United States v. Ugbah, No. 20-3073 (7th Cir. 2021)
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About halfway through his prison term for fraud, Ugbah sought compassionate release under 18 U.S.C. 3582(c)(1), claiming that his medical conditions (diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure) exposed him to higher risk of COVID-19 in prison. The Seventh CIrcuit affirmed the denial of relief. Although the district court bypassed determining whether Ugbah established “extraordinary and compelling reasons,” there was no need for a remand. The district court could not grant relief. Despite Ugbah’s good disciplinary record and the likelihood that he would be deported to Nigeria if released, he cannot establish “extraordinary and compelling reasons”; he was convicted of online fraud, which reaches around the globe. COVID-19 is no longer a scourge in prisons. The Bureau of Prisons offers vaccinations to all federal prisoners.
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