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# Federal Theft and Fraud Sentences With No Dollar Loss, Fiscal Year 2021
- URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-no-loss-fy2021/
- Published: 2026-11-03T06:12:10.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-03T06:12:10.000Z
- Description: A sentence above the guideline range went to 40 of the 240 people (17%) sentenced in fiscal year 2021 for federal theft or fraud with no recorded dollar loss. A prison term was ordered for 165 (69%), and the median prison term was 4.5 months. Nearly all, 236 (98%), pleaded guilty.
- 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: FY2021

**In brief:** A sentence above the guideline range went to 40 of the 240 people (17%) sentenced in fiscal year 2021 for federal theft or fraud with no recorded dollar loss. A prison term was ordered for 165 (69%), and the median prison term was 4.5 months. Nearly all, 236 (98%), pleaded guilty.

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 240 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/).

## Sentences Above the Range

Each federal sentence is measured against a guideline range set by the Sentencing Guidelines. In fiscal year 2021, all 240 people in the no-loss band had this information recorded.

Above the range: 17% (40). Within the range: 78% (187). Below the range without a government request: 3% (8). Below the range at the government's request: 2% (5).

Sentences above the range were more common than sentences below it in this year. The records do not say why a judge went above the range in any case.

## Who Went to Prison, and for How Long

A prison term went to 165 people (69%). Probation only, with no prison or other confinement, went to 67 (28%).

The median prison term was 4.5 months. The spread was wide: a quarter received 12 months or more, and a quarter received 2.9 months or less.

Over fiscal years 2016 to 2025, the no-loss band sent 69% of people to prison and had a median term of 5.2 months. The 2021 prison share was the same, and the median was lower.

## Measured Against All Theft and Fraud

Guideline §2B1.1 is the main federal guideline for theft and fraud. In fiscal year 2021, it covered 4,235 people in every loss band. That group's median prison term was 20 months, and 71% went to prison.

The no-loss group had a much shorter median prison term than the full §2B1.1 group in this year.

## Pleas and Trials

Of the 240 people, 236 pleaded guilty and 4 were convicted after a trial.

The median prison term after a guilty plea was 4.5 months. After a trial it was 6 months, but that figure rests on just 3 people convicted at trial and sent to prison.

Written plea agreements were part of 68% of the guilty pleas. Straight pleas, with no agreement, were 32%.

## Supervised Release, Fines, and Criminal History

Supervised release after prison was ordered for 110 people (46%). The median term of supervised release was 36 months.

A fine was part of the sentence for 40 people (17%). Restitution was part of it for 7 (3%). A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 6.

In category I, the lowest criminal history category, were 84% of the people. In category VI, the highest, were 2%.

## The Band From Fiscal Year 2016 to 2025

The table lists the no-loss band year by year. It shows how many people were sentenced, the median prison term, and the share who pleaded guilty in each fiscal year.

| 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%            |

## Limits on What the Data Shows

The count covers people convicted and sentenced. It leaves out acquittals and dismissals. Fiscal year 2021 ran from October 1, 2020, to September 30, 2021, and court-martial numbers are counted by trial date instead.

Court-martial records rarely give the dollar value of a larceny. They cannot be sorted by loss, so this post has no military number for comparison.

### How We Counted

People sentenced in fiscal year 2021 under guideline §2B1.1 whose recorded dollar loss falls in the band "no loss" (240), 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 2020](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-no-loss-fy2020/) (previous or next year)
- [Federal Theft and Fraud Sentences With No Dollar Loss, Fiscal Year 2022](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-no-loss-fy2022/) (previous or next year)
- [Federal Theft and Fraud Sentences With a Loss of $1,000 or Less, Fiscal Year 2021](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-1000-or-less-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.