Mark Wahlberg Wants Pardon for 1988 Assault

Actor Mark Wahlberg has asked the Massachusetts Parole Board for a pardon for a crime he committed as a troubled young man back in 1988. Wahlberg, who was 16 at the time, assaulted a man in Boston while trying to steal some alcohol and then punched another man when trying to evade the police. He was arrested and served 45 days in prison.

The Lone Survivor actor submitted a petition on November 26.

“I am deeply sorry for the actions that I took on the night of April 8, 1988, as well as for any lasting damage I may have caused the victims,” Wahlberg wrote in the petition. “Since that time, I have dedicated myself to becoming a better person and citizen so that I can be a role model to my children and others.”

“I have not engaged in philanthropic efforts in order to make people forget about my past,” he added. “To the contrary, I want people to remember my past so that I can serve as an example of how lives can be turned around and how people can be redeemed.”

His family’s Walburgers restaurant chain is expanding, and he states that his criminal record “can potentially be the bases to deny me a concessionaire’s license in California and elsewhere.” Wahlberg also reportedly wants to become a reserve officer for the LAPD.

The parole board will review Wahlberg’s application and then make a recommendation to the governor. The governor will then approve or deny the pardon.