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# Federal Stalking and Harassment Sentences in the District of Minnesota, FY2016–2025
- URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-stalking-harassing-sentences-district-of-minnesota/
- Published: 2026-11-04T11:06:58.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-04T11:06:58.000Z
- Description: 25 people in the District of Minnesota were sentenced for the Commission's "Stalking/Harassing" offense type in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. The median prison term was 41 months (3.4 years), which is higher than the 24 months for this offense type in all 94 federal districts. 32% were sentenced above
- 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 District of Minnesota, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-district-district-of-minnesota/) › Stalking and Harassment: District of Minnesota

**In brief:** 25 people in the District of Minnesota were sentenced for the Commission's "Stalking/Harassing" offense type in fiscal years 2016 to 2025\. The median prison term was 41 months (3.4 years), which is higher than the 24 months for this offense type in all 94 federal districts. 32% were sentenced above 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 25 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/).

## Longer Prison Terms Than in All Districts

21 of the 25 people (84%) received a prison term, and 1 (4%) received probation only. In all districts, 89% were sent to prison.

The median prison term was 41 months (3.4 years). A quarter received 46 months or more, and a quarter received 12 months or less. For all districts the median was 24 months, and for all offenses in the District of Minnesota it was 70 months. Terms are those imposed, not time served.

## A High Share Above the Guideline Range

8 people (32%) were sentenced above the guideline range. 9 (36%) were within it, 6 (24%) were below it without a government request, and 2 (8%) were below it at the government's request.

For this offense type in all districts, 47% were within the range. For all offenses in this district the figure was 31%. A mandatory minimum applied to 0 of the 25 people.

## The Guidelines Behind the Category

The Commission assigns the offense type by primary guideline. In Minnesota, 15 people were sentenced under §2A6.1 (Threatening or Harassing Communications), and 10 under §2A6.2 (Stalking or Domestic Violence).

These cases were less than 1% of the 3,630 people sentenced in the district in fiscal years 2016 to 2025.

## Pleas and Trials

23 of 25 people (92%) pleaded guilty, and 2 were convicted after a trial. After a guilty plea the median prison term was 44.2 months. After a trial it was 12.5 months, based on 2 people. A group of 2 cannot support a conclusion about trial sentences.

Guilty pleas were 92% for this offense type in all districts and 94% for all offenses in this district. All guilty pleas in Minnesota (100%) had a written plea agreement.

## Supervised Release, Fines, and Criminal History

21 people (84%) were ordered to serve supervised release, with a median term of 36 months. A fine was ordered for 2 (8%), and restitution for 6 (24%).

52% were in the lowest criminal history category and 4% in the highest. Court-martial records have no criminal history field.

## Yearly Counts

10 people were sentenced in fiscal years 2016 to 2019, and 15 in fiscal years 2020 to 2025\. A fiscal year starts October 1 and ends in September.

Yearly counts are from 1 to 4 people, with medians from 12 months in 2021 and 2022 to 60 months in 2018\. The 2025 row shows n/a. These counts are too small to show a trend.

| Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
| ----------- | ---------------- | ------------- | -------------- |
| 2016        | 3                | 41 months     | 2 of 3         |
| 2017        | 2                | 28.5 months   | 2 of 2         |
| 2018        | 1                | 60 months     | 1 of 1         |
| 2019        | 4                | 37.5 months   | 3 of 4         |
| 2020        | 2                | 22 months     | 2 of 2         |
| 2021        | 2                | 12 months     | 2 of 2         |
| 2022        | 3                | 12 months     | 3 of 3         |
| 2023        | 4                | 53 months     | 4 of 4         |
| 2024        | 2                | 35.6 months   | 2 of 2         |
| 2025        | 2                | n/a           | 2 of 2         |

## What the Records Cannot Show

The Commission data counts only people who were convicted and sentenced, so acquittals and dismissals are not included. No case facts are given, so the records cannot show why some sentences were above the range.

### How We Counted

Everyone sentenced in federal court in the District of Minnesota (U.S. Sentencing Commission district label "Minnesota") in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 whose offense type was "Stalking/Harassing" (25). 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](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 District of Minnesota, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-district-district-of-minnesota/) (overview)
- [Federal Drug Trafficking Sentences in the District of Minnesota, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-trafficking-sentences-district-of-minnesota/) (same district, other offense type)
- [Federal Firearms Sentences in the District of Minnesota, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-firearms-sentences-district-of-minnesota/) (same district, other offense type)
- [Federal Fraud, Theft, and Embezzlement Sentences in the District of Minnesota, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-fraud-theft-embezzlement-sentences-district-of-minnesota/) (same district, other offense type)
- [Federal Robbery Sentences in the District of Minnesota, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-robbery-sentences-district-of-minnesota/) (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.