Frank Merold | CAN-DO
Frank Merold | CAN-DO
Frank Merold, 61, has served 20 years for a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute conviction. He was sentenced to life on Aug. 9, 2001 and applied for clemency during the Obama administration. His petition was denied in 2016.
Incarcerated at Jessup Federal Correctional Institution in Georgia, Merold suffers from colon cancer and had surgery to remove a large section of his colon. He is currently undergoing chemotherapy.
Merold wants to make amends to his family, including his ex-wife and daughter, and seek employment in Fort Lauderdale, where he plans to live with his daughter.
Before his incarceration, he served in the U.S. Army, using the G.I. Bill to obtain his education. He worked most of his career as an avionics technician.
Merold takes responsibility for his actions, saying in his clemency petition that he made a terrible decision to be the middleman in a drug deal.
Other than his actions in the reverse sting operation, he does not have a violent history or priors.
“I believe that I have paid my debt and am ready to make valuable contributions to society,” Merold wrote in his petition.
If released, Merold intends to assist the CAN-DO Foundation, which is supporting his bid for clemency. He has spent the past 20 years studying law.
In his petition, Merold also notes that based on the U.S. Sentencing Commission’s passage of Amendment 782 in 2017, he would no longer be eligible for a life sentence under current sentencing guidelines.
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