What did Darryl Strawberry do and what was he in jail for? Mets legend and Celebrity Apprentice star receives Trump pardon

Darryl Strawberry has received Donald Trump’s pardon. The MLB star is well-known for his history of legal issues, including charges of tax evasion and income tax conspiracy in 1994.

After pleading guilty, the baseball right fielder repaid the taxes. Apart from that, he was ordered to serve six months of home confinement alongside three years of probation, according to the New York Post. He was sentenced on another occasion after he did not follow the rules at a drug treatment center during his probation.

A White House official shared the latest update on the Trump pardon during a conversation with The New York Post on November 7, 2025.

“Mr. Strawberry served time and paid back taxes after pleading guilty to one count of tax evasion. Following his career, Mr. Strawberry found faith in Christianity and has been sober for over a decade - he has become active in ministry and started a recovery center which still operates today,” the official said.

Darryl Strawberry expressed gratitude to the U.S. President with an Instagram post. He added a few snaps, featuring him with Trump. The caption reads that Trump allowed Strawberry to live the rest of his life peacefully, as he is “free and clean” from everything that happened in the past.

The Celebrity Apprentice star recalled that he was at home when he received a call from Washington, D.C. Darryl Strawberry said that a lady was on the other end, who told him that Trump wanted to speak with him.

“President Trump spoke warmly about my baseball days in NYC, praising me as one the greatest player of the ‘80s and celebrating the Mets. Then, he told me he was granting me a full pardon from my past. My wife captured the moment on video, and I was overwhelmed with gratitude – thanking God for setting me free from my past,” the caption continued.

Darryl Strawberry admitted to cheating the government while pleading guilty

The Los Angeles, California, native was facing three charges of tax conspiracy and evasion. While a conviction for all the counts could have resulted in a 15-year sentence, Strawberry opted for a plea deal, which reduced his sentence.

The New York Times stated that Darryl Strawberry was already suspended from baseball before pleading guilty and was released by the San Francisco Giants, as the test results for his cocaine use were positive. In 1995, Strawberry read the plea deal to the judge. Strawberry’s wife, Charisse, was also present at the time.

Strawberry had even refused to speak to anyone before and after his court appearance, alongside a meeting with the probation officers. Strawberry later said that he did not report income worth $350,000 from his appearances on different occasions, alongside cheating the government of more than $100,000.

Apart from Strawberry, another man named Eric Goldschmidt was also accused of being involved in the tax case. The plea deal did not require Strawberry to testify against Eric. However, it ordered him to file the corrected returns for five years.

As mentioned, Darryl Strawberry was sentenced on another occasion. The Sporting News stated that this legal issue was associated with another case of drug and prostitution charges.

Apart from that, he was arrested and released in 1990 after being charged with assault with a deadly weapon. Around five years later, he was accused of failure to pay child support and spousal support. In 1993, Strawberry was taken into custody after he reportedly hit a woman, with no charges being filed against him.