Federal Forgery, Counterfeiting, and Copyright Sentences in the Western District of Louisiana, FY2016–2025
The U.S. Sentencing Commission counted 23 people sentenced for forgery, counterfeiting, or copyright offenses in the Western District of Louisiana in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. Of these, 19 (83%) received a prison term, with a median of 24 months (2 years). The median across all 94 federal districts
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 6 min read
Trends › Federal Prosecution Analysis › Federal Sentences in the Western District of Louisiana, FY20 › Forgery, Counterfeiting, and Copyright: Western District of Louisiana
In brief: The U.S. Sentencing Commission counted 23 people sentenced for forgery, counterfeiting, or copyright offenses in the Western District of Louisiana in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. Of these, 19 (83%) received a prison term, with a median of 24 months (2 years). The median across all 94 federal districts was 17.6 months.
This post uses the U.S. Sentencing Commission's records of 23 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.
Counterfeit Currency Led the Guidelines
Cases are placed in the Forgery/Counter/Copyright category by the Commission, using the primary guideline. §2B5.1 (Offenses Involving Counterfeit Bearer Obligations of the United States) was the primary guideline for 19 people. §2B5.3 (Criminal Infringement of Copyright or Trademark) was the primary guideline for 4.
These cases were less than 1% of the 3,011 people sentenced in this district in the period.
Prison Terms Compared With All Districts
Of the 23 people, 19 (83%) received a prison term, and 4 (17%) received probation only, with no prison or other confinement. Among those sent to prison, the median prison term was 24 months (2 years). A quarter received 36.5 months or more, and a quarter received 19 months or less.
In all districts, 1,994 people were sentenced in this category, 77% were sent to prison, and the median prison term was 17.6 months. The median here was higher. The median for all offenses in this district was 60 months.
Guideline Range Position
Of the 23 people with guideline information, 18 (78%) were sentenced within the range. Another 4 (17%) were below it without a government request, and 1 (4%) was below it at the government's request. 0 were above the range.
In all districts, 47% of sentences in this category were within the range. The share here was higher, and it was also higher than the 67% for all offenses in this district. A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 0 of the 23 people with that information recorded (0%).
Plea and Trial Results
Of the 23 people, 22 (96%) pleaded guilty, and 1 person was convicted after a trial. The median prison term after a guilty plea was 24 months. The 1 person convicted at trial and sent to prison received 36 months, and a single case cannot be compared with the plea group.
Among guilty pleas, 100% had a written plea agreement, and 0% were straight pleas with no agreement. In all districts, 98% pleaded guilty in this category.
Supervised Release, Fines, and Criminal History
Supervised release after prison was ordered for 19 people (83%), with a median term of 36 months. A fine was ordered for 2 (9%), and restitution for 8 (35%).
In criminal history, 26% were in the lowest category (category I), and 22% were in the highest (VI). Court-martial records have no criminal history field.
Small Yearly Counts
Fiscal years 2016 to 2019 account for 10 people, and fiscal years 2020 to 2025 account for 13. The table has no rows for fiscal years 2022 and 2024. The largest yearly count is 6, so the table does not show a trend.
The 2025 row shows a median of 0 months, and it rests on 1 person. Fiscal years begin October 1.
| Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 2 | n/a | 2 of 2 |
| 2017 | 3 | 24 months | 3 of 3 |
| 2018 | 3 | 30 months | 3 of 3 |
| 2019 | 2 | 29.5 months | 2 of 2 |
| 2020 | 5 | 37 months | 5 of 5 |
| 2021 | 1 | 24 months | 1 of 1 |
| 2023 | 6 | 20.5 months | 5 of 6 |
| 2025 | 1 | 0 months | 1 of 1 |
What Else to Know
Barksdale AFB and Fort Polk, both in Louisiana, are in this district. Court-martial cases from them are tried in military courts, not here.
The Commission data includes only people who were convicted and sentenced. Acquittals and dismissals are missing, and the records do not describe the facts of any case.
How We Counted
Everyone sentenced in federal court in the Western District of Louisiana (U.S. Sentencing Commission district label "Louisiana West") in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 whose offense type was "Forgery/Counter/Copyright" (23). 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 Western District of Louisiana, FY2016–2025 (overview)
- Federal Drug Trafficking Sentences in the Western District of Louisiana, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Firearms Sentences in the Western District of Louisiana, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Fraud, Theft, and Embezzlement Sentences in the Western District of Louisiana, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Immigration Offense Sentences in the Western District of Louisiana, 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.