A man who spent 10 years in prison after being wrongfully convicted of robbery and burglary was given $496,712 during a hearing Friday in King County Superior Court.

"My plan is to just take it one step at a time," Seattle man Brandon Olebar said. Olebar is the first person to be freed through the Innocence Project Northwest, whose work helps to reverse wrongful convictions and to be awarded compensation through a law that was passed 2013.

The 31-year-old said he wanted to now concentrate on being a "family man," as he appeared in court with his wife, Melissa, and their daughter, Creation Redmoonhawk Olebar. He said he plans to use the money to find an apartment, pay bills and go back to school.

"I'm excited," he said after the court hearing. Olebar's case was awarded a total of $546,690, but $49,671 went directly to attorney fees. The remaining share for Olebar is tax free.

Superior Court Judge Laura Middaugh told Olebar to "have a good life," after approving the award.

IPNW began reviewing Olebar's case during a clinical-law program at the University of Washington Law School, when two students "developed a body of evidence" indicating that Olebar was not among the group who broke into his sister's boyfriend's apartment in February 2003, beating the man unconscious.

Following the break-in, the victim claimed that as many as eight people attacked him, during which he recognized Olebar's sister among the group. The victim later identified Olebar in a photo montage and he was charged with burglary and robbery.

Despite not matching earlier victim descriptions, a King County jury convicted Olebar based on eyewitness testimony and was sentenced to 16 and a half years in prison.

Two law students, Nikki Carsley and Kathleen Kline, interviewed three of the attackers who swore that Olebar was not among them that night, according to IPNW. After the evidence was brought to chief criminal deputy prosecutor Mark Larson, he and IPNW attorney Fernanda Torres collected more information and presented it to the King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg. The conviction was vacated and the charges were dismissed after Olebar had spent 3,626 days in prison.