[420 Girl]

New York Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes is seeking a pardon from the Bush administration for his brother Mark, who sits in a federal prison cell in Arkansas on a 27-year sentence for dealing drugs.

The New York Daily News reported the story in its Wednesday editions. Tynes recently hired lawyer Robert Ortiz, the finance chairman for the New Jersey Republican State Committee, to handle the effort to have his brother freed, the newspaper said.

"The situation that Mark found himself in was partly due to his own mistakes," Ortiz said, according to the Daily News. "We have to make sure that what we submit is accurate and explains Mark's position and why we believe the sentence is excessive."

As the kicker for the reigning Super Bowl champions, Lawrence Tynes' prominence will benefit their cause, Ortiz said. Tynes' 47-yard field goal in overtime of the NFC Championship Game sent the Giants past Green Bay, and New York upset the Patriots 17-14 in Super Bowl XLII, ruining New England's shot at a 19-0 season.

"Because Lawrence is high-profile, this will get people to look at the story and take a look at what happened to Mark," Ortiz said.

Against the advice of his co-defendants, his father, his brothers and his defense attorney, Mark Tynes refused to cooperate. Each of his four childhood friends testified against him and received reduced sentences ranging from 21 to 60 months.

In January 2004, Mark Tynes, now 31, was found guilty on two counts of marijuana distribution. He has run out of appeals to reduce his sentence and is scheduled to be released in 2026.

Lawrence Tynes has said his brother deserves to be in prison, but he feels strongly that the sentence is too long. The two remain close -- in an April interview with ESPN, Tynes said then he speaks to Mark three or four times a week.

According to the Daily News, Lawrence has actively campaigned to get Mark moved to a prison about 90 minutes from Giants Stadium and covers most of his brother's legal bills.

Ortiz acknowledges their bid for a pardon is a long shot.

"We're hoping to hear back from [the Justice Department] before the end of the term," Ortiz told the Daily News.

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