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# Federal Drug Trafficking Sentences in the District of Nevada, FY2016–2025
- URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-trafficking-sentences-district-of-nevada/
- Published: 2026-11-04T11:08:43.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-04T11:08:43.000Z
- Description: In the District of Nevada, 51% of the 841 people sentenced for drug trafficking in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 received a sentence below the guideline range at the government's request. Across all 94 federal districts, 32% of sentences for this offense type were within the range. The median prison ter
- Author: Jocelyn C. Stewart
- Tags: Understanding Trends, Federal

[Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/) › [Federal Prosecution Analysis](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal/) › [Federal Sentences in the District of Nevada, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-district-district-of-nevada/) › Drug Trafficking: District of Nevada

**In brief:** In the District of Nevada, 51% of the 841 people sentenced for drug trafficking in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 received a sentence below the guideline range at the government's request. Across all 94 federal districts, 32% of sentences for this offense type were within the range. The median prison term was 60 months in both the district and the nation.

Updated November 4, 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 841 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/).

## Government Requests for Lower Sentences

Of the 840 people with guideline information, 432 (51%) were sentenced below the guideline range at the government's request. Another 209 (25%) were below the range without a request, and 195 (23%) were within the range. A total of 4 were above it.

For drug trafficking in all districts, 32% of sentences were within the range. In this district the share was lower. The records do not show why the government made a request in any case.

## Prison Terms and Mandatory Minimums

A total of 782 of the 841 people (93%) received a prison term, and 35 (4%) received probation only. In all districts, 96% went to prison.

The median prison term was 60 months, or 5 years, the same as the median for this offense type in all districts. A quarter of the people received 92 months or more, and a quarter received 32 months or less.

A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 536 people (64%).

## Pleas

A total of 830 of 841 people (99%) pleaded guilty, and 11 were convicted after a trial. Among those who pleaded guilty, 95% had a written plea agreement and 5% were straight pleas.

The median prison term was 60 months after a guilty plea and 104 months after a trial. The trial figure is based on 11 people.

## Drug Trafficking Within the District's Caseload

Drug trafficking cases were 23% of the 3,640 people sentenced in the district. The median prison term for all offenses in the district was 33 months, so drug trafficking cases carried longer terms than the district's cases overall.

"Drug Trafficking" is the offense type assigned by the U.S. Sentencing Commission. The primary guideline was §2D1.1 (Unlawful Manufacturing, Importing, Exporting, or Trafficking (Including Possession with Intent to Commit These Offenses)) for 834 people. A total of 6 people were sentenced under §2D1.2 (Drug Offenses Occurring Near Protected Locations or Involving Underage or Pregnant Individuals), and 1 under §2D1.10 (Endangering Human Life While Illegally Manufacturing a Controlled Substance).

## Supervised Release, Fines, and Criminal History

Supervised release followed prison for 781 people (93%), with a median term of 48 months. A fine was ordered for 21 (2%), and restitution for 2 (less than 1%).

On criminal history, 48% were in the lowest category, category I, and 11% were in the highest, category VI. Court-martial records have no criminal history field.

## Counts by Fiscal Year

Fiscal years 2016 to 2019 had 376 people, and fiscal years 2020 to 2025 had 465\. The table shows yearly counts from 35 to 112 and medians from 46 months to 75 months.

The fiscal year runs from October 1 to the following September. The records do not show why counts and medians changed from year to year.

| Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
| ----------- | ---------------- | ------------- | -------------- |
| 2016        | 93               | 48 months     | 99%            |
| 2017        | 94               | 47 months     | 98%            |
| 2018        | 91               | 54 months     | 99%            |
| 2019        | 98               | 63 months     | 99%            |
| 2020        | 77               | 46 months     | 99%            |
| 2021        | 79               | 60 months     | 99%            |
| 2022        | 95               | 72 months     | 99%            |
| 2023        | 112              | 64 months     | more than 99%  |
| 2024        | 67               | 60 months     | 99%            |
| 2025        | 35               | 75 months     | 97%            |

## Scope of the Records

Creech AFB and Nellis AFB are in this district. Courts-martial are tried in military courts, not in this federal district court, and nothing here links those installations to these cases.

The data covers only people who were convicted and sentenced, and prison terms are the terms 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 whose offense type was "Drug Trafficking" (841). 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)
- [Federal Sentences in the District of Nevada, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-district-district-of-nevada/) (overview)
- [Federal Firearms Sentences in the District of Nevada, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-firearms-sentences-district-of-nevada/) (same district, other offense type)
- [Federal Immigration Offense Sentences in the District of Nevada, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-immigration-sentences-district-of-nevada/) (same district, other offense type)
- [Federal Fraud, Theft, and Embezzlement Sentences in the District of Nevada, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-fraud-theft-embezzlement-sentences-district-of-nevada/) (same district, other offense type)
- [Federal Robbery Sentences in the District of Nevada, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-robbery-sentences-district-of-nevada/) (same district, other offense type)
- [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.