I was wrongly imprisoned for 22 years for a murder I didn’t commit – and it was a blessing in disguise

A man wrongfully jailed for 22 years for a murder he did not commit says the ordeal has helped him get his life on track.

Calvin Buari, 53, was formerly a crack cocaine dealer in the Bronx and described himself as young, flashy and foolish. But on September 10, 1992, the murder of two brothers would land him in prison for a crime he did not commit.

Buari initially maintained his lifestyle as a dealer in prison until he realized he had to change his life if he wanted to be exonerated and stay out of prison.

Buari said CNN: ‘Going to prison saved my life. It had a butterfly effect on me. Before I went to prison, I was like a caterpillar.

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.”

After the murder of Elijah and Salhaddin Harris took place in the same block where Buari was said to be doing business, his rivals are said to have taken the opportunity to pin the murders on him. He was sentenced to 50 years to life in prison

It wasn’t until 2017 that Buari’s conviction was overturned after three witnesses came forward – including one who said she was down the street from Buari when they heard the gunshots.

Buari’s days in the drug trade began shortly after he left school in 10th grade to help his mother, who was a single parent, with 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 are said to have taken the opportunity to blame the murder of brothers Elijah and Salhaddin Harris on him so that they could take over his territory.

The brothers were near the corner of East 213th Street and Bronxwood Avenue when they were shot — 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 prison sentence.

When Buari decided to change his life in prison, he contacted activists and lawyers involved in wrongful conviction cases.

Widespread access to the Internet gave him the opportunity to earn his general equivalency diploma and take criminal justice courses in 2007.

It wasn’t until 2017 that his conviction would be overturned after three witnesses came forward – including one who said she was down the street from Buari when they heard the gunshots.

Since his release, Buari has turned his entrepreneurial spirit into founding the rideshare 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 suburban Houston, CNN reported

The businessman also settled with New York City in 2021 for $4 million after suing the city and several law enforcement officials. According to Buari’s attorney Oscar Michelen, he received a $3.75 million settlement from New York State in 2020.

Apparently she didn’t know he had been arrested until she saw a news report about the case years later.

“Every time I arrived at the prison I had just left, I was reminded that I must stay on the righteous path. Because if I didn’t, that exact prison would be waiting for me,” Buari told CNN.

Since his release, Buari has turned his entrepreneurial spirit into founding the rideshare 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 and owns a $1 million home in suburban Houston, CNN reported.

The businessman settled with New York City for $4 million in 2021 after suing the city and several law enforcement officials. According to Buari’s attorney Oscar Michelen, he received a $3.75 million settlement from New York State in 2020.

Buari said he is convinced that if he had not been arrested on that fateful day in 1992, he would most likely be lying dead on the street.