> ## 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 No Dollar Loss, Fiscal Year 2019 - URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-no-loss-fy2019/ - Published: 2026-11-03T06:12:09.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-03T06:12:09.000Z - Description: In fiscal year 2019, 184 of the 234 people (79%) sentenced for federal theft or fraud with no recorded dollar loss received a prison term. The median term was 4.4 months, and a quarter of those sent to prison received 1.4 months or less. Probation only went to 46 people (20%). - 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 No Dollar Loss, FY201](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-no-loss/) › no loss: FY2019 **In brief:** In fiscal year 2019, 184 of the 234 people (79%) sentenced for federal theft or fraud with no recorded dollar loss received a prison term. The median term was 4.4 months, and a quarter of those sent to prison received 1.4 months or less. Probation only went to 46 people (20%). 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 234 people sentenced in federal court in fiscal year 2019\. 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/). ## A High Prison Share With Short Terms The share sent to prison in this year, 79%, was higher than the 69% for the no-loss band across fiscal years 2016 to 2025\. It was also higher than the 75% for all theft and fraud cases in fiscal year 2019. Most of the prison terms were short. The median was 4.4 months. A quarter of the people sent to prison received 1.4 months or less, and a quarter received 8 months or more. The all-years median for this band was 5.2 months. The fiscal year 2019 median was lower. ## Who Was Counted The U.S. Sentencing Commission records a loss amount for people sentenced under guideline §2B1.1, the federal theft and fraud guideline. The amounts are grouped into bands that follow the steps of the guideline's loss table. This post covers the band where the recorded loss was none. The count is 234 people for fiscal year 2019\. Only people who were convicted and sentenced are included. ## Straight Pleas and Plea Agreements A guilty plea ended 226 of the 234 cases (97%). The other 8 people were convicted after a trial. Of the guilty pleas, 65% came with a written plea agreement. The other 35% were straight pleas, where the person pleaded guilty with no agreement. After a guilty plea, the median prison term was 4.3 months. After a trial, it was 10.5 months. The trial figure is based on 8 people convicted at trial and sent to prison, which is a small number. All 8 people convicted at trial in this year received a prison term. ## The Guideline Range in Fiscal Year 2019 Of the 234 sentences, 80% (187) were within the guideline range. Above the range were 7% (16). Below the range at the government's request were 6% (13). Below the range without a government request were 8% (18). The records list the position against the range but not the reason for it. A sentence outside the range can follow a motion, a judge's finding, or other steps the data does not describe. ## Supervised Release and Financial Orders A term of supervised release after prison was ordered for 127 people (54%). The median term was 36 months. Fines went to 38 people (16%). Restitution went to 4 (2%). A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 10 (4%). The lowest criminal history group, category I, held 78% of the people. The highest, category VI, held 2%. ## All Theft and Fraud Cases, and Other Years Across every loss band in fiscal year 2019, 5,707 people were sentenced under §2B1.1\. Their median prison term was 22 months. The yearly table for the no-loss band follows. It covers fiscal years 2016 through 2025. | Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty | | ----------- | ---------------- | ------------- | -------------- | | 2016 | 178 | 6 months | 98% | | 2017 | 201 | 6 months | 96% | | 2018 | 209 | 6 months | 97% | | 2019 | 234 | 4.4 months | 97% | | 2020 | 404 | 5.2 months | 98% | | 2021 | 240 | 4.5 months | 98% | | 2022 | 292 | 5.8 months | 99% | | 2023 | 162 | 6 months | 96% | | 2024 | 152 | 4.3 months | 95% | | 2025 | 135 | 4 months | 94% | ## Gaps in the Comparison Acquittals and dismissals do not appear in Sentencing Commission data. Federal years are fiscal years that start October 1 and end September 30, while court-martial counts use the trial date. Court-martial records rarely give a dollar value for a larceny. Because of that gap, courts-martial cannot be grouped by loss, and no military figure is shown for this band. ### How We Counted People sentenced in fiscal year 2019 under guideline §2B1.1 whose recorded dollar loss falls in the band "no loss" (234), 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 No Dollar Loss, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-no-loss/) (overview) - [Federal Theft and Fraud Sentences With No Dollar Loss, Fiscal Year 2018](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-no-loss-fy2018/) (previous or next year) - [Federal Theft and Fraud Sentences With No Dollar Loss, Fiscal Year 2020](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-no-loss-fy2020/) (previous or next year) - [Federal Theft and Fraud Sentences With a Loss of $1,000 or Less, Fiscal Year 2019](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-1000-or-less-fy2019/) (same year, other loss band) - [Federal Theft and Fraud Sentences With a Loss of $1,001 to $15,000, Fiscal Year 2019](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-1001-to-15000-fy2019/) (same year, other loss band) - [Federal Theft and Fraud Sentences With a Loss of $15,001 to $95,000, Fiscal Year 2019](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-15001-to-95000-fy2019/) (same year, other loss band) - [Federal Theft and Fraud Sentences With a Loss of $95,001 to $550,000, Fiscal Year 2019](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-95001-to-550000-fy2019/) (same year, other loss band) - [Federal Theft and Fraud Sentences With a Loss of $550,001 to $3.5 Million, Fiscal Year 2019](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-550001-to-3-5-million-fy2019/) (same year, other loss band) - [Federal Theft and Fraud Sentences With a Loss Over $3.5 Million, Fiscal Year 2019](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-over-3-5-million-fy2019/) (same year, other loss band) - [Federal Theft and Fraud Sentences With the Loss Amount Not Specified, Fiscal Year 2019](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-not-specified-fy2019/) (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.