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# Federal Extortion and Racketeering Sentences in the Central District of California, FY2016–2025
- URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-extortion-racketeering-sentences-central-district-of-california/
- Published: 2026-11-04T10:36:53.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-04T10:36:53.000Z
- Description: In the Central District of California, 103 people were sentenced for extortion and racketeering offenses in fiscal years 2016 to 2025, and 90 (87%) received a prison term. The median prison term was 26.5 months (2.2 years), compared with 30 months for all 94 districts. Within-range sentences were 28
- 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 Central District of California, FY2](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-district-central-district-of-california/) › Extortion and Racketeering: Central District of California

**In brief:** In the Central District of California, 103 people were sentenced for extortion and racketeering offenses in fiscal years 2016 to 2025, and 90 (87%) received a prison term. The median prison term was 26.5 months (2.2 years), compared with 30 months for all 94 districts. Within-range sentences were 28%.

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 103 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/).

## Racketeering, Extortion, and Blackmail Guidelines

"Extortion/Racketeering" is the Sentencing Commission's offense category, and its cases are grouped by primary guideline. The most common was §2E1.1 (Unlawful Conduct Relating to Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations), with 47 people. Next was §2B3.2 (Extortion by Force or Threat of Injury or Serious Damage) with 31.

Others were §2B3.3 (Blackmail and Similar Forms of Extortion) with 11, and §2E1.4 (Use of Interstate Commerce Facilities in the Commission of Murder-For-Hire) with 2\. These cases were 1% of the 9,958 people sentenced in the district.

## Prison Terms

Of the 103 people, 90 (87%) received a prison term and 10 (10%) received probation only. The median prison term was 26.5 months. A quarter received 56.5 months or more, and a quarter received 12 months or less.

For all districts, 81% of 1,515 people were sent to prison, and the median was 30 months. For all offenses in this district, the median was 37 months. These are terms imposed, not time served.

## How Sentences Related to the Guideline Range

The guideline range is calculated under the federal Sentencing Guidelines. Of 103 people, 28% (29) were within the range. Another 36% (37) were below it without a government request, and 33% (34) were below it at the government's request. Above the range were 3% (3).

The within-range share was 36% for all districts and 29% for all offenses in this district. Here it was lower than the all-district share and about the same as the district's all-offense share.

## Pleas and Trials

Guilty pleas made up 97 of 103 cases (94%), and 6 people were convicted after a trial. The share was 95% for all districts and 95% for all offenses in this district.

The median prison term was 25 months after a guilty plea and 55.5 months after a trial. The trial figure is based on 6 people. Among the guilty pleas, 96% had a written plea agreement and 4% were straight pleas. A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 6 of the 103 people (6%).

## Criminal History, Supervised Release, and Restitution

On criminal history, 37% were in the lowest category and 30% in the highest, so the group had a wide spread of prior records. Court-martial records have no criminal history field.

Supervised release after prison was ordered for 91 people (88%), with a median term of 36 months. A fine was ordered for 4 (4%), and restitution for 7 (7%).

## Counts and Medians by Fiscal Year

The district sentenced 52 people in fiscal years 2016 to 2019 and 51 in fiscal years 2020 to 2025\. The fiscal year runs from October 1 through the end of September.

Yearly counts in the table range from 2 in 2025 to 17 in 2016 and 2020\. Yearly medians range from 13.9 months to 51 months. With so few people in most years, the records show no trend.

| Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
| ----------- | ---------------- | ------------- | -------------- |
| 2016        | 17               | 37.5 months   | 94%            |
| 2017        | 13               | 15 months     | 100%           |
| 2018        | 8                | 24 months     | 7 of 8         |
| 2019        | 14               | 21 months     | 100%           |
| 2020        | 17               | 27 months     | 88%            |
| 2021        | 9                | 24 months     | 9 of 9         |
| 2022        | 7                | 46 months     | 7 of 7         |
| 2023        | 10               | 51 months     | 80%            |
| 2024        | 6                | 13.9 months   | 6 of 6         |
| 2025        | 2                | 33 months     | 2 of 2         |

## What the Records Cannot Show

Only people who were convicted and sentenced are counted. Acquittals and dismissals are not in the data, and the conduct in each case is not described.

Courts-martial are tried in military courts, not in this federal district court. These figures are federal only.

### How We Counted

Everyone sentenced in federal court in the Central District of California (U.S. Sentencing Commission district label "California Central") in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 whose offense type was "Extortion/Racketeering" (103). 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 Central District of California, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-district-central-district-of-california/) (overview)
- [Federal Drug Trafficking Sentences in the Central District of California, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-trafficking-sentences-central-district-of-california/) (same district, other offense type)
- [Federal Fraud, Theft, and Embezzlement Sentences in the Central District of California, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-fraud-theft-embezzlement-sentences-central-district-of-california/) (same district, other offense type)
- [Federal Immigration Offense Sentences in the Central District of California, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-immigration-sentences-central-district-of-california/) (same district, other offense type)
- [Federal Firearms Sentences in the Central District of California, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-firearms-sentences-central-district-of-california/) (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.