Just hours before he was reportedly due to report to federal prison, President Donald Trump said he was pardoning former Culpeper County Sheriff Scott Jenkins.

A jury found Jenkins guilty back in December in a bribes-for-badges scheme. A judge sentenced him to 10 years in prison.

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The News4 I-team first reported the federal investigation into Jenkins before he was indicted.

Since his conviction, Jenkins maintained he did nothing wrong and campaigned for Trump’s attention on at least one podcast.

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He said, if only he could explain the full story, he thought the president would understand.

On that podcast, Jenkins said he was targeted by the Biden justice department for his outspoken support of the Second Amendment and his willingness to deputize thousands of people to get around possible gun restrictions.

It’s not clear what got the White House’s attention.

During his trial last year, the jury saw photos and video of what prosecutors said showed Jenkins accepting cash and checks from people who were then given deputy badges allowing them to carry firearms.

Some of them testified they hoped it would get them out of speeding tickets.

None had any training, and few did any work for the sheriff’s office, according to prosecutors.

The payments, which the jury agreed were bribes, ranged from $5,000 to 20,000.

Jurors heard multiple audio recordings taken by an FBI informant of Jenkins discussing the payments, including some from Rick Rahim, a convicted felon Jenkins not only deputized but helped restore his right to carry a gun too.

Rahim was one of three men who pleaded guilty to bribing Jenkins.

The jury saw an FBI analysis of Jenkins’ finances. According to the FBI, Jenkins was spending beyond his means.

Their analysis showed that money Jenkins said was given as a campaign contribution went instead into his personal accounts.

As he was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, a federal judge told Jenkins, “The jury determined you are a criminal,” adding, “you sold badges to wealthy men […] who thought they were above the law. Your actions undermined the public trust.”

Jenkins didn’t say anything in court or to News4 as he left that day a convicted felon facing a decade in prison.

Now, that sentence will not be served.

News4’s emails and calls to Jenkins' new appointed appeals lawyer were not returned.