US Man, Wrongly Convicted For 22 Years, Says Prison Saved His Life

A 53-year-old New York man spent 22 years in prison for a double homicide he did not commit. Now, he is turning his life around. Calvin Buari, after his acquittal in 2017, launched Ryderz Van Service, a rideshare company focused on connecting families with their loved ones in prison. exonerated

In the early 1990s, Calvin Buari, a flashy drug dealer in the Bronx, walked the streets in designer clothes and drove a black BMW he nicknamed the “Black Man's Wish.” His rise to the top of the drug trade in New York City came at a heavy price. He was wrongly convicted in a case where no physical evidence tied him to the crime. It wasn't until years later that the truth began to surface.

Calvin Buari's journey to freedom was long and hard-fought. Convicted in 1995 of a double homicide, Buari was sentenced to 50 years to life for the deaths of two brothers, Elijah and Salhaddin Harris, in the Bronx. The conviction was based on false testimony from rival drug dealers. Years later, a fellow prisoner confessed to the crime, but Buari remained locked up until 2017 when new witnesses came forward to testify in his defence.

Reflecting on his time behind bars, Calvin Buari said prison transformed him. “Going to prison saved my life,” he told CNN. "Before I went to prison, I was like the caterpillar,” he said. “Then when I was in prison, I had to transform my life and try to do more productive things. I had to see the potential in myself.” He called that his “cocoon phase.” “And now that I'm out, I feel like I'm in the butterfly phase,” said the 53-year-old. 

Buari's story gained national attention through the podcast Empire on Blood, which detailed the injustices that led to his wrongful conviction and his fight for freedom. Host Steve Fishman, a former journalist, began recording Buari's phone calls from prison in 2011, and he was there when Buari was finally released in May 2017. 

Calvin Buari earned his General Education Development and paralegal certificate in prison. 

After his release, Calvin Buari received $7.75 million in settlements from New York City and State. He invested in real estate and owns a million-dollar home in Texas. He also launched a rideshare company, Ryderz Van Service, offering door-to-door prison visitation services.

While Buari's freedom came at a significant cost, he believes his experience has given him a second chance. “I was lost … but now, I find grace in my actions,” he said. “I pray that those I hurt can find it in their hearts to forgive me.”