Bill Miller alias fester0662 led a troubled background early in his space faring career. At the age of 17 he was picked up by a group of pirates and made a "deckhand" despite his request to be left alone. Eventually, the beatings made him realize he didn't have much choice then to be as the pirates appointed him. After a year the beatings lessened until he was treated as "one of the lads" and they began to show him the life of a pirate isn't as bad as he thought. In 3 years fester had aquired a few ships of his own and took on a solo career, mining more and raiding less until he became a straight industrialist and made a modest name for himself.
While his past is still there...he is allowed to travel and trade freely because of things he's done to help other factions.