Jon Ponder

{{short description|American thrice-convicted bank-robber}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2020}}

{{Infobox person

| honorific_prefix =

| name = Jon Ponder

| honorific_suffix =

| native_name =

| native_name_lang =

| image = Jon Ponder in 2020 (cropped).jpg

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption = Ponder in August 2020

| birth_name =

| birth_date =

| birth_place =

| death_date =

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| resting_place =

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| nationality = American

| criminal_charge =

| criminal_penalty = 5 years in prison

| criminal_status = Pardoned

}}

File:2020-08-25 Trump padron for Jon Donyae Ponder-ponder-jon pardon master warrant 8.25.2020.pdf

Jon Donyae Ponder is an American thrice-convicted bank-robber who after his release in 2009 has founded the Hope for Prisoners program in Nevada which helps former prisoners to reintegrate into society.{{Cite web|last=Schoenmann|first=Joe|date=April 23, 2019|title=Hope For Felons Is Real In Nevada|url=https://knpr.org/knpr/2019-04/hope-felons-real-nevada|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=August 26, 2020|website=Nevada Public Radio|language=en}}

Ponder's work was put into the national spotlight when President Donald Trump granted him a pardon during the 2020 Republican National Convention.{{Cite web|last=Villarreal|first=Daniel|date=August 25, 2020|title=Donald Trump Pardons John Ponder, Hope For Prisoners Founder Scheduled to Speak at RNC|url=https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-pardons-hope-prisoners-founder-scheduled-speak-rnc-day-2-1527616|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=August 26, 2020|website=Newsweek}} The pardon was publicized shortly before Ponder was scheduled to appear as a speaker at the event.{{Cite web|last=Snell|first=Kelsey|date=August 25, 2020|title=Ex-Bank Robber Receives Pardon Right Before His Convention Speech|url=https://apps.npr.org/liveblogs/20200825-rnc/#jon-ponder-and-richard-beasley-21|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=August 26, 2020|website=NPR}}