USA v. Ballou

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF NEBRASKA
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff,
v.
RONALD LYNN BALLOU,
Defendant.
8:22CR234
ORDER
This matter is before the Court on defendant Ronald Lynn Ballou’s (“Ballou”) pro
se “Motion for Sentence Reduction Based upon New Amended Sentencing Guidelines”
(Filing No. 44). 	He also asks the Court to appoint counsel to help him supplement his
motion.
In support of his motion, Ballou states that in May of 2025, “the United States
Sentencing 	Commission 	amended 	the 	[United 	States 	Sentencing 	Guidelines
(“Guidelines”)] under [18 U.S.C. §] 922(g) to reflect sentencing disparities for defendants
charged with possession of firearms whose sentences does [sic] not reflect defendants [sic]
criminal history char[a]cteristics.” 	Ballou does not provide a specific amendment or
Guideline section to clarify the grounds for his request. 	He simply requests a sentence
reduction “in accordance with the [18 U.S.C. §] 3553 factors in his favor.”
The government opposes (Filing No. 46) Ballou’s motion. 	According to the
government, it made a good-faith effort “to determine if there were any amendments to the
Sentencing Guidelines or case law” that might affect Ballou’s sentence but found no “basis
for his argument.” To the contrary, the government maintains that the recent amendments
neither alter Ballou’s criminal-history calculation or Guidelines range nor otherwise
provide grounds for any reduction under the circumstances of Ballou’s case. 	The Court
agrees.
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Because Ballou has not identified a colorable basis to reduce his sentence, his
motion is denied.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
Dated this 13th day of January 2026.
BY THE COURT:
Robert F. Rossiter, Jr.
Chief United States District Judge
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