No, I need to correct myself. Federal Parole was abolished 20 years ago, so he would have been sentenced under the present setup.
Back to the drawing board.
Hmmm
There must be an obscure statute we don't know anything about.
In 1990, former Panamian dictator Manuel Noriega was sentenced in federal court in Florida to 30 years in prison for drug smuggling. Because his crimes pre-dated 1987, he wasn't sentenced under federal guidelines but was given a sentence that included release on parole. He was denied parole twice, and requested another consideration. Under the old parole guidelines, Noriega can be made to serve 20 of his 30 years. However, the parole commission, in its discretion, can grant him early release