Hope for Prisoners founder pardoned in 2020 arrested on 20 charges

Jon Ponder, the founder of a Las Vegas prisoner reentry charity who received a presidential pardon from Donald Trump in 2020, was arrested Tuesday on 20 charges including sexual assault. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police announced the arrest of the 60-year-old, who faces one count of sexual assault, one count of attempted coercion, seven counts of unauthorized custodial contact, and 11 gross misdemeanor offenses. Ponder was booked into the Clark County Detention Center and was due to appear in court on Thursday.

Police stated the investigation is ongoing and that detectives believe there may be additional victims. Authorities are urging anyone with information to contact them directly or submit anonymous tips. The investigation began in April 2026 after the Office of the Inspector General received allegations of sexual abuse at facilities where Ponder’s nonprofit, Hope for Prisoners, provided services. Those allegations led to Ponder being barred from Nevada Department of Corrections facilities in April while officials examined claims of inappropriate behavior involving a female inmate.

According to the arrest report, the investigation revealed a pattern in which Ponder allegedly...