Federal National Defense Offense Sentences in the Southern District of Georgia, FY2016–2025
Only 10 people were sentenced for national defense offenses in the Southern District of Georgia, with fiscal years 2017 to 2025 represented. 8 (80%) received a prison term, and the median was 32 months (2.7 years). Across all 94 districts, 84% were sent to prison and the median was 24 months.
· Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 6 min read
Trends › Federal Prosecution Analysis › Federal Sentences in the Southern District of Georgia, FY201 › National Defense Offense: Southern District of Georgia
In brief: Only 10 people were sentenced for national defense offenses in the Southern District of Georgia, with fiscal years 2017 to 2025 represented. 8 (80%) received a prison term, and the median was 32 months (2.7 years). Across all 94 districts, 84% were sent to prison and the median was 24 months.
This post uses the U.S. Sentencing Commission's records of 10 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.
A Group of 10 People
The group is small. Percentages here describe 10 people, so each person counts as 10% of the group. The records do not support conclusions about patterns.
These cases were less than 1% of the 4,115 people sentenced in the district in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. Across all 94 districts, the Commission recorded 2,236 people in this offense type.
Export Control and Defense Information Guidelines
"National Defense" is the Commission's offense type, grouped by the primary sentencing guideline. §2M5.1 (Evasion of Export Controls) was listed for 4 people.
§2M3.3 (Transmitting National Defense Information) was listed for 2 people. §2M5.2 (Exportation of Arms, Munitions, or Military Equipment or Services Without Required Validated Export License) was also listed for 2.
Prison Terms
8 of the 10 people (80%) received a prison term, and 2 (20%) received probation only, with no prison or other confinement.
Among those sent to prison, the median prison term was 32 months. A quarter received 54 months or more, and a quarter received 28 months or less. For all offenses in this district, the median was 48 months.
The terms are those imposed, not time served.
| Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 1 | n/a | 1 of 1 |
| 2018 | 1 | 63 months | 1 of 1 |
| 2019 | 1 | n/a | 1 of 1 |
| 2020 | 1 | 28 months | 1 of 1 |
| 2021 | 1 | 28 months | 1 of 1 |
| 2022 | 3 | 51 months | 2 of 3 |
| 2024 | 1 | 28 months | 1 of 1 |
| 2025 | 1 | 36 months | 1 of 1 |
Below the Range at the Government's Request in 5 of 10 Cases
Below the range at the government's request were 50% of the cases (5 people). Within the range were 40% (4 people), and below the range without a government request were 10% (1 person). None was above the range.
For this offense type across all districts, 36% of sentences were within the range. For all offenses in this district, the figure was 71%.
Plea and Trial
9 of the 10 people (90%) pleaded guilty, and 1 was convicted after a trial. Across all districts, 97% pleaded guilty.
The median prison term after a guilty plea was 28 months. The person convicted at trial received 94 months. One case cannot support a comparison between pleas and trials.
Of the 9 guilty pleas, 8 had a written plea agreement and 1 was a straight plea with no agreement.
Other Sentence Terms
No mandatory minimum prison term applied to any of the 9 people with that information recorded (0 of 9).
Supervised release followed prison for 6 people (60%), with a median term of 36 months. A fine was ordered for 4 (40%), and restitution for 1 (10%).
All 10 people (100%) were in the lowest criminal history category I. Court-martial records have no criminal history field.
By Year and What Is Missing
Fiscal years 2016 to 2019 account for 3 people, and fiscal years 2020 to 2025 account for 7. Most years in the table have 1 person, and 2022 has 3. The medians for 2017 and 2019 are listed as n/a.
The records count only people who were convicted and sentenced, and they do not describe any case. Fort Gordon and Fort Stewart are in this district, but courts-martial are tried in military courts, not in this federal court.
How We Counted
Everyone sentenced in federal court in the Southern District of Georgia (U.S. Sentencing Commission district label "Georgia South") in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 whose offense type was "National Defense" (10). 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 Southern District of Georgia, FY2016–2025 (overview)
- Federal Drug Trafficking Sentences in the Southern District of Georgia, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Firearms Sentences in the Southern District of Georgia, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Other Offense Sentences in the Southern District of Georgia, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Fraud, Theft, and Embezzlement Sentences in the Southern District of Georgia, 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.