Mark Wahlberg’s criminal record includes a 1986 civil rights injunction for racist attacks on Black schoolchildren in Boston, a 1988 adult conviction for assault and battery after he attacked two Vietnamese men, and a 1992 assault case that ended when he settled a civil suit and the criminal charges were dismissed. The 1988 conviction, for which he served 45 days in jail, remains on his record. A 2014 pardon application was withdrawn in 2016.
The 1986 Attacks and Civil Rights Injunction
Wahlberg was about 15 when he and two white friends chased three Black siblings in Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood, throwing rocks and screaming racial slurs, according to former Massachusetts assistant attorney general Judith Beals, who prosecuted the case. The next day, Wahlberg and a larger group of white youths harassed a group of mostly Black fourth-graders until an ambulance driver intervened.1Police1. Ex-Prosecutor: Don’t Pardon Mark Wahlberg for Racist Attacks
The attorney general’s office secured a civil rights injunction against Wahlberg. Under its terms, any further hate crime would automatically trigger criminal charges.2Chicago Tribune. Ex-Prosecutor: Don’t Pardon Mark Wahlberg in Racist Attack He also settled a separate civil rights lawsuit tied to these incidents without admitting guilt.3BBC News. Mark Wahlberg and the Pardon
The 1988 Assault Conviction
On April 8, 1988, a 16-year-old Wahlberg attacked two Vietnamese men in Dorchester. Court records describe him as intoxicated and trying to steal two cases of beer from Thanh Lam outside a convenience store on Dorchester Avenue. Wahlberg struck Lam over the head with a large wooden stick while shouting racial slurs.4Boston Magazine. Mark Wahlberg Seeking Pardon for 1988 Boston Case5HuffPost. Mark Wahlberg Victim Forgives
Fleeing police, he encountered a second Vietnamese man, Hoa “Johnny” Trinh, and punched him in the face, using racial epithets including “gook” and “slant eye.”6Angry Asian Man. Meet Mark Wahlberg’s Hate Crime Victim Police found marijuana on him when they caught him, and he told officers he had been drinking and using drugs.4Boston Magazine. Mark Wahlberg Seeking Pardon for 1988 Boston Case
The initial charge was attempted murder.7The Guardian. Mark Wahlberg 1988 Assault Victim on Pardon Wahlberg was ultimately convicted as an adult of assault and battery.4Boston Magazine. Mark Wahlberg Seeking Pardon for 1988 Boston Case The court imposed a three-month jail sentence, of which he served 45 days at the Plymouth County jail.8Boston Herald. Mark Wahlberg Seeks Pardon for 1988 Assault Conviction
The 1992 Crehan Assault and Settlement
On August 30, 1992, 20-year-old security guard Robert D. Crehan was attacked at a tennis court in the Dorchester area. According to the criminal complaint, Wahlberg’s bodyguard Derek McCall held Crehan down while Wahlberg kicked him in the face, breaking his jaw.9UPI. Rapper Marky Mark Settles Suit With Accuser
Both men were charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (a shod foot) as well as simple assault and battery.9UPI. Rapper Marky Mark Settles Suit With Accuser Crehan also filed a civil suit in Suffolk Superior Court. An assistant clerk-magistrate in Dorchester District Court ordered the parties to negotiate a settlement within two weeks and warned that the criminal case would proceed if they did not.10New York Times. Chronicle
They reached a deal in April 1993, just before trial. Crehan’s attorney, Mark Breakstone, called the undisclosed payout “substantial” and said it compensated Crehan for “injuries, inconvenience and pain.” Breakstone said three witnesses were ready to testify that Wahlberg “hit, kicked, and beat up Crehan.” Wahlberg maintained he was present but did not participate.9UPI. Rapper Marky Mark Settles Suit With Accuser His attorney said the altercation began when an associate of Crehan directed a racial slur at McCall, who is Black.11Roanoke Times. Marky Mark Settles Suit Once the civil case settled, Crehan asked the court to drop the criminal charges. The judge agreed, and the charges against both Wahlberg and McCall were dismissed.
The Pardon Application and Its Withdrawal
On November 26, 2014, Wahlberg applied to the Massachusetts Board of Pardons to clear the 1988 conviction. He said he was concerned that his record would prevent him from obtaining a concessionaire’s license as he expanded Wahlburgers, the restaurant chain he co-owns with his brothers Donnie and Paul.12Hollywood Reporter. Why Mark Wahlberg Wants a Pardon
Judith Beals, the former prosecutor from the 1986 case, publicly opposed the request, arguing that the earlier pattern of racial violence made the conduct more serious than a single youthful mistake.1Police1. Ex-Prosecutor: Don’t Pardon Mark Wahlberg for Racist Attacks
Wahlberg never received a pardon. The Massachusetts Parole Board sent him a letter asking whether he wanted to keep the application active. When he did not respond, the board officially closed the matter on September 15, 2016.13CBS News Boston. Parole: Mark Wahlberg Pardon Request Dropped At the Toronto International Film Festival that same month, he said he regretted filing at all. “It was one of those things where it was just kind of presented to me, and if I could’ve done it over again I would never have focused on that or applied,” he said.14Boston Magazine. Mark Wahlberg Regrets Pardon Request He added that he did not need “a piece of paper to acknowledge” his rehabilitation, though he said one benefit of the process had been the chance to meet one of his victims and apologize.15CBS News Boston. Mark Wahlberg Pardon Regrets Application The 1988 conviction remains on his record.
What Hoa Trinh Later Said
Widely repeated reports for years said the 1988 attack had blinded Trinh in one eye. In 2014, Trinh corrected that account. He had lost the sight in his left eye in 1975, when a grenade exploded while he was serving in the South Vietnamese army. “He did hurt me, but my left eye was already gone,” Trinh told reporters. “He was not responsible for that.”16Los Angeles Times. Mark Wahlberg Assault Victim Speaks Out on Pardon Trinh also said he had forgiven Wahlberg and supported the pardon bid: “He was young and reckless but I forgive him now. Everyone deserves another chance.”5HuffPost. Mark Wahlberg Victim Forgives He clarified, however, that Wahlberg’s punch did “cut my head open.”17WGBH. Mark Wahlberg’s Atonement: A Follow-Up Wahlberg said Trinh’s public statement lifted “a weight off of my shoulders.”18Toronto.com. Mark Wahlberg Grateful for Assault Victim’s Forgiveness In his 2014 pardon application, Wahlberg had written: “I am deeply sorry for the actions that I took on the night of April 8, 1988, as well as for any lasting damage that I may have caused the victims.”19NME. Mark Wahlberg History of Hate Crimes Resurface After George Floyd Tribute