FARGO — F5 Project

CEO and founder Adam Martin

has had a criminal history since he was 13 years old.

The man who created the

Fargo nonprofit,

dedicated to helping those who served time reintegrate into life outside of jails and prison, is on the cusp of clearing his name and leaving his crimes behind him for good.

In a unanimous vote, the North Dakota Pardon Advisory Board recommended on Thursday, Nov. 14, that Martin, 43, be pardoned of guilt from the crimes he has committed in the state. If approved by the governor, all misdemeanors and felonies on his record would be absolved.

“It’s almost unbelievable,” Martin told The Forum. “It feels like I’ve been in a toxic relationship from 13 to 43 and it’s finally coming to an end.”

Gov. Doug Burgum could make a decision on Martin’s pardon by the end of the month, said Kayli Richards, spokeswoman for the North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Burgum’s office declined to comment on whether he would approve the pardon.

Martin said he applied for a North Dakota pardon roughly 90 days ago. Once he secures his pardon in North Dakota, Martin said he will begin the same process in Minnesota.

Martin’s adult criminal history dates back to 2001, when he pleaded guilty to felony unauthorized use of a vehicle and misdemeanor fleeing police in Cass County. Over the years, he was convicted of five felonies and several misdemeanors, some of which landed him jail sentences.

In 2010, a terrorizing charge sent him to a long-term treatment center, which he has cited as

helping him overcome his struggles with crime and addiction to alcohol and drugs.

Having a felony on one’s record is worse than the punishment a person can get from the justice system, Martin said. Martin still had to mark a box on job and housing applications that said he was a felon. The jobs he received were “low-hanging jobs.”

“I would say probably 98% of the places that I applied to turned me down, and the places that were OK with it, from a housing standpoint, were not very good places to live, and they were really expensive,” he said.

The jobs improved after he successfully finished his probation, but the housing didn’t, he said. Employers and rental companies could find his mugshot and criminal history online.

That can make having a felony record feel like “a life system,” he said.

Martin said he got lucky in 2013, when High Point Networks hired him as an accounting manager. That was a turning point in his life, he said.

Three years later, Martin’s criminal record inspired him to start the

F5 Project

as a way to help people who struggle with incarceration, mental illness and addiction. F5 represents Martin’s felonies but also the button on a keyboard that allows users to refresh a webpage, according to the organization’s website.

It’s a way for people with a criminal history to get a fresh start, the website says.

Since 2016, the nonprofit has helped about 40,000 people across North Dakota, Martin said.

Parole Board Chairman H. Patrick Weir said he was impressed with Martin. He called him a straightforward man who has helped many people reintegrate back into society after incarceration, Weir said

“He seems to be one of those individuals who has benefited from the Department of the Corrections program and parole activities,” Weir said, adding that Martin has completely turned his life around.

The purpose of the Pardon Board is to remove convictions for those who have rehabilitated themselves to make sure they are not a threat to public and victim safety, Weir said. By helping others, Martin has gone above and beyond in not just rehabilitating himself but also contributing to his community’s safety.

“He’s one of those individuals who both the Parole Board and the Pardon Board can be very proud of,” Weir said.

Being able to help people who have struggled like he has been meaningful to Martin, the F5 Project founder said. Changing your life as a felon can feel like a full-time job, he said, adding that people who try to turn their lives around have to meet with probation officers, counselors, attorneys and others.

Being able to talk to someone who has been through that creates a level of comfort, Martin said.

“I think F5 is very meaningful in that aspect where people feel safe, like they feel like they can just be themselves,” he said.

Martin said he hopes that his pardon inspires others to seize their second chance.

“It’s not just talk now,” he said. “It’s real.”