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# Federal Forgery, Counterfeiting, and Copyright Sentences in the District of Maryland, FY2016–2025
- URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-forgery-counter-copyright-sentences-district-of-maryland/
- Published: 2026-11-04T11:01:53.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-04T11:01:53.000Z
- Description: In fiscal years 2016 to 2025, 12 people in the District of Maryland were sentenced for forgery, counterfeiting, and copyright offenses. Only 6 (50%) received a prison term, compared with 77% of 1,994 people for this offense type in all 94 federal districts.
- 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 Maryland, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-district-district-of-maryland/) › Forgery, Counterfeiting, and Copyright: District of Maryland

**In brief:** In fiscal years 2016 to 2025, 12 people in the District of Maryland were sentenced for forgery, counterfeiting, and copyright offenses. Only 6 (50%) received a prison term, compared with 77% of 1,994 people for this offense type in all 94 federal districts.

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 12 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/).

## A Lower Share Received Prison Than Nationwide

Of the 12 people, 6 (50%) received a prison term and 3 (25%) received probation only. The median prison term for those sent to prison was 30.5 months (2.5 years). A quarter received 37 months or more, and a quarter received 17.2 months or less.

In all districts, the median prison term for this offense type was 17.6 months. For all offenses in the District of Maryland, it was 48 months. The prison median here is higher than the nationwide median for this offense type, but it rests on only 6 people.

## Counterfeit Currency and Copyright Cases

"Forgery/Counter/Copyright" is the U.S. Sentencing Commission's offense type. It is based on the primary guideline in each case. In this district, 8 cases used §2B5.1 (Offenses Involving Counterfeit Bearer Obligations of the United States), and 4 used §2B5.3 (Criminal Infringement of Copyright or Trademark).

These cases were less than 1% of the 6,044 people sentenced in the district.

## Pleas and Plea Agreements

All 12 people (100%) pleaded guilty, and every plea had a written plea agreement. No one was convicted after a trial. Across all districts, 98% pleaded guilty for this offense type.

Because the data includes only people who were convicted and sentenced, it does not show cases that were dismissed or ended in an acquittal.

## Guideline Range and Mandatory Minimums

The sentence was within the guideline range for 5 people (42%). It was below the range at the government's request for 3 (25%) and below it without a request for 4 (33%). None was above the range.

For this offense type in all districts, 47% were within the range. For all offenses in this district, 31% were. A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 0 of the 12 people.

## Restitution, Supervised Release, and Criminal History

Restitution was ordered for 10 people (83%), and a fine for 1 (8%). Supervised release after prison was ordered for 6 (50%), with a median term of 36 months.

In criminal history, 50% were in the lowest category and 25% in the highest (VI). Court-martial records have no criminal history field.

## Years With Cases and Limits

Fiscal years 2016 to 2019 had 3 people, and fiscal years 2020 to 2025 had 9\. The table lists 4 fiscal years with cases, and none had more than 5 people. Medians are shown only for fiscal years 2021 and 2022, at 37 months and 24 months. These counts are too small to show a trend.

Fort Meade and Joint Base Andrews are in this district, but courts-martial are tried in military courts, not in this federal court. The records report terms imposed, not time served, and cannot show the facts of any case.

| Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
| ----------- | ---------------- | ------------- | -------------- |
| 2016        | 2                | n/a           | 2 of 2         |
| 2017        | 1                | n/a           | 1 of 1         |
| 2021        | 5                | 37 months     | 5 of 5         |
| 2022        | 4                | 24 months     | 4 of 4         |

### How We Counted

Everyone sentenced in federal court in the District of Maryland (U.S. Sentencing Commission district label "Maryland") in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 whose offense type was "Forgery/Counter/Copyright" (12). 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](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 Maryland, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-district-district-of-maryland/) (overview)
- [Federal Drug Trafficking Sentences in the District of Maryland, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-trafficking-sentences-district-of-maryland/) (same district, other offense type)
- [Federal Firearms Sentences in the District of Maryland, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-firearms-sentences-district-of-maryland/) (same district, other offense type)
- [Federal Fraud, Theft, and Embezzlement Sentences in the District of Maryland, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-fraud-theft-embezzlement-sentences-district-of-maryland/) (same district, other offense type)
- [Federal Immigration Offense Sentences in the District of Maryland, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-immigration-sentences-district-of-maryland/) (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.