Federal Robbery Sentences in the District of New Hampshire, FY2016–2025
65 people were sentenced for robbery in the District of New Hampshire in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. 98% received a prison term, with a median of 60 months. Across all 94 districts, the median prison term for robbery was 90 months.
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Trends › Federal Prosecution Analysis › Federal Sentences in the District of New Hampshire, FY2016–2 › Robbery: District of New Hampshire
In brief: 65 people were sentenced for robbery in the District of New Hampshire in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. 98% received a prison term, with a median of 60 months. Across all 94 districts, the median prison term for robbery was 90 months.
This post uses the U.S. Sentencing Commission's records of 65 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.
Robbery Sentences Compared With Other Cases in the District
Robbery cases were 4% of the 1,754 people sentenced in the district. The median prison term for robbery was 60 months, or 5 years. For all offenses in the district, the median was 30 months.
For robbery in all 94 districts, the Commission counts 14,845 people. 99% were sent to prison, and the median prison term was 90 months. The district's median for robbery was lower than that national figure.
The Range of Prison Terms
64 of the 65 people (98%) received a prison term, and 1 person (2%) received probation only, with no prison or other confinement. A quarter of those sent to prison received 78 months or more, and a quarter received 42.5 months or less.
These are the terms imposed, not time served. The data covers only people who were convicted and sentenced, so acquittals and dismissals are not counted.
Where Sentences Fell Against the Guidelines
37% of sentences (24 people) were within the guideline range. 32% (21) were below the range without a government request, and 26% (17) were below the range at the government's request. 5% (3) were above the range.
For robbery in all districts, 40% of sentences were within the range, and for all offenses in this district the figure was 31%. The primary guideline was §2B3.1 (Robbery) for 64 people, and §2X3.1 (Accessory After the Fact) for 1.
Pleas and Trials
64 of 65 people (98%) pleaded guilty, and 1 person was convicted after a trial. 92% of the guilty pleas had a written plea agreement, and 8% were straight pleas with no agreement.
The median prison term after a guilty plea was 60 months. The one person convicted at trial and sent to prison had a prison term of 144 months. A single case cannot be compared with 64 others.
Criminal History, Release, and Restitution
A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 2 of the 65 people (3%). 31% of the group were in the highest criminal history category, category VI, and 23% were in the lowest, category I. Court-martial records have no criminal history field.
63 people (97%) were ordered to serve supervised release, and the median term was 36 months. Restitution was ordered for 59 people (91%). No fine was ordered for anyone.
Fewer Cases Since 2020
Fiscal years 2016 to 2019 account for 47 people, and fiscal years 2020 to 2025 account for 18. The fiscal year runs October 1 to September 30. The yearly count was 16 in 2016 and 1 in 2024. The table lists the median prison term for each year, but years with 1 to 5 people cannot show a pattern.
The records do not show why the number of cases fell.
| Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 16 | 60 months | 100% |
| 2017 | 14 | 61.5 months | 100% |
| 2018 | 7 | 48 months | 7 of 7 |
| 2019 | 10 | 69 months | 100% |
| 2020 | 3 | 144 months | 2 of 3 |
| 2021 | 4 | 55.5 months | 4 of 4 |
| 2022 | 5 | 70 months | 5 of 5 |
| 2023 | 3 | 57 months | 3 of 3 |
| 2024 | 1 | 130 months | 1 of 1 |
| 2025 | 2 | 21 months | 2 of 2 |
What the Data Does Not Include
The Commission's data does not describe the facts of any robbery, whether a weapon was used, or whether charges were dropped. It also cannot show how these cases would have been handled in another district.
How We Counted
Everyone sentenced in federal court in the District of New Hampshire (U.S. Sentencing Commission district label "New Hampshire") in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 whose offense type was "Robbery" (65). 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 (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 New Hampshire, FY2016–2025 (overview)
- Federal Drug Trafficking Sentences in the District of New Hampshire, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Fraud, Theft, and Embezzlement Sentences in the District of New Hampshire, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Immigration Offense Sentences in the District of New Hampshire, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Firearms Sentences in the District of New Hampshire, 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.