USA v. Goncalves et al

United 	States 	District 	Court
District 	of Massachusetts
United 	States 	of America,
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v.
Edward Chapman,
Defendant .
GORTON, 	J.
Criminal 	Action No.
18-10468-NMG
MEMORANDUM 	& ORDER
Pending 	before 	the 	Court 	the 	Renewed 	Motion 	for
Compassionate 	Release 	pursuant 	to 	18 	U. S . C . 	§3582 	(Docket 	No .
1453) 	of 	defendant 	Edward 	Chapman 	(" Chapman " 	or 	" defendant " ) .
Defendant 	filed 	a 	similar 	motion 	in 	July , 	2022 , 	which 	was 	denied
without 	prejudice . 	Because 	the 	Court 	concludes 	that 	no
extraordinary 	and 	compelling 	reasons 	exist 	to 	justify 	his 	early
release , 	the 	motion 	will 	be 	denied .
I . 	Background
The 	background 	of 	Chapman ' s 	criminal 	history 	and 	sentencing
is 	described 	in 	the 	Court ' s 	first 	denial 	of 	compassionate
release 	(Docket 	No . 	1222) 	and 	need 	not 	be 	reiterated 	here .
In 	the 	pending 	motion , 	Chapman 	argues 	that 	several 	of 	the
medical 	issues 	cited 	in 	his 	original 	motion 	have 	not 	improved .
Specifically , 	he 	alleges 	that 	he 	has 	high 	blood 	pressure ,
diabetes , 	a 	heart 	condition , 	seizures 	and 	a 	metal 	foreign 	object
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inside 	his 	abdomen 	which 	the 	government 	refuses 	to 	remove .
These 	facts 	are 	substantially 	similar 	to 	those 	in 	his 	original
motion , 	albeit 	more 	severe 	due 	to 	the 	ongoing 	nature 	of 	the
purported 	ailments .
Furthermore , 	Chapman 	is 	now 	concerned 	about 	his 	eight - year -
old 	son 	who 	has 	been 	in 	the 	custody 	of 	a 	family 	friend . 	Chapman
contends 	that 	his 	compassionate 	release 	is 	now 	necessary 	because
his 	friend 	has 	recently 	relinquished 	her 	duties 	as 	the 	child ' s
primary 	caregiver .
The 	government 	opposes 	the 	motion . 	It 	argues 	that
Chapman ' s 	medical 	condition 	has 	remained 	unchanged 	since 	the
denial 	of 	his 	first 	motion 	for 	compassionate 	release 	and 	that
the 	motion 	does 	not 	warrant 	reconsideration . 	With 	respect 	to
the 	metal 	object 	in 	Cha p man ' s 	abdomen , 	the 	government 	asserts
that 	it 	is 	Chapman , 	rather 	than 	the 	government , 	who 	has 	impeded
further 	diagnostics 	and 	care .
II. 	Motion 	for 	Compassionate 	Release
A. Legal 	Standard
A court 	may 	reduce 	a 	defendant ' s 	term 	of 	imprisonment
pursuant 	to 	18 	U. S . C . 	§ 	3582(c) 	only 	if 	it 	finds 	that 	there 	are
" extraordinary 	and 	compelling 	reasons " 	warranting 	such 	a
reduction . 	18 	U. S . C . 	§3582 (c) (1) (A) (i) . 	Even 	if 	" extraordinary
and 	compelling 	reasons " 	exist , 	a 	court 	should 	only 	grant 	a
motion 	for 	release 	if 	it 	determines 	that 	the 	reduction 	is
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warranted 	under 	the 	particular 	circumstances 	of 	the 	case . 	See
United 	States 	v . 	Saccoccia , 	10 	F . 4th 	1 , 	4 	(1st 	Cir . 	2021) .
In 	2023 , 	after 	the 	Court 	ruled 	on 	Chapman ' s 	first 	§3582
motion , 	the 	United 	States 	Sentencing 	Commission 	(" the 	USSC " )
clarified 	the 	meaning 	of 	" extraordinary 	and 	compelling 	reasons "
within 	the 	context 	§3582 (c) (1) (A) (i) . 	As 	applicable 	to 	the
pending motion , 	the 	updated 	guidance 	outlines 	medical 	and
familial 	circumstances 	which 	qualify 	a 	defendant 	for 	relief
under 	the 	statute .
A. Application
i. 	Medical 	Circumstances
Defendant 	suggests 	that 	his 	medical 	circumstances 	qualify
as 	extraordinary 	and 	compelling 	under 	the 	new 	USSC 	guidance .
Specifically , 	the 	guidel i nes 	now 	provide 	the 	following 	as
circumstances 	which 	the 	Court 	should 	consider 	in 	applying
§3582(c) (1) (A) :
(C) 	The 	defendant 	is 	suffering 	from 	a 	medical
condition 	that 	requires 	long-term 	or
specialized 	medical 	care 	that 	is 	not 	being
provided and without 	which the 	defendant 	is 	at
risk 	of 	serious 	deterioration 	in 	heal th 	or
death .
(D) 	The 	defendant 	presents 	the 	following
circumstances-
( i) 	the 	defendant 	is 	housed 	at 	a
correctional 	facility 	affected 	or
at 	imminent 	risk of being affected by 	(I)
an 	ongoing 	outbreak 	of 	infectious
disease , 	or 	(II) 	an ongoing public health
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emergency 	declared 	by 	the 	appropriate
federa l , 	s t a t e , 	or 	local 	au t hority ;
(ii) 	due 	to 	personal 	health 	risk 	factors
and custodial 	status , 	the defendant 	is 	at
increased 	risk 	of 	suffering 	severe
medical 	complications 	or 	death 	as 	a
result 	of 	exposure 	to 	the 	ongoing
outbreak 	of 	infectious 	disease 	or 	the
ongoing 	public 	health 	emergency
described 	in 	clau s e 	(i) ; 	and
(iii) 	s u ch 	risk 	cannot 	be 	adequately
mitigated 	in 	a 	timely manner .
U. S . S . G. 	1B1 . 13(b) (1) . 	Chapman 	explains 	that 	1 ) 	the 	metal
object 	in 	his 	abdomen 	requires 	specialized 	t reatment 	which 	he 	is
n ot 	current l y 	receiving 	and 	2) 	his 	medical 	condition 	places 	him
at 	an 	increased 	risk 	of 	contracting 	COVID - 19 .
The 	Court 	concludes 	that 	the 	amended 	guidel i nes 	do 	not
alter 	the 	situation . 	Wi th 	respect 	to 	the 	metal 	foreign 	object ,
Chapman 	has 	made 	no 	showing 	that 	the 	government 	refuses 	to 	treat
his 	condition . 	Rather , 	his 	medical 	history 	indicates 	that 	he
has 	repeatedly 	refused 	t o 	follow 	the 	government ' s 	recommendation
f o r 	further 	test i ng 	or 	treatment . 	Chapman 	has 	also 	made 	no
sh o wing 	tha t 	FCI 	Edge f ield , 	where 	he 	is 	currently 	incarcerated ,
is 	the 	subject 	of 	any 	ongoing 	outbreak 	of 	an 	infectious 	disease
or 	public 	health 	emergency .
ii. 	Familial 	Circumstances
Next , 	Chapman 	portends 	that 	his 	release 	is 	warranted 	based
upon 	the 	need 	to 	become 	the 	primary 	caretake 	to 	his 	eight - year -
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old 	son. 	The 	guidelines 	state 	that 	the 	"death or 	incapacitation
of 	the 	caregiver 	of 	the 	defendant's 	minor 	child" 	may 	qualify as
an 	extraordinary 	and 	compelling 	reason 	for 	release, 	U.S.S . G.
1Bl.13(b) (3) (A), 	but 	that 	is 	unavailing. 	Chapman has 	made 	no
allegations 	that 	his 	son's 	caregiver has 	died 	or become
incapacitated, 	only 	that 	she 	has 	recanted 	her 	decision 	to 	care
for 	the 	child. 	With 	respect 	to 	his 	claim 	that 	he 	is 	the 	only
replacement 	caregiver, 	courts 	in 	this 	circuit 	have 	repeatedly
held 	that 	conclusory 	statements 	regarding 	familial 	circumstances
are 	insufficient 	to 	establish 	extraordinary and 	compelling
reasons 	for 	release. 	See, 	e.g., 	United 	States 	v . 	Hodges, 	No.
2 : 23-CR-00048-JAW-1 , 	2025 	WL 	1796098, 	at 	*8 	(D. 	Me . 	June 	30 ,
2025); 	United 	States 	v. 	Figueroa-Gibson, 	No. 	CR 	16-802 	(RAM),
2024 	WL 	376432, 	at 	*6 	(D . P . R. 	Jan . 	31, 	2024); 	United 	States 	V.
Cameron, 	No . 	1:13-CR-00001-JAW-1, 	2024 	WL 	5090191, 	at 	*15 	(D.
Me. 	Dec. 	12, 	2024). 	Further , 	documentation 	submitted by 	Chapman
indicates 	that 	"family 	is 	currently being vetted 	for 	potential
placement" 	of 	his 	son.
Furthermore, 	the 	Court 	notes 	that 	even 	if 	Chapman's 	medical
or 	familial 	circumstances 	rose 	to 	the 	level 	of 	extraordinary 	and
compelling, 	his 	criminal 	history 	counsels 	against 	early 	release.
Chapman's 	sentence 	reflects 	the 	severity and 	history 	of 	his 	drug
offenses, 	and 	any 	reduction 	in 	that 	sentence 	would 	fail 	to
account 	for 	the 	dangerous 	nature 	of 	those 	crimes.
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• 	l
ORDER
For 	the 	forgoing 	reasons , 	defendant ' s 	Renewed 	Motion 	for
Compassionate 	Release 	(Docket 	No . 	1453) 	is 	DENIED.
So 	ordered.
NatilllielM.Gton
Senior 	United 	States 	District 	Judge
Dated : 	February {/ , 	2026
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