Anthony E. Bragdon served ten years of a 30 year sentence for assault with intent to rape and use of a firearm in a violent crime before beingd. In 2001, prosecutors revealed that FBI Agent Michael Malone gave false testimony at his trial and covered up exculpatory evidence. The Court of Appeals has reversed his conviction.

``I did all that time. That is a major part of my life,'' Bragdon said in a telephone interview Tuesday. ``When I went to prison I was just 19. This was my first adult conviction. I had never been locked up. ... So they never gave me a chance to establish myself in the real world as far as getting a job.''

Bragdon's case is not the only one affected by the FBI lab scandal.

Bragdon's freedom is an outgrowth of a sweeping investigation in the 1990s prompted by FBI whistleblower Frederic Whitehurst's allegations that his FBI lab colleagues had performed shoddy work and shaded the truth to help prosecutors.

The Associated Press reported in March that a review had identified about 3,000 cases that could have been affected by the shoddy work but only 150 defendants had been notified of problems.

Even after discovering Malone's misconduct, the FBI didn't fire him. They transferred him to another division where he remained until his retirement. He now resides in Virginia. In 2001, Malone told the St. Petersurg Times,

``Nobody's convinced anybody in a black robe that I've done anything wrong. I did the best I could. Crime labs aren't perfect. People aren't perfect.''

In setting aside the conviction, the judge wrote that Malone's testimony made a difference.