“My advice? Find someone who has the life you want and stop talking—start listening.”
Ian remembers the exact date his old life ended: September 29, 2023. Married with three young kids, the CEO of a successful company, a volunteer firefighter, and a church council member—he had perfected the art of switching personas, one polished role for every room. In the cracks between those roles, addiction took root.
His arrest on a first-degree felony controlled-substance charge knocked down every carefully balanced plate. Former employees saw him booked. His family waited for him at a small-town football game that he didn’t make. His team waited for a leader who wasn’t coming back. And the company he owned removed him from the role that once defined him.
“It was the greatest blessing that ever happened to me,” he says now. Not because it wasn’t devastating—it was—but because it finally forced the truth to the surface. “I could no longer spin the story or control the narrative. I had to stop lying to everyone, including myself.”
Meeting the Voice That Didn’t Sugarcoat
A mutual friend—an attorney who doesn’t practice criminal defense—told Ian to call Ryan Pacyga. Ian already knew Ryan’s name from radio segments on KFAN, but it wasn’t familiarity that earned his trust. It was presence.
“On that first call, Ryan was a voice of peace and calm and honesty,” Ian says. “I was used to people catering to whatever voice I wanted to hear. He didn’t. He told the truth. He didn’t sugarcoat. And somehow, I knew I could trust him with my future.”
Like many clients, Ian arrived with his own theories: the dog didn’t alert, the search was flawed, maybe there was a loophole. Ryan listened—really listened—and then called back after reviewing discovery.
Rather than chasing technicalities alone, Ryan offered a different path: radical ownership. Based on who Ian was—and could be—Ryan believed the best chance at protecting his future was to take responsibility, demonstrate change, and build a human story the court could see and believe.
Tough Love, Then Real Help
The first two months after the arrest were dark. Ian isolated. He ignored people who tried to help. “I was lost,” he says. That’s when Ryan drew a line.
“Alright, buddy,” Ryan told him. “It’s time. Go get the help you need.”
“Ryan was the only person who could cut through my denial,” Ian says. “He met me where I was and still gave me tough love.”
At Ryan’s urging, Ian completed an assessment and started outpatient substance use disorder treatment, paired with therapy. Though he had stopped using the day he was arrested—his sober date is September 29, 2023—treatment helped him understand why he used. What began as a “legal defense strategy” became a life defense strategy.
“The fruits of recovery are unexplainably large and they grow exponentially with time,” Ian says. “Treatment and therapy showed me the layers of help I needed—spiritual, mental, physical—and I found a community that keeps me honest.”
He frames addiction as a disease with a simple (not easy) prescription: unity, service, and consistent daily practices for spiritual health, mental health, physical health, and community.
The Legal Strategy: Change You Can See
While Ian worked, Ryan worked too. He continued the case multiple times—not to delay for delay’s sake, but to document real progress and present the court with a story of transformation backed by consistent action.
After roughly a year and a half, Ryan negotiated a result that reflected that growth:
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The first-degree sale count was dismissed.
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The first-degree possession charge was reduced to first-degree attempted possession.
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Ian was facing a presumptive guideline sentence of about 80 months in prison. In addition to negotiating a lower charge of misdemeanor, Ryan was also able to convince the judge and prosecutor to grant a dispositional departure, which includes four years of unsupervised probation, and Ian did not have to serve any jail or prison time.
“It was a very favorable outcome,” Ian says. “But the greatest blessing is that, today, the probation terms don’t define me. The work I do every day does.”
Final verdict date: February 10, 2025.
Two-year sobriety milestone: late September 2025.
The Man After the Fall
On arrest day, Ian weighed 371 pounds, smoked two packs a day, and lived inside a self-protective ego. Today, he’s humble about the distance traveled. He’s rebuilt relationships—slowly, with accountability and action. “Trust isn’t something you earn once,” he says. “You earn it and keep earning it.”
He’s also channeling his recovery into service. Ian is laying the groundwork for a nonprofit that will walk with people post-arrest and pre-sentencing, helping them stabilize through those same four pillars he practices: spiritual, mental, physical, and community health.
“I didn’t believe it was possible to live happy, joyous, and free without substances. Now I know it is. I want to hand those tools to the next person.”
What Ryan Did Differently
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Saw the person, not just the case. From day one, Ryan treated Ian as a human being capable of change.
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Told the hard truth. He didn’t mirror what Ian wanted to hear; he earned trust by being honest.
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Prescribed action. Ryan didn’t just manage filings—he directed real-world steps (treatment, therapy, community) that changed the trajectory.
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Built a record of redemption. Continuances weren’t stalling tactics; they were a strategy to show, not tell, the court who Ian was becoming.
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Negotiated an outcome aligned with growth. The resolution honored accountability and created a path forward.
“I’m immensely grateful,” Ian says. “Ryan met me where I was, not as an authority figure, but as an understanding person who wanted what was best for me—and had the expertise to get me there.”
If You’re Where Ian Was
“Find someone who has what you want. Stop talking. Start listening. At my lowest, I felt the need to explain everything. But my ‘solutions’ came from a sick brain. The way out began when I listened to people who were living the way I wanted to live.”
The solution is simple, not easy. Take the next right step: ask for help, accept the plan, show your change daily. Over time, the record of your actions tells a story courts—and your loved ones—can believe.
A Note About Outcomes
Every case is unique. Results depend on facts, history, and choices made during the process. Nothing here guarantees a similar outcome. But the path Ian walked—honesty, treatment, accountability, community, and skilled counsel—is a road many can choose.
Ready to Start Your Own Turnaround?
If you or someone you love is facing serious charges, you need an advocate who will see you, tell you the truth, and fight strategically for your future.
Contact Ryan Pacyga Criminal Defense to talk confidentially about next steps. Your story isn’t over. It can be rewritten—one honest action at a time.