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# Federal Extortion and Racketeering Sentences in the Northern District of California, FY2016–2025
- URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-extortion-racketeering-sentences-northern-district-of-california/
- Published: 2026-11-04T11:08:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-04T11:08:00.000Z
- Description: In the Northern District of California, 40 people were sentenced for extortion and racketeering offenses in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. The median prison term was 37 months (3.1 years), compared with 30 months for this offense type in all 94 federal districts. Of the 40, 31 (78%) received a prison te
- 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 Northern District of California, FY](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-district-northern-district-of-california/) › Extortion and Racketeering: Northern District of California

**In brief:** In the Northern District of California, 40 people were sentenced for extortion and racketeering offenses in fiscal years 2016 to 2025\. The median prison term was 37 months (3.1 years), compared with 30 months for this offense type in all 94 federal districts. Of the 40, 31 (78%) received a prison term.

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 40 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/).

## Which Charges Make Up This Category?

"Extortion/Racketeering" is the U.S. Sentencing Commission's offense type. Each case is placed in the type that matches its primary guideline, so the category mixes several kinds of charges.

The most common guideline was §2E1.1 (Unlawful Conduct Relating to Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations), with 15 people. Next was §2B3.2 (Extortion by Force or Threat of Injury or Serious Damage), with 8, and §2E1.4 (Use of Interstate Commerce Facilities in the Commission of Murder-For-Hire), with 7.

Another 2 people were sentenced under §2E5.1 (Offering, Accepting, or Soliciting a Bribe or Gratuity Affecting the Operation of an Employee Welfare or Pension Benefit Plan).

## Prison Terms Compared With All Districts

A prison term went to 31 of the 40 people (78%). Probation only, with no prison or other confinement, went to 7 (18%).

Among those sent to prison, the median prison term was 37 months. A quarter received 72 months or more, and a quarter received 6.5 months or less. That spread is wide.

In all 94 districts, 1,515 people were sentenced in this category. In that group, 81% were sent to prison and the median prison term was 30 months. The district had a lower share sent to prison and a higher median.

## Pleas, Trials, and Mandatory Minimums

Of the 40 people, 37 (93%) pleaded guilty and 3 were convicted after a trial. Among guilty pleas, 97% had a written plea agreement and 3% were straight pleas with no agreement.

The median prison term after a guilty plea was 36 months. After a trial it was 96 months, based on only 2 people convicted at trial and sent to prison. The trial figure rests on a very small group.

A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 2 of the 40 people (5%).

## How Sentences Compared With the Guideline Range

Judges calculate a guideline range for each case. Within that range were 18% (7) of the 40 sentences.

A sentence below the range without a government request was given to 40% (16), and below the range at the government's request to 33% (13). A sentence above the range was given to 10% (4).

Nationally, 36% of sentences in this category were within the range. For all offenses in this district, the figure was 24%.

## Supervised Release, Fines, and Criminal History

Supervised release after prison was ordered for 29 people (73%), with a median term of 36 months. A fine was ordered for 8 (20%), and restitution for 9 (23%).

On criminal history, 73% were in the lowest category, category I, and 3% were in the highest, category VI. Court-martial records do not record criminal history.

## Yearly Counts Are Too Small to Show a Trend

The federal fiscal year begins October 1 and ends September 30\. The records show 25 people sentenced in fiscal years 2016 to 2019 and 15 in fiscal years 2020 to 2025.

Single years have between 1 and 10 people. The yearly medians range from 0 months to 81 months, so one year says little about the next.

These cases were less than 1% of the 4,531 people sentenced in the district. Acquittals and dismissals are outside this data, and each prison term shown is the term imposed, not the time served.

| Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
| ----------- | ---------------- | ------------- | -------------- |
| 2016        | 7                | 60 months     | 7 of 7         |
| 2017        | 5                | 50.5 months   | 5 of 5         |
| 2018        | 10               | 21 months     | 100%           |
| 2019        | 3                | 36 months     | 2 of 3         |
| 2020        | 1                | 0 months      | 1 of 1         |
| 2021        | 1                | 0 months      | 1 of 1         |
| 2022        | 2                | 81 months     | 2 of 2         |
| 2023        | 5                | 15 months     | 5 of 5         |
| 2024        | 5                | 72 months     | 3 of 5         |
| 2025        | 1                | 0 months      | 1 of 1         |

### How We Counted

Everyone sentenced in federal court in the Northern District of California (U.S. Sentencing Commission district label "California North") in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 whose offense type was "Extortion/Racketeering" (40). 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 Northern District of California, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-district-northern-district-of-california/) (overview)
- [Federal Drug Trafficking Sentences in the Northern District of California, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-trafficking-sentences-northern-district-of-california/) (same district, other offense type)
- [Federal Firearms Sentences in the Northern District of California, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-firearms-sentences-northern-district-of-california/) (same district, other offense type)
- [Federal Fraud, Theft, and Embezzlement Sentences in the Northern District of California, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-fraud-theft-embezzlement-sentences-northern-district-of-california/) (same district, other offense type)
- [Federal Immigration Offense Sentences in the Northern District of California, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-immigration-sentences-northern-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.