“Once a federally prosecuted defendant is sentenced, except in extremely unusual cases where a commutation (which makes a prisoner eligible for early release) or even a pardon (he is immediately released) is granted by the president, or where the defendant has provided the government with post-sentence cooperation after which his sentence can be lowered, albeit only based on the government’s motion, the ballgame is over for him in terms of his sentence.
“Unless the sentence was way out of bounds as to its length, or the judge took a serious misstep at sentencing and an appellate reversal is warranted, the defendant will have to serve the entire sentence (less roughly 15 percent for “good time”, for example, 8-1/2 of a 10 year sentence). There is no federal parole, period.“