A man who was wrongly jailed for 22 years for a murder he did not commit says the ordeal helped him get his life back on track.
Calvin Buari, 53, was a crack dealer in the Bronx and describes himself as young, flashy and goofy. But on September 10, 1992, the murder of two brothers would land him in prison for a crime he did not commit.
Originally, Buari maintained his merchant lifestyle in prison, until he realized that he needed to change his life if he wanted to be exonerated and not go to prison.
Buari said cnn: ‘Going to prison saved my life. It had the butterfly effect on me. Before I went to prison, I was like the caterpillar.
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. That was my cocoon phase. And now that I’m out, I feel like I’m in the butterfly phase.”
Calvin Buari, 53, was a crack dealer in the Bronx and describes himself as young, flashy and goofy. But on September 10, 1992, the murder of two brothers would land him in prison for a crime he did not commit.
After the murder of Elijah and Salhaddin Harris occurred on the same block where Buari was to be occupied, his rivals allegedly took the opportunity to blame him for the murders. He was sentenced to 50 years to life in prison.
It wouldn’t be until 2017 that Buari’s conviction was overturned after three witnesses came forward, including one who said he was with Buari on the street when they heard the gunshots.
Buari’s drug dealing days began shortly after he dropped out of school in 10th grade to help his mother, who was a single parent, with the bills.
The young man’s desire for a pair of Air Jordans that his mother couldn’t afford solidified his decision to get into the business: he got the Jordans he wanted along with two BMWs, Rolex watches, chains and designer clothes.
But this decision would have consequences. His rivals allegedly took the opportunity to blame him for the murder of brothers Elijah and Salhaddin Harris so they could take over his territory.
The brothers were near the corner of East 213th Street and Bronxwood Avenue when they were shot to death, the same block where Buari was trading.
The young man was sentenced to 50 years to life in prison after rejecting a plea deal that would have given him a three-year sentence.
When Buari decided to change his life in prison, he reached out to activists and lawyers involved in wrongful conviction cases.
Widespread Internet access gave him the opportunity to earn his general equivalency diploma in 2007 and take criminal law courses.
It wouldn’t be until 2017 that his conviction would be overturned after three witnesses came forward, including one who said he was with Buari on the street when they heard the gunshots.
Since his release, Buari has brought his entrepreneurial spirit to the creation of the ride-sharing company Ryderz Van Service, which takes family members to visit inmates in prisons in New Jersey and New York.
Buari also invests in real estate in both New York and Texas: He owns a million-dollar home in a Houston suburb, CNN reported.
The businessman also settled with the city of New York in 2021 for $4 million after suing the city and several law enforcement officials. In 2020, he received a $3.75 million settlement from the state of New York, according to Buari’s attorney, Oscar Michelen.
Apparently, she didn’t know he had been arrested until she saw a news story about the case years later.
‘Every time I stopped at that prison I just left, it was a reminder that I need to be on the right path. Because if I didn’t do it, what awaited me was that same prison,” Buari told CNN.
Since his release, Buari has brought his entrepreneurial spirit to the creation of the ride-sharing company Ryderz Van Service, which takes family members to visit inmates in prisons in New Jersey and New York.
Buari also invests in real estate in both New York and Texas: He owns a million-dollar home in a Houston suburb, CNN reported.
The businessman settled with the city of New York in 2021 for $4 million after suing the city and several law enforcement officials. In 2020, he received a $3.75 million settlement from the state of New York, according to Buari’s attorney, Oscar Michelen.
Buari said he is convinced that if he had not been arrested that fateful day in 1992, he would most likely be dead in the streets.
