There was no evidence he ever distributed or intended to sell any pills, but drug laws in many states, including Florida, allow officials to prosecute for trafficking based solely on the quantity an individual possesses.
Paey spent three and a half years in prison, until he was granted a full pardon by Florida Governor Charlie Crist in September 2007.
[3] Later, Dwayne Hillis, one of the jurors in the trial, came forward publicly and said he was pressured into a guilty verdict with assurances that Richard Paey would serve no jail term.
Nevertheless, in a sudden and unexpected move, Governor Crist and the Cabinet unanimously granted Paey a full pardon on the morning of September 20, 2007.
[6] Paey's case is the subject of the book Pain In America and the film documentary The War on Drugs, and was featured on the Showtime series Penn & Teller: Bullshit!