“The only thing that the government proved beyond a reasonable doubt,” says the man with a law degree from Washington University, “is that I was black.”

To be sure, he complained to the Senate Intelligence Committee about what he believed was a botched and ill-fated mission, after his reports to CIA higher-ups fell on deaf ears. And he had previously filed a discrimination lawsuit against the CIA which wasn’t allowed to go to trial for national security reasons.

Today, he’s back home, living in O’Fallon, Missouri, with his wife, Holly, their two cats, and a sense of freedom that he can’t yet put into words. As of Wednesday, he is no longer on probation, has no travel restrictions, doesn’t need to ask the federal government for permission for anything.

“I’m still adjusting,” Sterling says. “It’s been so long.”

Indeed, he’s been under a dark cloud of suspicion since he first sought redress for discrimination in 2000. Sterling filed a lawsuit in 2001, was fired shortly thereafter, and became one of numerous targets under the administration of President Barack Obama to be prosecuted for alleged leaks to the press.