Minnesota woman pardoned by President Joe Biden
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - President Joe Biden pardoned 39 people for non-violent crimes, and three of them are women right here in Minnesota.
Minnesota woman pardoned
"I have the President of the United States giving me this final mercy, and it's a double blessing," said Sarah Carlson, who was pardoned by Biden.
Carlson credits her faith for being pardoned by the president. But her road to recovery from her drug addiction wasn’t easy.
"I get really emotional, um, thinking about that, because I was, I was an IV meth and cocaine user," said Carlson.
READ MORE: President Biden pardons 3 people from MN, 2 from WI
Backstory
It was back in 2010 in Arkansas when her life changed in one night.
"I was homeless and staying with a friend. That friend had to leave his place to go pick up some drugs," said Carlson.
Carlson says she wasn’t selling drugs, but she was convicted of conspiracy possession with intent to distribute or deliver more than 500 grams of meth, and she takes full accountability.
"I knew there was a crime happening. I didn't let anyone know, and I helped destroy evidence at that time," said Carlson.
She could have faced 26 years to life in prison but says her faith saved her. The judge originally ordered three years of probation, but it was cut short for good behavior.
READ MORE: President Joe Biden's pardons: List
Road to recovery
Carlson credits her recovery to a program called Adult and Teen Challenge, something she found through Grace Church.
"I had nowhere to go, and then I had a friend that just happened to be in the Teen Challenge Leadership Institute call me out of the blue," said Carlson.
Fourteen years later, she’s free of her past, and now is serving and mentoring people with addiction issues.
"I am a licensed alcohol and drug counselor at Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge, and I work with the short-term women," said Carlson.
On top of her being a counselor, Carlson is also a wife and grandmother.