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# Federal Money Laundering Sentences in the Northern District of West Virginia, FY2016–2025
- URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-money-laundering-sentences-northern-district-of-west-virginia/
- Published: 2026-11-04T11:13:37.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-04T11:13:37.000Z
- Description: The U.S. Sentencing Commission counted 22 people sentenced for money laundering in the Northern District of West Virginia in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. The median prison term was 71 months (5.9 years), higher than the 40 months for this offense type across all 94 federal districts. In 59% of cases (
- 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 West Virginia,](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-district-northern-district-of-west-virginia/) › Money Laundering: Northern District of West Virginia

**In brief:** The U.S. Sentencing Commission counted 22 people sentenced for money laundering in the Northern District of West Virginia in fiscal years 2016 to 2025\. The median prison term was 71 months (5.9 years), higher than the 40 months for this offense type across all 94 federal districts. In 59% of cases (13 of 22), the sentence was within the guideline range.

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 22 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/).

## Median Prison Term Compared With All Districts

Among the 16 people sent to prison, the median prison term was 71 months (5.9 years). A quarter received 89.5 months or more, and a quarter received 49.8 months or less.

For money laundering across all 94 federal districts, the median prison term was 40 months. For all offenses in the Northern District of West Virginia, it was 37 months. The median here is higher than both figures.

The prison term counts only people who went to prison. In this district, 16 of the 22 people (73%) received a prison term, and 6 (27%) received probation only. Across all districts, 88% were sent to prison, so a smaller share went to prison here, but those who did received longer terms at the median.

## Sentences Within the Guideline Range

Of the 22 people, 13 (59%) were sentenced within the guideline range. Another 5 (23%) were sentenced below the range at the government's request, and 4 (18%) were sentenced below it without a government request. None were sentenced above the range.

Across all districts, only 25% of money laundering sentences were within the range. For all offenses in this district, the figure was 57%. Money laundering sentences here were within the range more often than the national group, and about as often as the district's cases overall.

## What the Offense Type Includes

"Money Laundering" is the Commission's category. It is assigned from the primary guideline used at sentencing. In this district, 20 cases used §2S1.1 (Laundering of Monetary Instruments). 2 cases used §2S1.3 (Structuring Transactions to Evade Reporting Requirements).

These cases were less than 1% of the 2,879 people sentenced in the district over the period. A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 2 of the 22 people (9%).

## Pleas and Plea Agreements

Of the 22 people, 21 (95%) pleaded guilty, and 1 was convicted after a trial. Across all districts, 93% pleaded guilty. For all offenses in this district, the rate was 98%.

Among the guilty pleas, 90% had a written plea agreement and 10% were straight pleas. The median prison term after a guilty plea was 70 months. The trial figure is 87 months, but it comes from 1 person and cannot be used for comparison.

## Supervised Release, Fines, and Restitution

Supervised release after prison was ordered for 16 people (73%), with a median term of 36 months. A fine was ordered for 2 people (9%), and restitution for 6 (27%).

In the criminal history records, 77% were in the lowest category, category I, and 0% were in the highest, category VI. Court-martial records have no criminal history field.

## Fiscal Year Detail

The district sentenced 9 people for money laundering in fiscal years 2016 to 2019 and 13 in fiscal years 2020 to 2025\. Several years have no recorded cases, and no year has more than 5 people.

Because the yearly groups are so small, the table below is not evidence of a trend. The median for 2025 is lower than most earlier years, but it rests on 3 people.

| Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
| ----------- | ---------------- | ------------- | -------------- |
| 2016        | 2                | 97 months     | 2 of 2         |
| 2017        | 5                | 97.5 months   | 5 of 5         |
| 2018        | 2                | 57 months     | 2 of 2         |
| 2020        | 5                | 72 months     | 5 of 5         |
| 2022        | 3                | 137.5 months  | 2 of 3         |
| 2023        | 1                | 46 months     | 1 of 1         |
| 2024        | 1                | 70 months     | 1 of 1         |
| 2025        | 3                | 18 months     | 3 of 3         |

## What Cannot Be Learned From These Records

The data covers only people who were convicted and sentenced, so acquittals and dismissals are not included. Prison terms are those imposed, not time served.

The records do not give the amount of money involved or the underlying offense, so they cannot explain why the median term is higher here.

### How We Counted

Everyone sentenced in federal court in the Northern District of West Virginia (U.S. Sentencing Commission district label "W Virginia North") in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 whose offense type was "Money Laundering" (22). 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 West Virginia, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-district-northern-district-of-west-virginia/) (overview)
- [Federal Drug Trafficking Sentences in the Northern District of West Virginia, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-trafficking-sentences-northern-district-of-west-virginia/) (same district, other offense type)
- [Federal Firearms Sentences in the Northern District of West Virginia, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-firearms-sentences-northern-district-of-west-virginia/) (same district, other offense type)
- [Federal Fraud, Theft, and Embezzlement Sentences in the Northern District of West Virginia, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-fraud-theft-embezzlement-sentences-northern-district-of-west-virginia/) (same district, other offense type)
- [Federal Prison Offense Sentences in the Northern District of West Virginia, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-prison-offenses-sentences-northern-district-of-west-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.