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# Federal Fraud, Theft, and Embezzlement Sentences in the Western District of Virginia, FY2016–2025
- URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-fraud-theft-embezzlement-sentences-western-district-of-virginia/
- Published: 2026-11-04T11:13:21.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-04T11:13:21.000Z
- Description: 334 people were sentenced for fraud, theft, or embezzlement in the Western District of Virginia in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. 230 (69%) received a prison term, with a median of 18 months, and 62 (19%) received probation only. In all 94 federal districts together, the median for this offense type was
- 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 Western District of Virginia, FY201](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-district-western-district-of-virginia/) › Fraud, Theft, and Embezzlement: Western District of Virginia

**In brief:** 334 people were sentenced for fraud, theft, or embezzlement in the Western District of Virginia in fiscal years 2016 to 2025\. 230 (69%) received a prison term, with a median of 18 months, and 62 (19%) received probation only. In all 94 federal districts together, the median for this offense type was 20 months.

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 334 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/).

## Restitution in Most Cases

Restitution, which is money ordered paid to victims, was ordered for 266 of the 334 people (80%). A fine was ordered for 52 (16%).

224 people (67%) were ordered to serve supervised release after prison, with a median term of 36 months.

## Prison and Probation

The 230 people sent to prison had a median prison term of 18 months. A quarter received 30 months or more, and a quarter received 8 months or less. For all offenses in this district, the median was 60 months.

In all districts, 73% of people in this offense type were sent to prison, compared with 69% here. The terms are those imposed, not time served.

| Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
| ----------- | ---------------- | ------------- | -------------- |
| 2016        | 36               | 24 months     | 83%            |
| 2017        | 37               | 20 months     | 92%            |
| 2018        | 27               | 21 months     | 89%            |
| 2019        | 28               | 7.5 months    | 96%            |
| 2020        | 26               | 12 months     | 96%            |
| 2021        | 47               | 21 months     | 100%           |
| 2022        | 58               | 24 months     | 97%            |
| 2023        | 21               | 7.5 months    | 90%            |
| 2024        | 12               | 15 months     | 92%            |
| 2025        | 42               | 18 months     | 98%            |

## Guilty Pleas and 20 Trial Convictions

314 people (94%) pleaded guilty, and 20 were convicted after a trial. The median prison term was 18 months after a guilty plea and 33 months after a trial. The trial figure is based on 20 people.

Among the guilty pleas, 94% had a written plea agreement, and 6% were straight pleas. In all districts, 96% of people in this offense type pleaded guilty.

## Within or Below the Range

178 of 333 sentences (53%) were within the guideline range. 48 (14%) were below it at the government's request, and 89 (27%) were below it without that request. 18 (5%) were above it.

For this offense type in all districts, 45% were within the range. For all offenses in this district, the figure was 40%.

## Guidelines and Defendant Records

These cases were 13% of the 2,529 people sentenced in the district. The most common primary guideline was §2B1.1 (Larceny, Embezzlement, and Other Forms of Theft), with 326 people. §2X1.1 (Attempt, Solicitation, or Conspiracy (Not Covered by a Specific Offense Guideline)) applied to 1.

A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 41 of the 333 people with that information recorded (12%). 57% were in the lowest criminal history category, category I, and 11% were in the highest, category VI.

## Trends and Limits

Fiscal years 2016 to 2019 account for 128 people, and fiscal years 2020 to 2025 account for 206\. Yearly counts range from 12 to 58\. The medians in the table go from 7.5 months in fiscal years 2019 and 2023 to 24 months in fiscal years 2016 and 2022.

Fiscal year 2022 has the most people in the table, 58, and fiscal year 2024 has the fewest, 12\. The records do not explain the differences in counts or medians.

The records do not show the amount of money lost or who the victims were. They also leave out anyone who was acquitted or whose charges were dismissed.

### How We Counted

Everyone sentenced in federal court in the Western District of Virginia (U.S. Sentencing Commission district label "Virginia West") in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 whose offense type was "Fraud/Theft/Embezzlement" (334). 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 Western District of Virginia, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-district-western-district-of-virginia/) (overview)
- [Federal Drug Trafficking Sentences in the Western District of Virginia, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-trafficking-sentences-western-district-of-virginia/) (same district, other offense type)
- [Federal Firearms Sentences in the Western District of Virginia, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-firearms-sentences-western-district-of-virginia/) (same district, other offense type)
- [Federal Immigration Offense Sentences in the Western District of Virginia, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-immigration-sentences-western-district-of-virginia/) (same district, other offense type)
- [Federal Tax Offense Sentences in the Western District of Virginia, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-tax-sentences-western-district-of-virginia/) (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.