COLUMBUS, Ohio—Gov. Mike DeWine announced Friday he has commuted the sentences of “Coingate” convict Tom Noe and six other inmates.

Noe, 65, is currently in year 14 of his 18-year sentence for looting a $50 million rare-coin investment portfolio he managed for the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation. He’s incarcerated at the Marion Correctional Institution, where 217 inmates have tested positive for the coronavirus, as well as 95 staffers (one of whom has died).

DeWine said Noe had a “spotless” prison record, adding he will have to report to a parole officer every six months and will have to make restitution.

“I felt that enough time had passed,” the governor said.

Noe was once a rising Republican star, chairing the Lucas County Republican Party and serving on the Ohio Board of Regents, which oversees the state’s public colleges and universities.

He was convicted of racketeering, money laundering, aggravated theft, forgery and tampering with records. The jury estimated he stole $1.1 million from the state.

The Ohio Parole Board previously voted repeatedly not to recommend clemency for Noe. When DeWine was asked whether he believed Noe was worthy of early release regardless of the coronavirus, the governor said “it’s kind of hard to tell" but that the virus was “certainly part of the consideration that went into my decision.”

Lucas County Prosecutor Julia Bates, whose office prosecuted Noe, couldn’t be reached for comment Friday. Bates told the Blade earlier this month that she agreed to waive the usual 60-day notice requirement for commutations in Noe’s case, but she added that crucial questions remain unanswered -- including the location of the money he stole and how he intends to repay $12.4 million in outstanding court-ordered restitution and costs.

“I’m not a hard-hearted person,” Bates told the Blade. “I don’t want anyone to suffer. But I have the same questions. Where’s the money? What is the plan to repay it? What is your underlying health issue? These are all questions the governor should ask and the parole people should ask.”

The other six inmates set for early release are Freda Carnes, Roger Cole, Deborah Frohnapple, Alexis Martin, Fred James Jr., and Henry Thompson.

All except Martin were convicted of non-violent, drug-related crimes and came from a group of 26 inmates who are age 60 or older and has a chronic health condition that makes them particularly vulnerable to the coronavirus, DeWine said. Judges and prosecutors involved with their cases agreed to speed up their release process.

Martin, a 22-year-old whose commutation was already pending, is a victim of human trafficking who has been serving a 21-year sentence for her role in the murder of her pimp in Summit County. DeWine said Martin will be sent to “an appropriate group home” and will be under supervision “for an extensive period of time.”

Here’s the list of the seven inmates whose sentences are being commuted by DeWine:

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