A Washington, D.C., federal judge has granted the compassionate release of Brynee Baylor, who appeared as a "friend" on the first season of The Real Housewives of Potomac after she had argued that her medical conditions were not being adequately managed in prison and that she is at risk of severe illness or death if she contracts COVID-19, according to Law 360.
U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras on Monday granted Brynee Baylor's third request for compassionate release, reducing the remainder of her 25-month prison term to time served. Baylor was sentenced in September 2019 for her role in a $2 million sham trading program. Judge Contreras ordered Baylor to begin her three-year probation when released, starting with 90 days of home confinement.
The following day, Judge Contreras also granted Baylor's request to travel to Los Angeles from Nov. 17 through Nov. 24 to work on a film called "Love on a Two Way Street," although he added eight days on to her home detention, which will now end Jan. 21, 2021.
In his Monday order, Judge Contreras pointed to an Oct. 8 memorandum opinion written by U.S. District Judge Ellen S. Huvelle, who said Baylor had adequately argued that she is not receiving suitable care for a chronic kidney condition and high blood pressure at the Federal Prison Camp Alderson in West Virginia.
Judge Huvelle said Baylor has been a model inmate, has an approved release plan and a full-time job when she is released from prison. The judge also said other courts have acknowledged that the pandemic increases the severity of any prison sentence, reports Law 360.
"It is undisputed that Ms. Baylor is a non-violent offender who would not be a danger to her community," Judge Huvelle wrote. "In addition, Ms. Baylor has now served almost 9 months in prison, approximately 40% of her sentence, and her projected release date is only a year away.
In March, U.S. District Judge Ellen S. Huvelle denied the first emergency motion Baylor filed, saying she had not exhausted all administrative remedies and only provided a 15-year-old medical report in her bid for home confinement. Baylor said in her second motion she addressed those issues and "respectfully moves a second time, based on the 'extraordinary and compelling reason' presented by her incurable chronic kidney disease (CKD) and high blood pressure, for compassionate release."
Baylor argued in both motions for release that she has kidney problems, which, along with her hypertension and the poor medical treatment she is receiving in custody, exposes her to infection.
In her second motion, Baylor provided medical records from her incarceration at Federal Prison Camp Alderson in West Virginia and other recent medical records, which she said confirm she has focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, a chronic kidney disease, and high blood pressure.
"The National Kidney Foundation and National Heart Association have conclusively determined that kidney conditions and blood pressure problems to be underlying medical conditions that put an individual at higher risk for severe illness if one were to contract COVID-19," Baylor said, according to
Law 360.
"The Centers for Disease Control have identified several factors that put individuals at higher risk for severe illness, including hypertension and chronic kidney disease," she added.
Baylor also said she has exhausted her administrative remedies because she wrote the warden at FPC Alderson on March 16 to officially request that the warden file a compassionate release motion on her behalf, but the request was denied April 8.
Baylor started serving her sentence in January and was scheduled for an October 26, 2021, release.
As previously reported, the former District of Columbia attorney was sentenced to prison on Thursday, September 12 in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia for operating a fraudulent trading program for investors and failing to file a tax return, according to The United States Department of Justice.
Baylor was sentenced to 25 months in prison for conspiracy and securities fraud, one year of prison (concurrent) for her other fraud convictions and for failure to file a tax return and pay taxes, three years of supervised release, and restitution to her victims in the amount of $2.2 million dollars.
Photo Credit: Bravo/NBCUniversal
![RHONJ Season 9 Premiere Recap: Wives And Dismeanors [Episode 1]](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuryYm2OGpHl0P8gYhEIK2gXgipI0kBY1ubYwWZqbTzF22CZIXMfw0nwxB_lOBLW0ry_9wqEw7UyJDinR0pQS_B7M_Bnwt_3I6LuH9RAjcWPytv6ToIghyphenhyphenf6w9q18q4BtA_YOdBgYeKng/w680/181022_3816506_The_RHONJ_Season_9_Taglines_Are_Here_.jpg)
