> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.bodiesburied.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Federal Theft and Fraud Sentences With a Loss of $15,001 to $95,000, FY2016–2025 - URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-15001-to-95000/ - Published: 2026-11-03T01:38:41.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-03T06:12:59.000Z - Description: Federal courts sentenced 10,331 people for theft or fraud with a loss of $15,001 to $95,000 in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. Only 48% (4,971) were sentenced within the guideline range, and the rest were mostly below it. The median prison term for the 6,004 sent to prison (58%) was 12 months. - 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/) › Loss: $15,001 to $95,000 **In brief:** Federal courts sentenced 10,331 people for theft or fraud with a loss of $15,001 to $95,000 in fiscal years 2016 to 2025\. Only 48% (4,971) were sentenced within the guideline range, and the rest were mostly below it. The median prison term for the 6,004 sent to prison (58%) was 12 months. Updated November 2, 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 10,331 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/). ## How Often Did Sentences Match the Guideline Range? The guideline range is the sentence span calculated under §2B1.1 from the loss and other facts. In this band, 48% of the 10,321 people with the information were sentenced within it: 4,971. Below the range at the government's request was 20% (2,049). Below the range without a government request was 30% (3,058). Above the range was 2% (243). The records do not show the reasons for any of these sentences. ## What Was the Prison Term? A prison term went to 6,004 of the 10,331 people (58%). Probation only went to 3,136 (30%). The median prison term was 12 months, and a quarter received 26 months or more. A quarter received 4 months or less. This median is lower than the 21 months for all §2B1.1 cases. Probation only is a sentence with no prison or other confinement. It went to 30% here, which is a smaller group than the 58% who received prison. ## What Happened After Pleas and Trials? Guilty pleas numbered 10,121 (98%). Another 210 people were convicted after a trial. The median prison term was 12 months after a guilty plea and 22 months after a trial, based on 167 people at trial sent to prison. Written plea agreements were part of 90% of the guilty pleas, and 10% had no agreement. A trial conviction means a jury or judge found the person guilty after a contested case. The trial group is small next to the pleas, so its median rests on fewer people, but the sheet counts 167 of them. ## How Common Were Mandatory Minimums and Restitution? A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 1,325 people (13%). Restitution was ordered for 9,149 (89%), and a fine for 657 (6%). Supervised release after prison went to 5,884 people (57%), with a median term of 36 months. In the criminal history data, 64% were in the lowest category and 7% in the highest. Supervised release is a period of court supervision after prison. Restitution is an order to repay the loss to the victim. The records count the orders but not the amounts or whether the money was paid. ## What Changed Over the Years? The count sentenced was 1,448 in fiscal year 2016 and 905 in fiscal year 2025\. The median prison term was 14 months in fiscal years 2017 and 2018, and 10 months in fiscal year 2025\. In most other years it was 12 months. The table cannot show whether the fiscal year 2025 median is the start of a lasting change. | Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty | | ----------- | ---------------- | ------------- | -------------- | | 2016 | 1,448 | 12 months | 98% | | 2017 | 1,270 | 14 months | 97% | | 2018 | 1,185 | 14 months | 98% | | 2019 | 1,076 | 12 months | 97% | | 2020 | 897 | 12 months | 98% | | 2021 | 826 | 12.3 months | more than 99% | | 2022 | 934 | 12 months | 98% | | 2023 | 883 | 12 months | 98% | | 2024 | 907 | 12 months | 98% | | 2025 | 905 | 10 months | 99% | ## What Cannot Be Matched to Courts-Martial? Court-martial records rarely show the dollar value of a larceny, so the court-martial side cannot be split into these bands. The UCMJ sets a higher maximum punishment above $1,000 or for military property, and this band is well above that line. Court-martial records also lack a criminal history field. The federal bands come from the loss table in §2B1.1 and only count people who were convicted and sentenced. ### How We Counted People sentenced in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 under guideline §2B1.1 whose recorded dollar loss falls in the band "$15,001 to $95,000" (10,331), U.S. Sentencing Commission (LOSSHI). "Loss not specified" means the records show a loss with no amount. 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. **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. ### More Detail By fiscal year: [2016](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-15001-to-95000-fy2016/) · [2017](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-15001-to-95000-fy2017/) · [2018](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-15001-to-95000-fy2018/) · [2019](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-15001-to-95000-fy2019/) · [2020](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-15001-to-95000-fy2020/) · [2021](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-15001-to-95000-fy2021/) · [2022](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-15001-to-95000-fy2022/) · [2023](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-15001-to-95000-fy2023/) · [2024](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-15001-to-95000-fy2024/) · [2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-15001-to-95000-fy2025/). ## 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 Theft and Fraud Sentences With No Dollar Loss, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-no-loss/) - [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/) - [Federal Theft and Fraud Sentences With a Loss of $1,001 to $15,000, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-1001-to-15000/) - [Federal Theft and Fraud Sentences With a Loss of $95,001 to $550,000, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-95001-to-550000/) - [Federal Theft and Fraud Sentences With a Loss of $550,001 to $3.5 Million, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-550001-to-3-5-million/) - [Federal Theft and Fraud Sentences With a Loss Over $3.5 Million, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-over-3-5-million/) - [Federal Theft and Fraud Sentences With the Loss Amount Not Specified, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-not-specified/) - [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.