By Sean Mussenden
Media General News Service
Media General News Service
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WASHINGTON-A South Carolina retiree whose decade-old income tax evasion conviction was forgiven by President Bush said Tuesday that he did not have help from a lawyer in obtaining the pardon.
Carey C. Hice, Sr., of Travelers Rest, S.C., said three attorneys declined to take his case before he decided to download pardon forms from the Justice Department Web site.
"They didn't want to handle it, saying they didn't know how or didn't think it would work, or whatever," said Hice, a retired chemical manufacturer who was convicted of income tax evasion in 1996.
"So I just filled the forms out and sent them in myself. The Lord led me to put down what I put down what I did," he said. "Of course, I'm elated and thankful that it worked."
Following the conviction, Hice was sentenced to 180 days home confinement and three years probation and paid a $13,000 fine.
Hice said his voting rights were restored after the probationary period ended. He said the felony conviction had prevented him from owning a gun for the past 12 years, and that he was looking forward to hunting again.
"And I can serve on jury duty again. That's a good thing. I always enjoyed it," he said.
President Bush has been more reluctant to issue pardons than most previous occupants of the White House of the last 50 years.
Including the pardon of Hice and 13 others late Monday, Bush has granted 157 of the 2,167 pardon requests received.
During his two terms, Bush has issued pardons to 10 people convicted in South Carolina on federal charges including food stamp fraud, bootlegging, theft, marijuana distribution, mail fraud and gun crimes.
Hice said he was not sure why his pardon request was granted. A search of federal campaign finance records did not uncover contributions by Hice to Bush or the Republican National Committee.
Sean Mussenden can be reached at smussenden@mediageneral.com or 202-662-7668.
Carey C. Hice, Sr., of Travelers Rest, S.C., said three attorneys declined to take his case before he decided to download pardon forms from the Justice Department Web site.
"They didn't want to handle it, saying they didn't know how or didn't think it would work, or whatever," said Hice, a retired chemical manufacturer who was convicted of income tax evasion in 1996.
"So I just filled the forms out and sent them in myself. The Lord led me to put down what I put down what I did," he said. "Of course, I'm elated and thankful that it worked."
Following the conviction, Hice was sentenced to 180 days home confinement and three years probation and paid a $13,000 fine.
Hice said his voting rights were restored after the probationary period ended. He said the felony conviction had prevented him from owning a gun for the past 12 years, and that he was looking forward to hunting again.
"And I can serve on jury duty again. That's a good thing. I always enjoyed it," he said.
President Bush has been more reluctant to issue pardons than most previous occupants of the White House of the last 50 years.
Including the pardon of Hice and 13 others late Monday, Bush has granted 157 of the 2,167 pardon requests received.
During his two terms, Bush has issued pardons to 10 people convicted in South Carolina on federal charges including food stamp fraud, bootlegging, theft, marijuana distribution, mail fraud and gun crimes.
Hice said he was not sure why his pardon request was granted. A search of federal campaign finance records did not uncover contributions by Hice to Bush or the Republican National Committee.
Sean Mussenden can be reached at smussenden@mediageneral.com or 202-662-7668.