Under the Federal drug kingpin law[1], after certain thresholds[2] of business having been done, the minimum sentence is life. For example, the threshold for a life sentence for cocaine is 1500 kilograms, for LSD 300 grams. Doesn't matter if you were violent or not. No suspensed sentence, no probation, no parole (Pickard seems to have gotten an exception because of coronavirus like many others).

[1] https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/21/848

[2] https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/21/841#b_1_B

He got an exception because the government didn't want to pay for his medical treatment, expect these "compassionate exceptions" to happen more often

Mess them up, kick them out.