US President Donald Trump has commuted the sentence of former investment manager David Gentile, who was just days into a seven-year prison sentence for fraud. Bureau of Prisons records show that Gentile was released on Wednesday, less than two weeks after he reported to prison. Gentile, the former chief executive and founder of GPB Capital, was convicted last year in what federal prosecutors described as a multi-year scheme to defraud more than 10,000 investors by misrepresenting the performance of private equity funds.

He's the latest in a string of white-collar criminals whose sentences Trump has commuted. Gentile was convicted in August last year of securities and wire fraud charges, and sentenced in May. His co-defendant, Jeffry Schneider, was sentenced to six years in prison on the same charges. He remains behind bars. US attorney Joseph Nocella stated that GPB Capital was built on a foundation of lies and that the company made $1.6bn while using investor capital to pay distributions to other investors.

The sentences imposed were intended to serve as a warning to others who might consider committing fraud, yet the White House argued that the Biden administration mismanaged the case, claiming investors knew their capital might be risked.

Trump's decision to commute Gentile's sentence does not equate to a pardon but allows for a quicker release and raises further questions about the standards of accountability in financial crimes. The trend suggests a continued focus from Trump on supporting individuals convicted of similar offenses, as seen with other recent commutations.