Prisoner Loses Bid for First Step Act Relief on Firearm Counts

An Indiana man serving a life sentence for firearms counts related to conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine can’t invoke the First Step Act to reduce his time on those convictions.

William Curtis argued that the US District Court for the Northern District of Indiana erred when it reduced his sentences for three drug conspiracy counts but ruled that resentencing on the firearms counts wasn’t authorized because they aren’t covered offenses under the First Step Act and couldn’t be “grouped” with a covered offense. The federal sentencing guidelines require that “counts involving substantially the same harm shall be grouped together into ...