United States v. Denton, 3:11-cr-00054

Ricky Walter Denton was convicted by a jury of armed bank robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, receiving a 246-month sentence.
Denton has an extensive criminal history and was sentenced at the high end of the guideline range to protect the public and promote respect for the law.
Denton’s sentence runs consecutive to state sentences, but concurrent to another federal sentence.
Denton has made multiple post-sentencing motions, including for a new trial, sentence reduction, and compassionate release; all have been denied.
In this motion, Denton, proceeding pro se, sought compassionate release under 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(1)(A), citing changes in law, family circumstances, medical conditions, and his rehabilitation.
As of the decision, Denton is incarcerated at FCI Edgefield with a projected release date of May 5, 2030.

Issue	Plaintiff's Argument	Defendant's Argument	Held
Sentence Length Disparity	Sentence would be shorter under current law; entitled to release	Sentence was properly calculated under § 3553(a)	No gross disparity or change in law; argument denied
Family Circumstances	Multiple family members need his care	Not the only available caregiver	No extraordinary or compelling reason established
Medical Issues	Ongoing, worsening medical condition; inadequate care	Care is adequate, no substantial self-care issue	No evidence of inadequate care or compelling reason shown
Rehabilitation	Extensive educational/rehabilitative efforts warrant release	Rehabilitation alone insufficient	Does not justify release in light of criminal history and § 3553(a)

Dean v. United States, 581 U.S. 62 (2017) (district courts may consider mandatory minimums in crafting overall sentence)
Setser v. United States, 566 U.S. 231 (2012) (judges have discretion over concurrent vs. consecutive sentences under federal law)