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# Federal Robbery Sentences in the Southern District of Iowa, FY2016–2025
- URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-robbery-sentences-southern-district-of-iowa/
- Published: 2026-11-04T11:06:36.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-04T11:06:36.000Z
- Description: 60 people were sentenced for robbery in the Southern District of Iowa in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. 59 (98%) received a prison term, and the median prison term was 84 months (7 years). Across all 94 federal districts, the median for robbery was 90 months, which is higher.
- 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 Southern District of Iowa, FY2016–2](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-district-southern-district-of-iowa/) › Robbery: Southern District of Iowa

**In brief:** 60 people were sentenced for robbery in the Southern District of Iowa in fiscal years 2016 to 2025\. 59 (98%) received a prison term, and the median prison term was 84 months (7 years). Across all 94 federal districts, the median for robbery was 90 months, which is higher.

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 60 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/).

## Prison Terms for Robbery

Of the 60 people sentenced, 59 (98%) received a prison term, and none received probation only. 1 person received a life sentence. In all 94 districts, 99% of people sentenced for robbery were sent to prison.

Among those sent to prison, the median was 84 months. A quarter received 130 months or more, and a quarter received 46 months or less. The all-district median was 90 months. For all offenses in the Southern District of Iowa, the median was 80 months. Prison terms are the terms imposed, not time served.

## Pleas and Trials

55 of the 60 people (92%) pleaded guilty, and 5 were convicted after a trial. The median prison term after a guilty plea was 79 months. After a trial it was 183 months.

The trial figure rests on 5 people, and the groups are not matched. The records cannot show whether the trial itself changed any sentence. Among the guilty pleas, 45% had a written plea agreement and 55% were straight pleas with no agreement.

## One Primary Guideline

59 of the 60 cases used §2B3.1 (Robbery) as the primary guideline. 1 case used §2X3.1 (Accessory After the Fact).

Robbery cases were 1% of the 4,208 people sentenced in the district in fiscal years 2016 to 2025\. The category is the U.S. Sentencing Commission's, and the records do not describe the facts of any robbery.

## Guideline Range and Mandatory Minimums

25 people (42%) were sentenced within the range. 21 (35%) were below it without a government request, and 10 (17%) were below it at the government's request. 4 (7%) were above it.

Across all 94 districts, 40% of robbery sentences were within the range, about the same as here. For all offenses in this district, 37% were within the range. A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 14 of the 60 people (23%).

## Supervised Release, Restitution, and Criminal History

59 people (98%) were ordered to serve supervised release after prison, with a median term of 36 months. Restitution was ordered for 33 people (55%). No fine was ordered (0%).

On criminal history, 20% were in the lowest category and 30% were in the highest. Court-martial records have no criminal history field.

## Counts by Fiscal Year

Fiscal years 2016 to 2019 had 38 people, and fiscal years 2020 to 2025 had 22 people. Yearly counts in the table range from 1 to 14 people. Medians range from 59 months in fiscal year 2023 to 149 months in fiscal year 2021.

Years with 1 or 2 people produce medians that describe very few cases. The records do not show why counts differed, and these figures do not show a trend.

| Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
| ----------- | ---------------- | ------------- | -------------- |
| 2016        | 4                | 134 months    | 3 of 4         |
| 2017        | 14               | 63 months     | 93%            |
| 2018        | 12               | 88.5 months   | 100%           |
| 2019        | 8                | 83 months     | 6 of 8         |
| 2020        | 8                | 95.1 months   | 8 of 8         |
| 2021        | 2                | 149 months    | 2 of 2         |
| 2022        | 4                | 82.5 months   | 3 of 4         |
| 2023        | 2                | 59 months     | 2 of 2         |
| 2024        | 1                | 90 months     | 1 of 1         |
| 2025        | 5                | 100 months    | 5 of 5         |

## What the Records Cannot Show

The data counts only people who were convicted and sentenced. Acquittals and dismissals are not in it, and the records do not show the amount taken or any weapon involved.

### How We Counted

Everyone sentenced in federal court in the Southern District of Iowa (U.S. Sentencing Commission district label "Iowa South") in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 whose offense type was "Robbery" (60). 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 Southern District of Iowa, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-district-southern-district-of-iowa/) (overview)
- [Federal Drug Trafficking Sentences in the Southern District of Iowa, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-trafficking-sentences-southern-district-of-iowa/) (same district, other offense type)
- [Federal Firearms Sentences in the Southern District of Iowa, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-firearms-sentences-southern-district-of-iowa/) (same district, other offense type)
- [Federal Immigration Offense Sentences in the Southern District of Iowa, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-immigration-sentences-southern-district-of-iowa/) (same district, other offense type)
- [Federal Child Pornography Sentences in the Southern District of Iowa, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-child-pornography-sentences-southern-district-of-iowa/) (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.