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# Federal Theft and Fraud Sentences With a Loss of $1,000 or Less, Fiscal Year 2021
- URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-1000-or-less-fy2021/
- Published: 2026-11-03T06:12:14.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-03T06:12:14.000Z
- Description: In fiscal year 2021, federal courts sentenced 85 people for theft or fraud with a loss of $1,000 or less. None of the 85 sentences was above the guideline range: 0% (0). A prison term went to 23 people (27%), with a median of 4.5 months, and 57 (67%) received probation only.
- Author: Jocelyn C. Stewart
- Tags: Understanding Trends, Federal

[Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/) › [Federal Prosecution Analysis](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal/) › [Federal Theft and Fraud Sentences With a Loss of $1,000 or L](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-1000-or-less/) › $1,000 or less: FY2021

**In brief:** In fiscal year 2021, federal courts sentenced 85 people for theft or fraud with a loss of $1,000 or less. None of the 85 sentences was above the guideline range: 0% (0). A prison term went to 23 people (27%), with a median of 4.5 months, and 57 (67%) received probation only.

Updated November 3, 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 85 people sentenced in federal court in fiscal year 2021\. 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/).

## No Sentences Above the Guideline Range

The guideline range is the span of sentences that the federal guidelines recommend for the offense and the person's criminal history. Position against the range was recorded for all 85 people.

Within the range were 84% (71). Below the range without a government request were 9% (8), and below the range at the government's request were 7% (6). Above the range were 0% (0).

The data shows the position of each sentence. It does not give the reason a sentence was below the range.

## How Many Received Prison?

Of the 85 people, 23 received a prison term, or 27%. Probation only, with no prison or other confinement, was ordered for 57, or 67%.

The median prison term for the 23 was 4.5 months. A quarter received 1 month or less. A quarter received 10.8 months or more.

For the full band over fiscal years 2016 to 2025, 33% of 1,210 people were sent to prison, and the median term was 5.8 months. Fiscal year 2021 was lower on both measures.

| Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
| ----------- | ---------------- | ------------- | -------------- |
| 2016        | 184              | 6.6 months    | more than 99%  |
| 2017        | 200              | 5.7 months    | 98%            |
| 2018        | 161              | 4.5 months    | 99%            |
| 2019        | 151              | 6 months      | 99%            |
| 2020        | 108              | 5.6 months    | 100%           |
| 2021        | 85               | 4.5 months    | 99%            |
| 2022        | 91               | 1.5 months    | 100%           |
| 2023        | 102              | 6.5 months    | 97%            |
| 2024        | 78               | 5.8 months    | 99%            |
| 2025        | 50               | 5.2 months    | 100%           |

## A Single Trial Conviction

Guilty pleas accounted for 84 of the 85 cases (99%). The records show 1 person convicted after a trial.

The median prison term after a guilty plea was 4.2 months. The person convicted at trial received 6 months. A figure based on 1 person cannot be read as a pattern for trials.

Of the guilty pleas, 74% were made under a written plea agreement and 23% were straight pleas.

## Supervised Release and Money Orders

Supervised release after prison was ordered for 19 people (22%). The median term of supervised release was 24 months.

Restitution to victims was ordered for 57 people (67%). A fine was ordered for 14 (16%).

A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 1 person (1%). In criminal history, 66% were in category I and 9% were in category VI. Category I is the lowest and category VI is the highest.

## The Wider Federal Count for 2021

Guideline §2B1.1 governs theft and fraud sentencing, and its loss table sets the band boundaries used here. Across all loss amounts in fiscal year 2021, 4,235 people were sentenced under it.

For that full group, 71% went to prison and the median term was 20 months. The $1,000-or-less band had a lower prison share and a shorter median.

## What Is Not Counted

U.S. Sentencing Commission records cover only people convicted and sentenced. They leave out acquittals and dismissed cases. The fiscal year ran from October 1, 2020, to September 30, 2021.

Courts-martial are not part of this post. Their records rarely state a dollar amount for a larceny, so there is no military count by loss band.

### How We Counted

People sentenced in fiscal year 2021 under guideline §2B1.1 whose recorded dollar loss falls in the band "$1,000 or less" (85), U.S. Sentencing Commission (LOSSHI).

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

**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.

**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.

**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 Theft and Fraud Sentences With a Loss of $1,000 or Less, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-1000-or-less/) (overview)
- [Federal Theft and Fraud Sentences With a Loss of $1,000 or Less, Fiscal Year 2020](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-1000-or-less-fy2020/) (previous or next year)
- [Federal Theft and Fraud Sentences With a Loss of $1,000 or Less, Fiscal Year 2022](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-1000-or-less-fy2022/) (previous or next year)
- [Federal Theft and Fraud Sentences With No Dollar Loss, Fiscal Year 2021](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-no-loss-fy2021/) (same year, other loss band)
- [Federal Theft and Fraud Sentences With a Loss of $1,001 to $15,000, Fiscal Year 2021](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-1001-to-15000-fy2021/) (same year, other loss band)
- [Federal Theft and Fraud Sentences With a Loss of $15,001 to $95,000, Fiscal Year 2021](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-15001-to-95000-fy2021/) (same year, other loss band)
- [Federal Theft and Fraud Sentences With a Loss of $95,001 to $550,000, Fiscal Year 2021](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-95001-to-550000-fy2021/) (same year, other loss band)
- [Federal Theft and Fraud Sentences With a Loss of $550,001 to $3.5 Million, Fiscal Year 2021](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-550001-to-3-5-million-fy2021/) (same year, other loss band)
- [Federal Theft and Fraud Sentences With a Loss Over $3.5 Million, Fiscal Year 2021](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-over-3-5-million-fy2021/) (same year, other loss band)
- [Federal Theft and Fraud Sentences With the Loss Amount Not Specified, Fiscal Year 2021](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-not-specified-fy2021/) (same year, other loss band)
- [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/)
- [Army Article 121 Cases by the Numbers, 2021–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-article-121-trend-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)
- [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 (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.