Ex-Marine pardoned for copper penny mutilation

[HPMBTT]

An interesting story. What amazes me is that he didn't even know he had a felony on his record until he applied for a gun permit five years ago.

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WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama has granted the first pardons of his presidency, to nine people convicted of crimes including possessing drugs, counterfeiting and even mutilating coins.

No one well-known was on the list, and some of the crimes dated back decades or had drawn little more than a slap on the wrist in the first place — such as the Pennsylvania man sentenced in 1963 to probation and a $20 fine for mutilating coins. The mutilation of coins occurred when a young Marine made dimes out of pennies, cutting the lip off, to use the coins in vending machines.

The White House declined to give details on the cases or comment on why these particular people were selected by a president who previously had only pardoned Thanksgiving turkeys.

One of those pardoned, Ronald Lee Foster of Beaver Falls, Pa., was sentenced in 1963 to a year of probation and made to pay a small fine for mutilating coins.

"Well, we were only making only $82 a month. We were using them in the washing machines, the dryers, the cigarette machines and the pop machines on the base in our barracks," he said. He was given a year's probation and made to pay a small fine.

Foster, now 66, said he wasn't aware that he even had a felony conviction on his record until he applied for a gun permit in Pennsylvania five years ago and was denied. After getting out of the Marines in 1966, Foster returned to Pennsylvania and spent 27 years as a supervisor at a ceiling plant and also served on the local zoning board. He also spent 35 years as a volunteer firefighter.

He was told about the pardon earlier Friday by his lawyer, who applied for it on his behalf about 18 months ago.

[Roadrunner]

I think there's a guy on Realcent from Beaver Falls, PA...hmm...is it possible?

Nah.

[Joogaler]

I heard about that on the news and thought "hmmm I wonder if it somehow involved pennies."
Also this is the stupidest pardon I've ever heard of a president giving!

How did this make it on the list of only 9 people?

[HPMBTT]

Yeah, I thought the same thing...the dumbest pardon I have ever heard.

[Rexor]

This seems like exactly the kind of person that should be pardoned. He was convicted of a petty crime in his youth. Has lived a respectable life, served his country etc. Now in his later years he finds that this conviction is limiting his rights as a citizen. Seems like an easy call. Better than pardoning colleagues who broke serious laws or wealthy donors.

Though, something in the story doesn't sound right. Probation and $20 fine for a felony? Some felony.

[exbingoaddict]

Anybody is eligible for a presidential pardon. The routine process is to file an application which is reviewed by an office in the Department of Justice. If it is green lighted by then it goes to the white house for review.

If somebody deserved a break, sounds like it was this gentlemen. His youthful misdeed is not even an anthill compared to pardons given for other crimes committed.

[marine70]

There is no such thing as a ex-marine. He is a former marine,and he should have been pardoned. The first thing this president has done right. SEMPER FI