Federal Environmental Offense Sentences in the Middle District of Pennsylvania, FY2016–2025
Of 19 people sentenced for environmental offenses in the Middle District of Pennsylvania, 13 (68%) received probation only, and 6 (32%) received a prison term. The median prison term for those 6 was 12 months. The data for this offense type covers fiscal years 2018 to 2025.
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Trends › Federal Prosecution Analysis › Federal Sentences in the Middle District of Pennsylvania, FY › Environmental Offense: Middle District of Pennsylvania
In brief: Of 19 people sentenced for environmental offenses in the Middle District of Pennsylvania, 13 (68%) received probation only, and 6 (32%) received a prison term. The median prison term for those 6 was 12 months. The data for this offense type covers fiscal years 2018 to 2025.
This post uses the U.S. Sentencing Commission's records of 19 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.
Probation Was More Common Than Prison
The U.S. Sentencing Commission's offense type "Environmental" has 19 people in this district. Of these, 13 (68%) received probation only, with no prison or other confinement. The other 6 (32%) received a prison term.
Among those sent to prison, the median prison term was 12 months. A quarter received 21 months or more, and a quarter received 7.5 months or less. These are the terms imposed, not time served.
Comparison With All 94 Districts
Across all 94 federal districts, 1,638 people were sentenced under this offense type. In that group, 28% were sent to prison and the median prison term was 5 months. The share sent to prison was a little higher in this district, and the median prison term was higher.
Guilty pleas were 98% across all districts and 89% here. Sentences within the guideline range were 50% across all districts and 37% here.
Sentences Below the Guideline Range
Of the 19 people, 7 (37%) were sentenced within the guideline range. The largest group, 8 people (42%), was below the range at the government's request. Another 4 (21%) were below the range without a government request. None were above the range.
A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 0 of the 19 people.
Pleas and Trials
Of the 19, 17 (89%) pleaded guilty, and 2 were convicted after a trial. All of those who pleaded guilty (100%) had a written plea agreement.
The median prison term after a guilty plea was 9 months. After a trial it was 18 months, based on 2 people. That is too small a group to support a general comparison.
Which Guidelines Applied
The most common primary guideline was §2Q1.2 (Mishandling of Hazardous or Toxic Substances or Pesticides), with 11 people. 2 people each fell under §2Q2.1 (Offenses Involving Fish, Wildlife, and Plants) and §2Q1.3 (Mishandling of Other Environmental Pollutants).
Environmental cases were less than 1% of the 4,067 people sentenced in the district over the period. For all offenses in the district, the median prison term was 46 months.
Supervision, Fines, and Criminal History
Supervised release after prison was ordered for 6 people (32%), with a median term of 18 months. A fine was ordered for 6 (32%), and restitution for 2 (11%).
In criminal history, 89% were in the lowest category and 0% were in the highest. Court-martial records have no criminal history field.
Yearly Counts and Limits
Fiscal years 2016 to 2019 had 4 people, and fiscal years 2020 to 2025 had 15 people. Each year has from 1 to 6 people, so the table shows no trend. A median of "n/a" means too few people received prison to report one.
The data counts only people who were convicted and sentenced. Acquittals and dismissals are not in it. It does not describe the facts of any case.
| Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 1 | n/a | 1 of 1 |
| 2019 | 3 | 46 months | 3 of 3 |
| 2020 | 3 | 9 months | 3 of 3 |
| 2021 | 6 | 0 months | 6 of 6 |
| 2022 | 2 | n/a | 2 of 2 |
| 2023 | 3 | 18 months | 1 of 3 |
| 2025 | 1 | n/a | 1 of 1 |
How We Counted
Everyone sentenced in federal court in the Middle District of Pennsylvania (U.S. Sentencing Commission district label "Penn. Mid") in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 whose offense type was "Environmental" (19). 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 Middle District of Pennsylvania, FY2016–2025 (overview)
- Federal Drug Trafficking Sentences in the Middle District of Pennsylvania, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Immigration Offense Sentences in the Middle District of Pennsylvania, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Fraud, Theft, and Embezzlement Sentences in the Middle District of Pennsylvania, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Firearms Sentences in the Middle District of Pennsylvania, 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.