Previous assaults include hitting a man in the head with a wooden stick while he attempted to steal two cases of alcohol as well as punching another man in the face in order to avoid police. The rapper formerly known as Marky Mark admitted he was high on marijuana and narcotics during his arrest and argued that he has since transformed his life and has donated much of his time to philanthropic causes.

"I have not engaged in philanthropic efforts in order to make people forget about my past," Wahlberg wrote in the pardon application. "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."