> ## 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 2023 - URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-no-loss-fy2023/ - Published: 2026-11-03T06:12:11.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-03T06:12:11.000Z - Description: In fiscal year 2023, the Sentencing Commission counted 162 people sentenced for federal theft or fraud whose loss band was no loss. Prison was ordered for 115 (71%), and the median prison term was 6 months. Supervised release after prison was ordered for 94 (58%), and no one in the group was ordered - 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: FY2023 **In brief:** In fiscal year 2023, the Sentencing Commission counted 162 people sentenced for federal theft or fraud whose loss band was no loss. Prison was ordered for 115 (71%), and the median prison term was 6 months. Supervised release after prison was ordered for 94 (58%), and no one in the group was ordered to pay restitution. 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 162 people sentenced in federal court in fiscal year 2023\. 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/). ## Orders Beyond Prison A federal sentence can include more than a prison term. In fiscal year 2023, 94 of the 162 people (58%) were ordered to serve supervised release after prison. The median supervised release term was 36 months. Fines were ordered for 27 people (17%). Restitution was ordered for 0 people (0%). Restitution is a court order to repay a victim. The records show no restitution order for anyone sentenced in this band in fiscal year 2023. A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 4 people. ## How Long Were the Prison Terms? Of the 115 people sent to prison, the median term was 6 months. A quarter received 10 months or more. At the low end, a quarter received 0.4 months or less. That means some prison terms in this group were very short. The band's median across fiscal years 2016 to 2025 was 5.2 months. The median in fiscal year 2023 was higher. ## Prison Compared With Probation Probation only, with no prison or other confinement, went to 42 people (26%). Prison went to 115 (71%). The all-years prison share for this band was 69%. For every §2B1.1 theft and fraud case in fiscal year 2023, it was 75%. The 4,904 people in that full group had a median prison term of 21 months, much longer than the no-loss median. ## Guilty Pleas and the 6 Trials A guilty plea ended 156 of the 162 cases (96%). The remaining 6 people were convicted after a trial. People who pleaded guilty and went to prison had a median term of 6 months. People convicted at trial and sent to prison had a median of 12 months. Only 5 people are in that trial figure, which is too few to describe trials in general. Among the guilty pleas, 67% included a written plea agreement. Straight pleas with no agreement made up 32%. ## Sentences and the Guideline Range For all 162 people, the records show where the sentence fell against the guideline range. Within the range: 77% (124). Above the range: 12% (19). Below the range without a government request: 7% (12). Below the range at the government's request: 4% (7). On criminal history, 80% were in category I, the lowest, and 4% were in category VI, the highest. ## The No-Loss Band in Each Fiscal Year The table gives the count, the median prison term, and the guilty plea rate for each fiscal year in this band. | 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% | ## What a Reader Cannot Learn Here The data includes convicted and sentenced people only. It does not include acquittals or dismissals. Fiscal years run from October 1 to September 30, while court-martial counts use trial dates. Court-martial records rarely say how much a larceny was worth, so a court-martial group with no loss cannot be identified. Military records also lack a criminal history field. ### How We Counted People sentenced in fiscal year 2023 under guideline §2B1.1 whose recorded dollar loss falls in the band "no loss" (162), 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 2022](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-no-loss-fy2022/) (previous or next year) - [Federal Theft and Fraud Sentences With No Dollar Loss, Fiscal Year 2024](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-no-loss-fy2024/) (previous or next year) - [Federal Theft and Fraud Sentences With a Loss of $1,000 or Less, Fiscal Year 2023](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-1000-or-less-fy2023/) (same year, other loss band) - [Federal Theft and Fraud Sentences With a Loss of $1,001 to $15,000, Fiscal Year 2023](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-1001-to-15000-fy2023/) (same year, other loss band) - [Federal Theft and Fraud Sentences With a Loss of $15,001 to $95,000, Fiscal Year 2023](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-15001-to-95000-fy2023/) (same year, other loss band) - [Federal Theft and Fraud Sentences With a Loss of $95,001 to $550,000, Fiscal Year 2023](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-95001-to-550000-fy2023/) (same year, other loss band) - [Federal Theft and Fraud Sentences With a Loss of $550,001 to $3.5 Million, Fiscal Year 2023](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-550001-to-3-5-million-fy2023/) (same year, other loss band) - [Federal Theft and Fraud Sentences With a Loss Over $3.5 Million, Fiscal Year 2023](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-over-3-5-million-fy2023/) (same year, other loss band) - [Federal Theft and Fraud Sentences With the Loss Amount Not Specified, Fiscal Year 2023](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-not-specified-fy2023/) (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.