Federal Forgery, Counterfeiting, and Copyright Sentences in the Northern District of California, FY2016–2025
In fiscal years 2016 to 2025, 29 people were sentenced in the Northern District of California for forgery, counterfeiting, and copyright offenses. The median prison term was 16.8 months, close to the 17.6 months for this offense type in all 94 federal districts. Only 14% of the sentences were within
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In brief: In fiscal years 2016 to 2025, 29 people were sentenced in the Northern District of California for forgery, counterfeiting, and copyright offenses. The median prison term was 16.8 months, close to the 17.6 months for this offense type in all 94 federal districts. Only 14% of the sentences were within the guideline range, compared with 47% nationally.
This post uses the U.S. Sentencing Commission's records of 29 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.
Which Guidelines Cover These Cases?
"Forgery/Counter/Copyright" is the name of the U.S. Sentencing Commission's offense type. The Commission assigns the type, and it covers several federal crimes.
The largest group, 19 people, was sentenced under §2B5.3 (Criminal Infringement of Copyright or Trademark). Another 7 were sentenced under §2B5.1 (Offenses Involving Counterfeit Bearer Obligations of the United States).
A further 3 people were sentenced under §2X1.1 (Attempt, Solicitation, or Conspiracy (Not Covered by a Specific Offense Guideline)). In this district, copyright and trademark cases are therefore most of the category.
Prison Terms Were Close to the National Figure
A prison term was given to 21 of the 29 people (72%). Probation only, with no prison or other confinement, was given to 5 (17%).
Among those sent to prison, the median was 16.8 months. A quarter received 32 months or more, and a quarter received 4 months or less.
In all 94 districts, 1,994 people were sentenced in this category. Of those, 77% were sent to prison and the median prison term was 17.6 months.
Below-Range Sentences Were Common
Judges calculate a guideline range in each case. Within that range were 14% (4) of the 29 sentences.
Sentences below the range at the government's request were 45% (13), and below the range without a government request 41% (12). None was above the range.
For forgery, counterfeiting, and copyright cases across all districts, 47% of sentences were within the range. For all offenses in this district, the figure was 24%.
Guilty Pleas and Trial Cases
Of the 29 people, 27 (93%) pleaded guilty and 2 were convicted after a trial. Among guilty pleas, 93% had a written plea agreement and 4% were straight pleas with no agreement.
The median prison term after a guilty plea was 13 months. After a trial it was 56 months, based on 2 people. That is a very small group, and the records cannot show what differed between the trial cases and the plea cases.
Release Terms, Fines, and Restitution
Supervised release after prison was ordered for 20 people (69%), and the median term was 36 months. A fine was ordered for 4 (14%), and restitution for 14 (48%).
No mandatory minimum prison term applied to any of the 29 people with that information recorded. On criminal history, 62% were in the lowest category, category I, and 14% were in the highest, category VI. Court-martial records do not record criminal history.
The Yearly Pattern Is Thin
The federal fiscal year begins October 1 and ends September 30. The records show 20 people sentenced in fiscal years 2016 to 2019 and 9 in fiscal years 2020 to 2025.
In the yearly table, 2016 has 7 people and 2017 has 10. Every later year has 1 or 2 people. The later medians range from 0 months to 37.5 months, and they are too few to describe a trend.
These cases were less than 1% of the 4,531 people sentenced in the district. Acquittals and dismissals are outside this data, and prison terms are the terms imposed.
| Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 7 | 14.9 months | 7 of 7 |
| 2017 | 10 | 25 months | 80% |
| 2018 | 2 | 20 months | 2 of 2 |
| 2019 | 1 | n/a | 1 of 1 |
| 2020 | 2 | 14 months | 2 of 2 |
| 2021 | 2 | 0 months | 2 of 2 |
| 2022 | 1 | 0.1 months | 1 of 1 |
| 2023 | 1 | 0 months | 1 of 1 |
| 2024 | 2 | 37.5 months | 2 of 2 |
| 2025 | 1 | 6.2 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 "Forgery/Counter/Copyright" (29). 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 Northern District of California, FY2016–2025 (overview)
- Federal Drug Trafficking Sentences in the Northern District of California, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Firearms Sentences in the Northern District of California, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Fraud, Theft, and Embezzlement Sentences in the Northern District of California, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Immigration Offense Sentences in the Northern District of California, 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.