Federal Other Offense Sentences in the District of Massachusetts, FY2016–2025
In the District of Massachusetts, 18 people were sentenced in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 under the Sentencing Commission's catch-all offense type "Other." A total of 11 (61%) received a prison term, and the median prison term was 0 months. In all 94 districts, the median was 0.2 months.
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In brief: In the District of Massachusetts, 18 people were sentenced in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 under the Sentencing Commission's catch-all offense type "Other." A total of 11 (61%) received a prison term, and the median prison term was 0 months. In all 94 districts, the median was 0.2 months.
This post uses the U.S. Sentencing Commission's records of 18 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.
What "Other" Means Here
"Other" is a category set by the U.S. Sentencing Commission for cases that do not fit its named offense types. It is not one crime, so the numbers describe a mixed group.
The most common primary guideline was §2D2.2 (Acquiring a Controlled Substance by Forgery, Fraud, Deception, or Subterfuge), with 7 people. A group of 2 was under §2X5.2 (Class A Misdemeanors (Not Covered by Another Specific Offense Guideline)), and 2 were under §2A5.2 (Interference with Flight Crew Member or Flight Attendant). One was under §2D1.12 (Unlawful Possession, Manufacture, Distribution, Transportation, Exportation, or Importation of Prohibited Flask, Equipment, Chemical, Product, or Material).
Short or No Prison Time
Of the 18 people, 11 (61%) received a prison term, and 5 (28%) received probation only. Among those sent to prison, the median prison term was 0 months. A quarter received 2.6 months or more, and a quarter received 0 months or less.
In all 94 districts, 9,918 people were sentenced under this type, and 38% were sent to prison.
Comparison With the District's Other Cases
The median prison term for all offenses in this district was 30 months. These cases were less than 1% of the 4,847 people sentenced in the district.
Sentences Within the Guideline Range
Of the 17 people with the information, 10 (59%) were sentenced within the range. A total of 6 (35%) were below it at the government's request, and 1 (6%) was below it without a government request. None was above the range.
In all districts for this type, 90% were within the range. For all offenses in this district, 29% were. A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 0 of the 17 people.
Pleas and Release Terms
All 18 people (100%) pleaded guilty, and none was convicted after a trial. Among guilty pleas, 78% had a written plea agreement and 17% were straight pleas.
After prison, 8 people (44%) were ordered to serve supervised release, with a median term of 18 months. A fine was ordered for 5 people (28%), and restitution for 1 (6%). On criminal history, 94% were in the lowest category and 0% in the highest. Court-martial records have no criminal history field.
Yearly Counts
Fiscal years 2016 to 2019 had 10 people, and fiscal years 2020 to 2025 had 8. A fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30.
Years have between 1 and 5 people, and several years are missing from the table. Fiscal year 2016 had a median of 12 months, and most other years had medians of 3 months or less. Groups this small do not show a trend.
| Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 5 | 12 months | 5 of 5 |
| 2017 | 2 | 0 months | 2 of 2 |
| 2018 | 3 | 0 months | 3 of 3 |
| 2020 | 1 | n/a | 1 of 1 |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 months | 1 of 1 |
| 2023 | 3 | 3 months | 3 of 3 |
| 2024 | 1 | 3 months | 1 of 1 |
| 2025 | 2 | 1.1 months | 2 of 2 |
How We Counted
Everyone sentenced in federal court in the District of Massachusetts (U.S. Sentencing Commission district label "Massachusetts") in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 whose offense type was "Other" (18). 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 District of Massachusetts, FY2016–2025 (overview)
- Federal Drug Trafficking Sentences in the District of Massachusetts, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Fraud, Theft, and Embezzlement Sentences in the District of Massachusetts, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Immigration Offense Sentences in the District of Massachusetts, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Firearms Sentences in the District of Massachusetts, 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.