As a young marine at Camp Lejeune, N.C., in the early 1960s, Ronald Foster and his buddies had a pretty trick aimed at pinching pennies.
By cutting pennies into the size of dimes, the men were able to fool vending machines with the defaced coins, giving them 10 times the purchasing power for their $82 monthly paycheck.
Busted by the Secret Service, Mr. Foster and his gang paid $20 fines and earned a year of probation. He went on to fight in Vietnam. When in 2005 Foster attempted to get a gun permit, however, he learned that the incident had also resulted in a felony conviction on his record.
He applied to President Obama for a pardon 18 months ago and got word in late November that Mr. Obama had granted the reprieve, agreeing that Foster shouldn't have to continue paying for his nickel-and-dime crime.
