SECTION 2255 MOTIONS GRANTED

GRANTED: On November 3, 2025, the court vacated Mr. Talsma’s 192-month sentence, agreeing that counsel was ineffective for failing to challenge an incorrect criminal-history calculation. See Talsma v. United States, 2025 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 216288. 2255 Motion Granted!

GRANTED: In United States v. Henry, 790 F. Supp. 3d 733, 736 (2025), the Court granted Mr. Henry’s 2255 motion, reversed his conviction, and set aside his guilty plea. The court agreed that counsel was ineffective for failing to adequately challenge the government’s lack of probable cause to search, handcuff, and arrest Mr. Henry. Conviction Reversed!

GRANTED: In United States v. Dung Bui, 795 F.3d 363, 364 (2025), Mr. Bui’s 10-year sentence was vacated on the claim that he would not have pleaded guilty but for counsel’s bad advice.

GRANTED: On March 03, 2025, after the district court denied Mr. Alfred’s § 2255 motion, the Federal Court of Appeals granted him a Certificate of Appealability (COA) on issues related to ineffective assistance of counsel, government misconduct, and errors by the trial court. See Alford v. United States, 2025 U.S. App. LEXIS 4897.

GRANTED: On May 01, 2025, after the Court of Appeals granted Drew's motion for authorization to file a second or successive § 2255 motion challenging his § 924(c) convictions, the court granted Drew's motion with respect to the § 924(c) claim because the Supreme Court's decisions in Taylor and Davis establish that attempted Hobbs Act robbery does not qualify as a "crime of violence" under § 924(c). Therefore, Drew's § 924(c) convictions are vacated. See In re Drew, 2025 U.S. App. LEXIS 10641

GRANTED: On March 19, 2025, the government and the district court both agreed with Mr. Johnson’s argument that his prior cocaine drug conviction under Texas state law was NOT a "serious drug felony," triggering a ten-year mandatory minimum sentence under 21 U.S.C. Section 841(b)(1)(B). See United States v. Johnson, 2025 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 50989. See also, United States v. Davis, 2024 U.S. App. LEXIS 28757 (Career Offender Vacated. Sentence reduced from 210 months to 96 months.)

GRANTED: On January 03, 2025, the district court granted Rose's 28 USCS § 2255 motion in part, finding ineffective assistance of counsel for failing to raise the suppression ruling on appeal. The court vacated Rose's sentence and reimposed it to allow him to appeal. See United States v. Rose, 124 F.4th 1101.

GRANTED: On February 21, 2025, the appellate court granted Rendelman authorization to file a successive § 2255 motion, finding that he satisfied the gatekeeping requirements by presenting a prima facie showing of a new rule of constitutional law made retroactive by the Supreme Court. See  In re Rendelman, 129 F.4th 248.

GRANTED: In United States v. Henry, 790 F. Supp. 3d 733, 736 (2025), the Court granted Mr. Henry’s 2255 motion, reversed his conviction, and set aside his guilty plea. The court agreed that counsel was ineffective for failing to adequately challenge the government’s lack of probable cause to search, handcuff, and arrest Mr. Henry. Conviction Reversed!

COA Granted. The district court erred by not holding an evidentiary hearing on Ground One of Mr. Cooney's 2255 motion. Appeal Granted! Cooney v. US, 2025 U.S. App. LEXIS 12579, *2

CAREER OFFENDER STATUS VACATED: The Court agreed with my client’s argument that prior counsel was ineffective for failing to argue that the defendant’s North Carolina drug conspiracy convictions did not qualify as “controlled substance offenses” for purposes of the career offender enhancement. CAREER OFFENSE STATUS VACATED! (See United States v. Williams, 2023 U.S. App. LEXIS 31274)

Hobbs Act Conspiracy - Three Armed Robberies - Firearm Sentence Reduced by 17-Years

United States v. Turnipseed, 2021 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 241336, Decided December 17, 2021, Dist. of South Carolina, CR No. 3:12-40-JFA. His case involved three armed robberies. In Alfred’s Motion for Compassionate Release, the central issue was that his 32-year sentence was excessively long because it included two “stacked” convictions under 18 U.S.C. § 924(c) for firearm offenses. Although the change in law eliminating mandatory stacking is not retroactive, courts may consider that non-retroactive change as an extraordinary and compelling reason to reduce a sentence. The Court agreed! Compassionate Release GRANTED!

Career Offender with Numerous Prior Felony Convictions GRANTED Immediate Compassionate Release!

United States v. Wilson, 2020 WL 5894193, (N.D. Iowa Oct. 5, 2020) (136 month sentence, major criminal history with numerous felonies, career offender.) Compassionate Release GRANTED!

United States v. Pape, 2020 WL 6042397, (D. Minn. Oct. 13, 2020) (Received 180 month sentence for being a felon in possession of firearm. Sentence enhanced as a career offender because of numerous prior convictions.) Compassionate Release GRANTED!

§ 2255 Motion Leads to 10-year Sentence Reduction... and Immediate Release from Prison for Brother and Sister!

Ornelas-Castro v. United States, 2021 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 54355, United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division, Judge Ed Kinkade (After completing Juan's Deep-Data Case Evaluation, Juan and his sister, Damarius Ornelas, I was hired to prepare both of their Sec. 2255 Motions. Yes! Both Juan and Damarius were entitled to relief under 28 U.S.C. § 2255 because we established that their kidnapping convictions do not qualify as “crimes of violence” under the firearm elements clause of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(3). As a result, each of their sentences was reduced by 10 years, leading to their immediate release from prison.

CLEMENCY PETITIONS GRANTED

GRANTED: On January 17, 2025, the President commuted the sentence for my client, DeAndre Lewis, who was originally sentenced for crimes involving murder, a murder for hire plot, drugs, and firearms. DeAndre's pro se Petition was strategically designed to show how, during his incarceration, he was transformed, rehabilitated, and ready to be a productive person in society. NOW RELEASED FROM PRISON. (See U.S. v. DeAndre Lewis, Case No. 3:98-CR-30022-NJR-3).

GRANTED: On January 21, 2025, my client, Khyre Holbert was Granted Clemency and released from prison after being sentenced to 240 months for distribution of drugs, use carry of a firearm, and for being a felon in possession of a firearm. See United States v Khyre Holbert, US Dist. Cout, Nebraska (8:17-cr-00189-RFR-MDN)

GRANTED: On January 17, 2025, my client, Josand Farmer received an Executive Grant of Clemency commuting his 280-month prison sentence for drug conspiracy and distribution charges. Josand prepared his Petition in Pro Se. See United States v Josand Farmer, US Dist. Court, Eastern Dist. NC (Case No. 5:10-cr-00271-FL-3).

GRANTED: On January 21, 2025, President Trump Granted Ross's Petition for a Pardon. Ross was sentenced to LIFE imprisonment after being convicted for Aiding and abetting distribution of drugs over internet; continuing criminal enterprise; computer hacking conspiracy; fraud with identification documents; money laundering conspiracy. See United States v. Ulbricht, 31 F. Supp. 3d 540 (S.D. N.Y. 2014).

GRANTED: On May 29, 2025, President Trump Granted Joe Sotelo an immediate release from federal prison after being sentenced to LIFE in prison for charges involving conspiracy, possession with intent to distribute one kilogram of cocaine, and aiding and abetting. See United States v. Sotelo, Northern District of Texas, No. 4:95-cr-05.

GRANTED: On May 29, 2025, President Trump Granted Edward Rubin Sotelo a Clemency from his life sentence for conspiracy; continuing criminal enterprise; possession with intent to distribute 1 kilogram of cocaine, aiding and abetting (two counts); use of telephone to facilitate commission of a felony (three counts); possession with intent to distribute 10 pounds of marijuana, and aiding and abetting; distribution of more than five kilograms of cocaine and aiding and abetting.

Huge International Drug Conspiracy-Granted Compassionate Release

United States v. Siavosh Henareh, 2021 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6855, S.D. NY (Mr. Golden prepared Mr. Henareh's Motion for Compassionate Release - after completing his Case Evaluation. Mr. Henareh was Granted Compassionate Release following his conviction for conspiracy to import some 400-pounds of heroin into the United States, in order to finance weapons purchases for Hezbollah—a foreign terrorist organization. Granted Compassionate Release!

Current Federal Sentence Reduced after Having Prior Criminal Convictions Expunged-Vacated-Erased

Clay v. United States, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 49023, (Movant successfully argued that Sec. 851 does not prevent him from returning to federal court for resentencing after he has had his state conviction vacated.)

United States v. Mobley, 96 Fed. Appx. 127, No. 03-6345, 2004 WL 914458 (4th Cir.) (Vacating denial of 2255 petition and remanding for resentencing where state conviction that was set aside after federal sentencing based upon constitutional invalidity of the guilty plea was "expunged" and should not have been included in calculating criminal history points)

Custis v. United States, 511 U.S. 485, 497, 114 S. Ct. 1732, 128 L. Ed. 2d 517, (Where a petitioner "is successful in attacking [his] state sentences, they may then apply for reopening of any federal sentence enhanced by the state sentences.)

Granted Compassionate Release Due to Defendant's Children in need of a guardian to care for them!

See, also... United States v. Fortson, 2020 WL 3963729, (S.D. Ind. July 13, 2020) (Cousin caretaker of defendant’s child doesn’t have legal status as guardian and has limited finances) GRANTED Compassionate Release!

Granted Compassionate Release Due to Defendants Family Circumstances!

United States v. Howell, 2020 WL 7260740, at *1 (D. Colo. Dec. 10, 2020) (Mother is 68 and suffers from dementia “and could use Mr. Bryant’s assistance in the home.) Compassionate Release GRANTED!

See, also... United States v. Morrison, 2020 WL 6806765, (D. Nev. Nov. 19, 2020) (Children, 15 and 16, have medical conditions, current caregiver is 60-year-old mother with bad back Compassionate Release GRANTED!

Granted Compassionate Release After Defendant Received Three-Life Sentences for Violent Offenses!

United States v. Rios, 2020 WL 7246440, (D. Conn. Dec. 8, 2020) (Life sentence for Latin Kings RICO involving murder. Factoring in Mr. Rios’s post-sentencing rehabilitation where he completed courses offered by the BOP and received minor disciplinary infractions while incarcerated.

Immediate Compassionate Release GRANTED!