KANSAS CITY, Mo — The new year is less than two weeks away and a community advocate is already celebrating.
Kevin Morgan, founder of Sent1One Ministries and Lean on Me Ministries, got a pardon from Missouri Gov. Mike Parson this summer.
He's been keeping the news private to think about how he wants to make a difference.
Morgan spent nine years on supervised probation for drug crimes.
For the past 11 years, he's been hoping to get another chance, but the journey there took a lot of work.
He had three cases involving drug possession and drug trafficking but could only pick one to be expunged.
"They said, 'Hey, in the state of Missouri, you are only allowed one felony to be expunged a lifetime," Morgan said. "I knew I couldn't die come back and get another one."
Morgan spent seven months going through the process for a pardon.
According to the Missouri Department of Corrections, "a full pardon does not remove the conviction from the individual's criminal record. A full pardon restores all rights of citizenship and removes any disqualification or punitive collateral consequence stemming from the conviction without conditions or restrictions."
When he received the news that a pardon was granted in the mail, Morgan immediately gave thanks.
"I just got on my knees, prayed and thanked God. I was in amazement. I told God he can have all of me," he said.
Morgan's life has always come down to choices.
Now, he chooses to continue being example for other men in the community.
"I'm not that person anymore," Morgan said. "Whatever struggles I was dealing with then — that's gone. I'm a new man."
From here on, he wants to continue serving men through his ministries, work with the city on homeless initiatives and eventually create a pathway for other people to have their record expunged or pardoned.
"I can see myself in some of the people I serve so I want to get them to where I am," he said.
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KSHB 41 reporter Alyssa Jackson covers portions of Johnson County, including neighborhoods in Overland Park, Shawnee and Mission. Share your story idea with Alyssa.