Sunshine Sentinel

Frank Merold is undergoing chemotherapy while awaiting news of a possible clemency from President Trump.

He's seeking clemency after serving 20 years of a life sentence following a conviction for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute. Merold’s co-defendants in the case already have received clemency, with one serving five years before his release.

“My criminal conviction for conspiracy is the only criminal conviction in my life,” Merold said in his clemency petition. “I take full responsibility for this one horrible mistake that I made. I am, however, not a repeat offender, and I am not a violent person.”

Merold must undergo chemotherapy after a diagnosis of colon cancer.

The CAN-DO Foundation supports his clemency request.

“He has served his country with pride as an Army veteran and put his life on the line due to his love of country,” Amy Povah, founder of the CAN-DO Foundation, told the Sun Shine Sentinel. “He has already served 20 years with exemplary conduct and now has colon cancer that has traveled to his lungs.”

Povah said members of the CAN-DO Foundation are concerned for Merold’s well-being as he is an at-risk individual for COVID-19 because he is medically compromised.

A veteran of the U.S. Army, Merold joined the service at 17. He used the G.I. Bill for education to attend a technical college to study electronics and electrical engineering. He earned an avionics repair certification and license from the Federal Aviation Administration. He then worked as an avionics technician specializing in the overhaul of commercial aircraft cockpit instrumentation and electromechanical flight systems.

Merold changed careers to gain better benefits in the commercial real estate industry before switching to flipping homes for profit. He then, however, found himself in a difficult financial situation, which led to his participation in what turned out to be a drug conspiracy sting.

“The result was that my family was totally destroyed, and this is the biggest regret of my life. I let down my wife, my daughter, and myself. I cannot apologize enough to them for the pain that I caused them based on my decision to commit a crime,” Merold said in his clemency petition.

If he were sentenced under today’s federal guidelines, Merold would not face a life sentence.

He plans to live with his daughter in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, upon his release. He wants to use his skills and experience gained from the Army and aviation industry to find employment to support his family.