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# Theft and Fraud: Courts-Martial at Fort Hood vs. Federal Court in the Western District of Texas
- URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-fort-hood-vs-western-district-of-texas/
- Published: 2026-11-03T06:10:55.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-03T06:10:55.000Z
- Description: Army courts-martial at Fort Hood, Texas recorded 19 convictions for larceny, theft, and fraud under Article 121 from 2021 to 2025, with a median adjudged confinement of 2 months. In the Western District of Texas, 1,474 people were sentenced in federal court under guideline §2B1.1 in fiscal years 201
- Author: Jocelyn C. Stewart
- Tags: Understanding Trends, Federal

[Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/) › [Federal Prosecution Analysis](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal/) › [Theft and Fraud by Dollar Loss](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-dollar-loss-vs-article-121/) › Theft and Fraud: Fort Hood

**In brief:** Army courts-martial at Fort Hood, Texas recorded 19 convictions for larceny, theft, and fraud under Article 121 from 2021 to 2025, with a median adjudged confinement of 2 months. In the Western District of Texas, 1,474 people were sentenced in federal court under guideline §2B1.1 in fiscal years 2016 to 2025, and the median prison term was 8 months. The federal cases come from the entire district, and most of them did not involve service members.

Updated November 3, 2026 · Sources: U.S. Sentencing Commission and Federal Judicial Center, fiscal years 2016–2025 · Military Trial Results

This post uses the U.S. Sentencing Commission's records of 1,474 people sentenced in federal court in fiscal years 2016 to 2025, compared with court-martial results from this site's Military Trial Results data (updated November 2, 2026). 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/).

## Short Terms on Both Sides

Both medians in this comparison are lower than the broader figures. The Fort Hood median of 2 months is below the 5-month median for all 626 court-martial convictions for this offense in the data. The district median of 8 months is below the 21-month median for all federal districts, which sentenced 53,639 people under this guideline.

At Fort Hood, 17 of the 19 sentences (89%) included confinement, and a quarter received 3.2 months or more. The records also show 1 sentence of confinement for life. The records do not show what other charges, if any, were part of that case.

|                                    | Courts-martial at Fort Hood         | Federal court, Western District of Texas |
| ---------------------------------- | ----------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------- |
| Convictions or people sentenced    | 19                                  | 1,474                                    |
| Sentenced to confinement or prison | 89%                                 | 73%                                      |
| Median confinement or prison       | 2 months                            | 8 months                                 |
| A quarter received this or more    | 3.2 months                          | 24.5 months                              |
| Pleaded guilty                     | 18 of 19 with a plea recorded (95%) | 98%                                      |
| Mandatory minimum applied          | See the caveats                     | 69 of 1,469 with the information (5%)    |

## Whose Cases Are These?

Fort Hood is in the Western District of Texas. The 1,474 federal sentences are from that whole district, not from the post, and they are mostly civilian cases. Courts-martial are tried in military courts, not in the district court.

The court-martial side counts convictions where the records list the trial location as "Fort Hood". All 19 were Army cases. They cover trials from 2021 to 2025, a shorter span than the federal fiscal years 2016 to 2025.

## Discharges and Court Level

Of the 16 enlisted soldiers convicted, 13 (81%) received a punitive discharge: 2 dishonorable discharges and 11 bad-conduct discharges. The records also include 3 officers convicted, and 2 of them were dismissed. A dismissal is the officer equivalent of a punitive discharge.

Most of these cases went to a general court-martial: 12 of the 19 (63%). Guilty pleas accounted for 18 of the 19 convictions (95%).

## Many Federal Pleas Had No Agreement

In the district, 1,444 of the 1,474 (98%) pleaded guilty. Among those guilty pleas, 57% had a written plea agreement and 42% were straight pleas with no agreement.

The median prison term was 7.1 months after a guilty plea. After a trial, it was 90.5 months, based on 26 people convicted at trial and sent to prison. Only 30 people in the district were convicted after a trial.

## Federal Sentences Against the Guidelines

Most federal sentences in the district fell within the recommended guideline range: 69% (1,014). Below the range at the government's request were 12% (170), and below it without a request were 12% (182). Above the range were 7% (108).

A prison term was imposed on 1,075 people (73%), and 368 (25%) received probation only. A quarter of prison terms were 4 months or less, and a quarter were 24.5 months or more. A mandatory minimum applied to 69 people (5%).

Restitution was ordered for 672 (46%), and a fine for 171 (12%). Supervised release followed for 848 (58%), with a median term of 36 months.

## What the Records Cannot Show

Court-martial terms here are as adjudged, before clemency or appeal. Federal terms are as imposed, not as served. Federal fiscal years run October 1 to September 30.

Federal records place 81% of these defendants in criminal history category I and 3% in category VI, and court-martial records have no criminal history field. With 19 Fort Hood convictions, a single case can change the figures. Neither source shows the facts of a case or the reasons for a sentence.

### How We Counted

Courts-martial with trial dates in 2016 to 2025 whose recorded trial location is Fort Hood, Texas, ending in a conviction for larceny, theft, and fraud (Article 121; federal guideline §2B1.1) (19). Federal: people sentenced in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 in the Western District of Texas (U.S. Sentencing Commission district label "Texas West") under primary guideline §2B1.1 (theft, embezzlement, fraud, and property damage) (1,474). The installation is matched to the federal district for the county where it sits.

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

**Who is in each set of numbers.** The federal sentencing numbers come from the U.S. Sentencing Commission. They count only people who were convicted and sentenced in federal district court. People whose cases were dismissed or who were acquitted are not in them. The military numbers come from court-martial results, which include acquittals. To compare acquittal or dismissal rates, the federal side uses a different source: the Federal Judicial Center's case data, which counts every defendant whose case ended.

**Different cases reach each system.** Federal prosecutors bring a narrow set of cases. In fiscal year 2024, immigration and drug trafficking cases were 59% of everyone sentenced in federal court (36,664 of 61,678). Many crimes that the military prosecutes, such as most assaults, most sexual assaults between adults, and drug use, are usually state crimes for civilians and reach federal court only in special situations, such as on federal land or in Indian Country. A federal case and a court-martial for the same crime can involve different kinds of facts.

**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.

**Military confinement credit and parole.** For military sentences adjudged after 2004, good conduct time is 5 days for each month of confinement, about 16%. Military prisoners can also earn up to 8 more days a month for work and programs and up to 2 days a month for special acts, with a limit of 15 days a month in total. Military prisoners can be considered for parole by their service's clemency and parole board. The military numbers in this post are the confinement adjudged at trial, not the time served.

**Military sentences include punishments federal sentences do not.** A court-martial sentence can include a punitive discharge (bad-conduct discharge, dishonorable discharge, or dismissal for officers), reduction in rank, and forfeiture of pay. These have no federal counterpart. A comparison of months of confinement leaves them out. A short confinement term combined with a dishonorable discharge is a heavier sentence than the months alone show.

**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.

**Offense categories do not line up exactly.** Each comparison uses a federal offense group chosen to match the military article as closely as possible (see the crosswalk). Some matches are close; others are partial. The post says which federal guideline or statute was used and why it is not an exact match.

## 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)
- [Theft and Fraud by Dollar Loss: Federal Sentences vs. Article 121 Courts-Martial](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-dollar-loss-vs-article-121/) (overview)
- [Federal Sentences in the Western District of Texas, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-district-western-district-of-texas/) (the federal district)
- [Child Pornography: Courts-Martial at Fort Hood vs. Federal Court in the Western District of Texas](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-child-pornography-fort-hood-vs-western-district-of-texas/) (same installation)
- [Child Sexual Abuse and Enticement: Courts-Martial at Fort Hood vs. Federal Court in the Western District of Texas](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-child-sex-offenses-fort-hood-vs-western-district-of-texas/) (same installation)
- [Theft and Fraud: Courts-Martial at Bremerton vs. Federal Court in the Western District of Washington](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-bremerton-vs-western-district-of-washington/) (other installations)
- [Theft and Fraud: Courts-Martial at Camp Lejeune vs. Federal Court in the Eastern District of North Carolina](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-camp-lejeune-vs-eastern-district-of-north-carolina/) (other installations)
- [Theft and Fraud: Courts-Martial at Camp Pendleton vs. Federal Court in the Southern District of California](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-camp-pendleton-vs-southern-district-of-california/) (other installations)
- [Theft and Fraud: Federal Sentences vs. Air Force Courts-Martial, 2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-vs-air-force/)
- [Theft and Fraud: Federal Sentences vs. Army Courts-Martial](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-vs-army/)
- [Theft and Fraud: Federal Sentences vs. Marine Corps Courts-Martial](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-vs-marine-corps/)
- [Army Article 121 Cases by the Numbers, 2021–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-article-121-trend-2021-2025/) (court-martial data)
- [Article 121 Sentences in the Army: Confinement and Discharges, 2021–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-article-121-sent-2021-2025/) (court-martial data)
- [Fighting an Army Larceny Charge: How Contested Cases Ended](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-article-121-acq-2021-2025/) (court-martial data)
- [Guilty Pleas in Army Larceny Cases: How Often, and What Came Next](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-article-121-plea-2021-2025/) (court-martial data)
- [Air Force Article 121 Cases by the Numbers, 2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-article-121-trend-2016-2025/) (court-martial data)
- [What Sentence Follows an Air Force Larceny Conviction?](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-article-121-sent-2016-2025/) (court-martial data)
- [Pleading Guilty to Article 121 in the Air Force: What Sentences Followed?](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-article-121-plea-2016-2025/) (court-martial data)
- [How Has Article 121 Changed in Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial Since 2017?](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-article-121-trend-2017-2025/) (court-martial data)
- [Article 121 Sentences in the Navy-Marine Corps: Confinement and Discharges, 2017–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-article-121-sent-2017-2025/) (court-martial data)
- [Not Guilty Pleas in Navy-Marine Corps Article 121 Cases: What Happened at Trial](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-article-121-acq-2017-2025/) (court-martial data)
- [Guilty Pleas in Navy-Marine Corps Larceny Cases: How Often, and What Came Next](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-article-121-plea-2017-2025/) (court-martial data)
- [Article 121 (Larceny): Court-Martial Data and Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/article-121-courts-martial/) (court-martial data)
- [Article 121 UCMJ: Larceny and Wrongful Appropriation](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-121/?ref=bodiesburied.com) (law firm reference page)
- [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.