Federal Burglary and Trespass Sentences in the Northern District of Texas, FY2016–2025
Only 15 people were sentenced for burglary or trespass in the Northern District of Texas in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. 13 (87%) received a prison term, with a median of 13 months. All 15 (100%) pleaded guilty.
· Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 6 min read
Trends › Federal Prosecution Analysis › Federal Sentences in the Northern District of Texas, FY2016– › Burglary and Trespass: Northern District of Texas
In brief: Only 15 people were sentenced for burglary or trespass in the Northern District of Texas in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. 13 (87%) received a prison term, with a median of 13 months. All 15 (100%) pleaded guilty.
This post uses the U.S. Sentencing Commission's records of 15 people sentenced in federal court in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. Acquittals and dismissals come from a second source, the Federal Judicial Center's records of 753,808 federal defendants whose cases ended in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. It is part of the Federal Prosecution Analysis series, which builds on Military Moves Toward Sentencing Guidelines to Mirror the Federal System. How the numbers were built: How the Federal Comparison Data Was Built.
A Small Group of 15 People
The U.S. Sentencing Commission's "Burglary/Trespass" offense type had 15 people in this district over fiscal years 2016 to 2025. Cases of this type were less than 1% of the 14,591 people sentenced in the district.
Because the group is small, each person changes the percentages a great deal. The figures below describe these 15 people and should not be read as a pattern for the district.
Prison Terms
13 of the 15 (87%) were sentenced to prison, and 2 (13%) received probation only. Across all 94 districts, 80% were sent to prison.
The median prison term was 13 months. A quarter received 37 months or more, and a quarter received 10.8 months or less. Across all districts the median was 18 months, and for all offenses in this district it was 60 months.
Guideline Range and Mandatory Minimums
11 people (73%) were sentenced within the guideline range. 3 (20%) were below it at the government's request, and 1 (7%) was above it. No one was below the range without a government request (0%).
Across all districts, 63% were within the range. For all offenses in this district it was 62%. No mandatory minimum applied to any of the 15 people (0%).
One guideline dominated: §2B2.1 (Burglary of a Residence or a Structure Other than a Residence), as the primary guideline for 14 of the 15 people.
Pleas
All 15 people (100%) pleaded guilty, and none was convicted after a trial. Across all districts the rate was 97%, and for all offenses in this district it was 98%.
93% of the guilty pleas had a written plea agreement, and 7% were straight pleas with no agreement.
Release, Fines, and Criminal History
13 people (87%) were ordered to serve supervised release, with a median term of 36 months. A fine was ordered for 1 (7%) and restitution for 6 (40%).
For criminal history, 33% were in the lowest category and 27% in the highest. Court-martial records have no criminal history field, so there is no military comparison.
Years With Cases
The district had 3 people in fiscal years 2016 to 2019 and 12 in fiscal years 2020 to 2025. The table lists only years with recorded cases. Fiscal year 2025 had the most, with 6 people and a median of 14 months. Most other years had 1 or 2 people, so the medians there reflect individual sentences.
| Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 | 41 months | 1 of 1 |
| 2017 | 2 | 35.5 months | 2 of 2 |
| 2021 | 2 | 10 months | 2 of 2 |
| 2022 | 1 | 11 months | 1 of 1 |
| 2023 | 1 | 10.8 months | 1 of 1 |
| 2024 | 2 | 34 months | 2 of 2 |
| 2025 | 6 | 14 months | 6 of 6 |
What Is Missing From the Data
Only people convicted and sentenced are counted, so acquittals and dismissals are not included. Prison terms are the terms imposed, not the time served.
Courts-martial are tried in military courts and are not part of these federal numbers.
How We Counted
Everyone sentenced in federal court in the Northern District of Texas (U.S. Sentencing Commission district label "Texas North") in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 whose offense type was "Burglary/Trespass" (15). Offense types are the Commission's OFFGUIDE categories.
Federal fiscal years run from October 1 to September 30. No person, judge, or lawyer is identified in any of these records.
What to Keep in Mind
No parole in federal prison; credit for good conduct. Federal prison has no parole for crimes committed on or after November 1, 1987. A federal prisoner can earn up to 54 days of good conduct credit for each year of the sentence the judge imposed, which is about 15%. Some federal prisoners can also earn First Step Act time credits, but many offenses make a person ineligible. The numbers in this post are the sentences judges imposed, not the time people actually served.
Federal supervised release. Most federal prison sentences are followed by a term of supervised release that the judge sets as part of the sentence. A person who violates it can be sent back to prison. A court-martial cannot sentence anyone to supervision after release. Military parole and mandatory supervised release are decided later by a board, not by the judge at trial.
Who decides the sentence, and under what rules. Federal judges sentence every federal case. They must calculate the Sentencing Guidelines range, which is advisory, and must impose any mandatory minimum the statute requires unless an exception applies. In courts-martial, the accused could choose sentencing by members until the rules changed. For cases in which every guilty finding is for an offense committed after December 27, 2023, a military judge sentences alone, within sentencing parameters. Courts-martial tried in 2024 and later include both old-rule and new-rule cases, and the data cannot tell them apart.
Time periods. Federal numbers are by federal fiscal year (October 1 to September 30), based on the sentencing date. The military numbers are by trial date. Neither source has the date of the offense, so a change in law shows up in either data set gradually.
How life sentences and "time served" are counted. In the federal numbers, a life sentence is counted as 470 months, and any other sentence longer than 470 months is counted as just under 470 months. A sentence of "time served" is counted as one day (0.03 months). Averages are affected by these rules; medians much less.
Related Analysis
- Military Moves Toward Sentencing Guidelines to Mirror the Federal System (the background article)
- Federal Prosecution Analysis (all federal posts)
- How the Federal Comparison Data Was Built (sources and method)
- Federal Sentences in the Northern District of Texas, FY2016–2025 (overview)
- Federal Drug Trafficking Sentences in the Northern District of Texas, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Firearms Sentences in the Northern District of Texas, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Immigration Offense Sentences in the Northern District of Texas, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Fraud, Theft, and Embezzlement Sentences in the Northern District of Texas, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- U.S. Sentencing Commission, Individual Offender Datafiles (source)
- Federal Judicial Center, Integrated Database (criminal defendants) (source)
About the author. Jocelyn C. Stewart is a retired Army JAG with more than 24 years of trying courts-martial and more than 200 jury trials. She hosts Where All The Bodies Are Buried and runs the Law Office of Jocelyn C. Stewart. This analysis is for education and information only. It is not legal advice, and every case is different.