to the felony conviction.
“I wouldn’t be the man I am today if it wasn’t for what I went through. I think it empowered me. I think it gave me my voice,” the singer said during the 2023 CMAs. “It taught me a lot about overcoming. It taught me a lot about changing and the ability to change.”
“I was a horrible human for decades, and to just be able to turn that around and give a message in the music and help people… and just try to give back as much as I can in every way I can is very indicative of where I came from and how important it is to me to always reach back,” he continued.
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Sierra Marlee is a millennial whose hunger for the truth in a world of fake news has led her to write. Marlee also contributes to BizPac Review.
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