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# Federal Drug Trafficking Sentences in the Eastern District of Wisconsin, FY2016–2025
- URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-trafficking-sentences-eastern-district-of-wisconsin/
- Published: 2026-11-04T11:16:29.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-04T11:16:29.000Z
- Description: In the Eastern District of Wisconsin, 1,042 people were sentenced for drug trafficking offenses in fiscal years 2016 to 2025, which is 36% of everyone sentenced in the district. Of these, 942 (90%) received a prison term, with a median of 60 months (5 years). Sentences within the guideline range wer
- 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 Eastern District of Wisconsin, FY20](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-district-eastern-district-of-wisconsin/) › Drug Trafficking: Eastern District of Wisconsin

**In brief:** In the Eastern District of Wisconsin, 1,042 people were sentenced for drug trafficking offenses in fiscal years 2016 to 2025, which is 36% of everyone sentenced in the district. Of these, 942 (90%) received a prison term, with a median of 60 months (5 years). Sentences within the guideline range were given to 12%.

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 1,042 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/).

## Few Sentences Were Within the Guideline Range

The guideline range is the sentence range the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines produce for a case. Within the range were 124 of 1,041 sentences (12%). Below the range without a government request were 475 (46%), and below the range at the government's request were 425 (41%). Above the range were 17 (2%).

For all 94 federal districts in this offense type, 32% of sentences were within the range. For all offenses in the Eastern District of Wisconsin, 17% were within the range.

## Prison and Probation

Of the 1,042 people, 942 (90%) received a prison term, and 85 (8%) received probation only, with no prison or other confinement. Across all districts, 96% were sent to prison.

The median prison term was 60 months. A quarter received 96 months or more, and a quarter received 24 months or less. 2 people received a life sentence. The national median was also 60 months, and the median for all offenses in this district was 48 months.

## Mandatory Minimums

A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 616 of the 1,040 people with that information recorded (59%). A mandatory minimum is a lowest sentence set by statute.

The records show whether a minimum applied. They do not show how it affected any one sentence.

## Pleas and Trials

A total of 1,028 people (99%) pleaded guilty, and 14 were convicted after a trial. Every guilty plea (100%) had a written plea agreement.

The median prison term after a guilty plea was 60 months. After a trial it was 170 months, based on 14 people. The records do not show how the trial cases differed from the pleas, so the medians do not measure the effect of a trial.

## Guidelines Used

Drug Trafficking is a U.S. Sentencing Commission offense type, assigned by the main guideline used at sentencing. The primary guideline was §2D1.1 (Unlawful Manufacturing, Importing, Exporting, or Trafficking (Including Possession with Intent to Commit These Offenses)) in 1,030 cases.

Other guidelines were §2X3.1 (Accessory After the Fact) with 2 cases and §2D1.2 (Drug Offenses Occurring Near Protected Locations or Involving Underage or Pregnant Individuals) with 1.

## Supervised Release and Criminal History

Supervised release after prison was ordered for 920 people (88%), with a median term of 48 months. A fine was ordered for 11 (1%), and restitution for 13 (1%).

By criminal history, 29% were in the lowest category, category I, and 22% were in the highest, category VI. Court-martial records have no criminal history field.

## Counts by Year

There were 367 people sentenced in fiscal years 2016 to 2019 and 675 in fiscal years 2020 to 2025\. The yearly counts in the table run from 62 to 149\. Yearly medians run from 36 months in fiscal year 2016 to 72 months in fiscal year 2019.

The records do not show why the counts or medians differ between years.

| Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
| ----------- | ---------------- | ------------- | -------------- |
| 2016        | 105              | 36 months     | 100%           |
| 2017        | 108              | 48 months     | more than 99%  |
| 2018        | 62               | 60 months     | 100%           |
| 2019        | 92               | 72 months     | 97%            |
| 2020        | 91               | 60 months     | 98%            |
| 2021        | 119              | 60 months     | 98%            |
| 2022        | 149              | 60 months     | 98%            |
| 2023        | 120              | 45 months     | 98%            |
| 2024        | 105              | 66 months     | more than 99%  |
| 2025        | 91               | 60 months     | 100%           |

## What the Records Cannot Show

The Commission counts only people who were convicted and sentenced. Acquittals and dismissals are not in the data. Prison terms are the terms imposed, not time served.

### How We Counted

Everyone sentenced in federal court in the Eastern District of Wisconsin (U.S. Sentencing Commission district label "Wisconsin East") in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 whose offense type was "Drug Trafficking" (1,042). 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 Eastern District of Wisconsin, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-district-eastern-district-of-wisconsin/) (overview)
- [Federal Firearms Sentences in the Eastern District of Wisconsin, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-firearms-sentences-eastern-district-of-wisconsin/) (same district, other offense type)
- [Federal Robbery Sentences in the Eastern District of Wisconsin, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-robbery-sentences-eastern-district-of-wisconsin/) (same district, other offense type)
- [Federal Fraud, Theft, and Embezzlement Sentences in the Eastern District of Wisconsin, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-fraud-theft-embezzlement-sentences-eastern-district-of-wisconsin/) (same district, other offense type)
- [Federal Child Pornography Sentences in the Eastern District of Wisconsin, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-child-pornography-sentences-eastern-district-of-wisconsin/) (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.