Oscar-nominated actor Mark Wahlberg seeks to be pardoned of a 1988 assault conviction, stemming from an incident in which he beat two Asian men.

The Transformers: Age of Extinction star filed his pardon application on November 26, and wrote, “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. Since that time, I have dedicated myself to becoming a better person and citizen so that I can be a role model to my children and others.”

Wahlberg, 43, was 16 at the time of the assault, which occurred in Dorchester, a rough neighborhood in Boston. Wahlberg hit a Vietnamese man with a five-foot-long wooden stick, and attempted steal two cases of beer he was carrying. While fleeing from police, Wahlberg punched another Vietnamese man. One of the victims was blinded in one eye.

“I was detained by police a few minutes after that,” Wahlberg wrote. “While I was detained, the police discovered that I had a small amount of marijuana in my back pocket. During the incident, I was under the influence of alcohol and narcotics.”

Wahlberg was tried as an adult, and was charged with attempted murder. He was convicted of assault, and served 45 days behind bars.

Wahlberg’s Marky Mark-era thug life:

Wahlberg wrote that his reasoning for requesting a pardon includes being able to get a concessionaire’s license to help him with his string of restaurants, and that he’d like to be able to work alongside law enforcement, working with at-risk youth.

“The more complex answer is that receiving a pardon would be a formal recognition that I am not the same person that I was on the night of April 8, 1988,” Wahlberg wrote. “It would be formal recognition that someone like me can receive official public redemption if he devotes himself to personal improvement and a life of good works.”

Tipoff at Warren Easton HS this morning. pic.twitter.com/if1tGuTxFV

— Mark Wahlberg (@mark_wahlberg) December 6, 2014

If the Board of Pardons deems Wahlberg’s application warrants a public hearing, the petition with be passed along to the Massachusetts governor for review.