MEMORANDUM & ORDER Defendant Edward Byam (“Byam”), who is currently serving a sentence of 32 years and 1 day, moves for a reduction of his sentence pursuant to 18 U.S.C. §3582(c)(1)(A) (“§3582 Motion”).1 Over ten years ago, Byam, along with others, committed two armed robberies of two different Pay-O-Matic check cashing stores in Queens, New York. One robbery occurred in 2010 and the other in 2012. During the commission of each of the robberies, Byam brandished a firearm. Byam was charged with and convicted of two counts of Hobbs Act robbery and conspiracy to commit the same. Byam was also convicted of two counts of federal firearms offenses in violation of 18 U.S.C. §924(c)(1)(A)(ii) (“§924(c)”). Under the version of §924(c) in effect at the time, Byam’s conviction on multiple §924(c) charges arising out of the same indictment resulted in a “lengthy mandatory consecutive sentence[], an effect known as ‘stacking.’” United States v. Campbell, No. 20-4204-CR, 2022 WL 199954, at *1 (2d Cir. Jan. 24, 2022). This meant Byam faced a statutory minimum sentence of 32 years in prison for the two firearms convictions: seven years followed consecutively by 25 years. He also necessarily faced additional time for the Hobbs Act charges themselves. In 2014, Byam was sentenced to 32 years of incarceration. Specifically, the sentencing judge sentenced Byam to a period of incarceration of 32 years for the two stacked §924(c) charges and only one additional day for all three Hobbs Act-related charges. See Judgment as to Edward Byam, ECF 160. Byam was 22 years old when he committed the first robbery in 2010, 26 years old when he was sentenced, and has now served over 11 years of his sentence. On December 21, 2018, the President signed into law the First Step Act of 2018. Pub. L. No. 115-391 (the “First Step Act” or “FSA”). The First Step Act introduced two remarkable changes to federal criminal law. First, the FSA prospectively eliminated so-called “stacking” of §924(c) mandatory minimum sentences for second or consecutive §924(c) counts contained in the same indictment. See FSA §403, Pub. L. No. 115-391. Thus, had Byam been sentenced today, his two §924(c) charges would only accrue 14 years of mandatory sentence time.2 Second, the First Step Act “marked a sea change in the role of the sentencing judge” when it came to motions for compassionate release3 sought pursuant to 18 U.S.C. §3582(c) (“§3582″). United States v. Birkett, No. 90-CR-1063-24, 2023 WL 4274683, at *3 (E.D.N.Y. June 29, 2023). Prior to the enactment of the First Step Act, the federal Bureau of Prisons (“BOP”) held an “absolute gatekeeping authority” on compassionate release motions. United States v. Brooker, 976 F.3d 228, 233 (2d Cir. 2020). The First Step Act amended §3582 to allow defendants to apply directly to the district court for a sentence reduction given certain preconditions. Id. Byam has now moved for a sentence reduction pursuant to §3582 as amended by the First Step Act. He invokes, among other reasons, the FSA’s elimination of §924(c) stacking as an “extraordinary and compelling” reason to reduce his sentence. For the reasons that follow, the Court grants Byam’s §3582 Motion and reduces Byam’s sentence to 16 years. BACKGROUND4 A. Byam’s Background Byam was born Edward Theophilous Byam, III, on February 19, 1988, in Queens, New York. Presentence Report as to Edward Byam (“PSR”), ECF 131, 70. As reported in the PSR, Byam’s parents divorced when he was approximately five years old, and he was left with his mother who was “emotionally abusive and neglectful.” PSR
73-74. Byam completed high school and three years of college. PSR
