Motion to Reduce Sentence, by Dana Buck. Responses due by 9/25/2023 — USA v. Buck (Dkt. 55, S.D. Ga.)

Record facts

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia · No. 4:22-cr-00065-RSB-CLR · Doc. 55 · 2023-09-11 · Docket on CourtListener

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TRULINCS 10895510 - BUCK, DARA - Unit: ALD-A-B
FROM; 10895510
SUBJECT:
DATE: 09/05/2023 07:31:42 PM
Case No: 4:CR2200065-1
Honorable Judge Baker
On May 11, 2023 my 19 year old cousin stole my daughters car and took 3 of his friends ana committed a murder. On May 13
my home was raided and my kids and aunt were all held at gun point while the officers searched for my cousin. My oldest
daughter did not report the crime the night she learned of it. She was more concerned with trying to protect her little sisters.
Now she is being threatened with a felony of failure to report a crime. She has a court appearance on September 21. It was
continued from the August 25 hearing to have time to hire an attorney.
On May 29 my 17 year old daughter left Arizona and moved home to be with her sisters due to my sentencing. She could not
move until she graduated high school on May 27. Her father is still collecting child support because I have not been able to
contact family court do to my incarceration.
My aunt is now and has been 100% disabled for several years. She does not drive and cannot walk on her own without a
walker. Her breast cancer is in remission and she continues to fight to stay healthy due to her immune systeni being
suppressed from chemo and radiation. She receives monthly treatments just to deal with pain daily from surviving breast
cancer. The incident that happened in May with my family almost caused my aunt to have a stroke.
My oldest daughter is just turning 21. She is not dead but having been raped for 4 continuous years of her life from the age of 8
causes severe depression at times and unclear thinking. She was not living in the home with us for 3 years prior to my
sentencing. My daughter moved home in January 2023 to be with her younger sisters due to my upcoming surrender. No
mother could ever expect a child to raise another child on their own. Being 21 does not make you an adult. My younger kids are
only 13 and 10. 1 did not have parents to raise me and I never expected to have this put on my kids like it is. The initial plan was
for my aunt to care for my girls with the help of my oldest daughter. No one expected my aunt's health conditions to get worse in
the time I have been gone. She is waiting for her doctor to prepare a letter explaining all of her conditions and why it is not safe
for her to continue fighting for her health while trying to raise young children.
I met my mother once in 2009 and have not spoken to or seen her again. I don't know if she is still living. I have not spoken to
my father since February 2023 after learning he is a child molester. My aunt took me as a baby and raised me to keep me safe.
I just learned this from my aunt prior to my surrender. He cannot be trusted to care for my daughters knowing that he could do
the same to them. My older children have already been raped as babies. I have a brother but we do not speak nor do we have
a relationship. Two of my nephews disclosed severe child abuse from my brother to me earlier this year. He is also a felon and I
cannot associate with him. I cannot allow anyone else to hurt my children.
I am the only parent that my children have. I am the only adult to care for them. The father of my younger 2 daughters is
currently serving time for raping my older children. He is scheduled to be released in March 2024. 1 would hate to think what he
could do to my children if he learns that I am not home to protect them if he does get released. The savage acts he corri^mitted
against them has already been enough. There has been enough abuse forced onto my children. There cannot be another man
raising my children to bring them anymore harm.
1 was forced to sign a plea deal without being given the opportunity to read, let alone, see a copy of my PSR. I requested a copy
on multiple occasions prior to signing it. I was told it was in my best interest to sign the deal to protect my family. Since my
surrender my attorney has refused all contact from me. I have called on hundreds of occasions and sent emails. He has not
even attempted a confidential call with me. After learning of the lies in my PRS after arriving to Camp. I would have never
signed it knowing now what was being reported.
The crime that I was accused of was in fact a victimless crime. I committed no murder or bodily harm to anyone. No person can
say that they were directly affected by my charge. To continue to force my children to be raised without a mother is a crime. I
am asking to be considered for compassionate release or home confinement for my children. I understand the prosecutor wants
to label me as a dangerous criminal, when in fact I am not. From the time I was questioned in August 2021 to the time I did self
surrender in April 2023, i was at home unsupervised with my children. I never had once incident prior to my surrender. I had
very little contact with my attorney because he did not feel I was a danger to anyone. In fact, I only saw my probation officer on
2 occasions prior to my surrender. I continued to work and take car of my children as always. I divorced the man that was
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