Jucutan’s request for early release opposed

The recent request of former U.S. Army Reserve Jordan Jucutan to be released early from his sentence due to his high risk of contracting COVID-19 is being opposed.

Assistant U.S Attorney Garth Backe opposed Jucutan’s request for early release because, for one, Jucutan is not housed at the main prison of the Federal Correctional Institution in Sheridan, Oregon. Rather, he is housed at the facility’s minimum security satellite camp.

“None of the defendant’s arguments address the specific conditions at SCP Sheridan, as opposed to FCI Sheridan. And the United States could not uncover a single case where an inmate was granted compassionate release from SCP Sheridan, as opposed to FCI Sheridan,” Backe said

Secondly, Backe said the U.S. government strenuously disputes the defendant’s characterization of the Bureau of Prisons’ ability to handle the present situation at FCI Sheridan.

“Contrary to the defendant’s representations, no staff members at FCI Sheridan have tested positive. Zero employees out of a total of 313 have tested positive for COVID-19. In fact, two of the four inmates who tested positive were actually at FDC Sheridan,” he said.

Lastly, Backe said the U.S. government opposes the motion because Jucutan is proposing to move from a location where there have been zero positive cases, SCP Sheridan, to a place where there have been close to 1,000, in Thurston County, Washington.

Jucutan, who is serving a 28-month prison sentence for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, claims he has an underlying medical condition, obesity and asthma, and a high risk of contracting COVID-19.

According to Saipan Tribune archives, Jucutan started serving his sentence on July 17, 2019 and with four months reduction for good time, he is scheduled to be released on July 11, 2021.

Jucutan was convicted on the charge of engaging in a scheme to defraud the U.S. government and obtaining money falsely by claiming he referred nominees or potential soldiers to enlist in the Army Reserve through the AR-RAP program and received $2,000 for every nominee that enlisted and went through the training.

Jucutan said he recruited a total of 38 nominees. He signed a sworn affidavit admitting he “stole” the personal information of four nominees, entered their information into the Docupak webpage and received $9,000 for the nominations. Dokupak runs the AR-RAP program.

On May 26, 2016, a federal jury found Jucutan guilty of four counts of wire fraud and four counts of aggravated identity theft.