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# Federal Sentences in the District of Nevada, FY2016–2025
- URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-district-district-of-nevada/
- Published: 2026-11-03T06:11:33.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-03T06:11:33.000Z
- Description: Firearms was the most common offense type in the District of Nevada, with 857 of the 3,640 people sentenced in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 (24%). Drug trafficking accounted for 841 (23%). The median prison term in the district was 33 months (2.8 years), compared with 24 months for all 94 federal distr
- Author: Jocelyn C. Stewart
- Tags: Understanding Trends, Federal

[Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/) › [Federal Prosecution Analysis](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal/) › District of Nevada

**In brief:** Firearms was the most common offense type in the District of Nevada, with 857 of the 3,640 people sentenced in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 (24%). Drug trafficking accounted for 841 (23%). The median prison term in the district was 33 months (2.8 years), compared with 24 months for all 94 federal districts. People convicted at trial had a median prison term of 120 months.

Updated November 3, 2026 · Sources: U.S. Sentencing Commission and Federal Judicial Center, fiscal years 2016–2025

This post uses the U.S. Sentencing Commission's records of 3,640 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](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal/) series, which builds on [Military Moves Toward Sentencing Guidelines to Mirror the Federal System](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/military-sentencing-guidelines-federal-system/). How the numbers were built: [How the Federal Comparison Data Was Built](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-data-methodology/).

## Firearms Cases Narrowly Led the District

Nevada sentenced 857 people for firearms offenses and 841 for drug trafficking. The firearms median prison term was 30 months, and the drug trafficking median was 60 months.

Immigration came next, with 622 people (17%), with a median term of 9 months. Fraud, theft, and embezzlement followed with 419 (12%).

Robbery accounted for 215 people (6%) and had a median term of 84 months. Child pornography (images of child exploitation) accounted for 173 (5%), with a median of 78 months. Sexual abuse cases were fewer, at 69, with a median of 153 months.

| Offense type             | People sentenced | Share of district | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
| ------------------------ | ---------------- | ----------------- | ------------- | -------------- |
| Firearms                 | 857              | 24%               | 30 months     | 98%            |
| Drug Trafficking         | 841              | 23%               | 60 months     | 99%            |
| Immigration              | 622              | 17%               | 9 months      | more than 99%  |
| Fraud/Theft/Embezzlement | 419              | 12%               | 24 months     | 96%            |
| Robbery                  | 215              | 6%                | 84 months     | 91%            |
| Child Pornography        | 173              | 5%                | 78 months     | 94%            |
| Money Laundering         | 81               | 2%                | 46 months     | 95%            |
| Sexual Abuse             | 69               | 2%                | 153 months    | 87%            |

## The Gap Between Plea and Trial Sentences

Of the 3,640 people, 3,509 (96%) pleaded guilty. The national rate was 97%. 131 people were convicted after a trial.

The median prison term after a guilty plea was 31.8 months. After a trial, the median was 120 months, based on 128 people convicted at trial and sent to prison.

People who go to trial often face different charges from those who plead, so the figures compare groups, not identical cases. 87% of guilty pleas had a written plea agreement, and 13% were straight pleas with no agreement.

## Prison, Probation, and Life Terms

A prison term was ordered for 3,244 people (89%), lower than the 91% across all districts. Probation only, with no prison or other confinement, was ordered for 267 (7%).

A quarter of those sent to prison received 70 months or more. A quarter received 12 months or less. 7 people received a life sentence.

A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 926 people (26%).

## Supervised Release for Life

Supervised release follows a prison term and places the person under court supervision. In Nevada, 3,174 people (87%) received it, with a median term of 36 months.

Supervised release for life was ordered for 146 people (4%). Restitution was ordered for 820 people (23%), and a fine for 119 (3%).

## How Sentences Compared With the Guidelines

Guideline information was recorded for 3,625 people. 1,579 of them (44%) were sentenced below the range at the government's request.

Within-range sentences were 1,202 (33%), lower than the 48% for all districts. 774 (21%) were below the range without a government request, and 70 (2%) were above it.

## Criminal History and Changes Over Time

36% of people sentenced were in category I, the lowest criminal history category. 13% were in category VI, the highest. Court-martial records have no criminal history field.

Nevada sentenced 1,826 people in fiscal years 2016 to 2019 and 1,814 in fiscal years 2020 to 2025\. The yearly count was 401 in 2016 and 202 in 2025\. Federal fiscal years start in October.

| Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
| ----------- | ---------------- | ------------- | -------------- |
| 2016        | 401              | 41 months     | 95%            |
| 2017        | 485              | 30 months     | 96%            |
| 2018        | 458              | 32.5 months   | 96%            |
| 2019        | 482              | 36 months     | 97%            |
| 2020        | 293              | 24 months     | 96%            |
| 2021        | 299              | 30 months     | 98%            |
| 2022        | 387              | 37 months     | 97%            |
| 2023        | 362              | 36 months     | 97%            |
| 2024        | 271              | 36 months     | 97%            |
| 2025        | 202              | 30 months     | 95%            |

## Air Force Bases and Gaps in the Record

Creech AFB and Nellis AFB are in this district and appear in this site's court-martial data. Courts-martial are tried in military courts, not in this federal district court.

The Sentencing Commission data leaves out acquittals and dismissals, since it counts only people sentenced. It reports the prison terms judges imposed, not time served.

### How We Counted

Everyone sentenced in federal court in the District of Nevada (U.S. Sentencing Commission district label "Nevada") in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 (3,640). 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.

**Mandatory minimum sentences.** Many federal statutes on drugs, images of child exploitation, child sex abuse, and firearms carry mandatory minimum prison terms. The UCMJ has mandatory minimums only for a few offenses (a dishonorable discharge or dismissal for rape and sexual assault, and life for premeditated murder). Federal sentences for these offenses are partly set by Congress, not by the judge.

## Related Analysis

- [Military Moves Toward Sentencing Guidelines to Mirror the Federal System](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/military-sentencing-guidelines-federal-system/) (the background article)
- [Federal Prosecution Analysis](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal/) (all federal posts)
- [How the Federal Comparison Data Was Built](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-data-methodology/) (sources and method)
- [Drug Possession: Courts-Martial at Nellis AFB vs. Federal Court in the District of Nevada](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-possession-nellis-afb-vs-district-of-nevada/) (installation comparison)
- [Drug Use: Courts-Martial at Nellis AFB vs. Federal Court in the District of Nevada](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-use-nellis-afb-vs-district-of-nevada/) (installation comparison)
- [Drug Distribution: Courts-Martial at Nellis AFB vs. Federal Court in the District of Nevada](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-distribution-nellis-afb-vs-district-of-nevada/) (installation comparison)
- [How Often Federal Judges Sentence Outside the Guideline Range](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-sentences-outside-guideline-range/)
- [Mandatory Minimums: How Many Federal Sentences Are Set by Congress](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-mandatory-minimum-sentences/)
- [U.S. Sentencing Commission, Individual Offender Datafiles](https://www.ussc.gov/research/datafiles/commission-datafiles?ref=bodiesburied.com) (source)
- [Federal Judicial Center, Integrated Database (criminal defendants)](https://www.fjc.gov/research/idb?ref=bodiesburied.com) (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](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/?ref=bodiesburied.com). This analysis is for education and information only. It is not legal advice, and every case is different.