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# Federal Theft and Fraud Sentences With a Loss Over $3.5 Million, Fiscal Year 2020
- URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-over-3-5-million-fy2020/
- Published: 2026-11-03T06:12:36.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-03T06:12:36.000Z
- Description: In fiscal year 2020, 265 people received a federal sentence for theft or fraud with a loss over $3.5 million, the lowest yearly count for this band from 2016 to 2025. Of the 265, 250 (94%) went to prison, and their median prison term was 57 months (4.8 years).
- 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 Over $3.5 Mill](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-over-3-5-million/) › over $3.5 million: FY2020

**In brief:** In fiscal year 2020, 265 people received a federal sentence for theft or fraud with a loss over $3.5 million, the lowest yearly count for this band from 2016 to 2025\. Of the 265, 250 (94%) went to prison, and their median prison term was 57 months (4.8 years).

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 265 people sentenced in federal court in fiscal year 2020\. 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 Smaller Group Than in Other Years

The yearly table for this loss band runs from fiscal year 2016 to fiscal year 2025\. No year in it has fewer people than 2020, with 265\. Fiscal year 2021 followed with 311.

Across every loss band, 4,356 people were sentenced under guideline §2B1.1 that year. The records show the count, not what produced it.

| Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
| ----------- | ---------------- | ------------- | -------------- |
| 2016        | 401              | 60 months     | 85%            |
| 2017        | 449              | 57 months     | 86%            |
| 2018        | 390              | 60 months     | 85%            |
| 2019        | 369              | 60 months     | 86%            |
| 2020        | 265              | 57 months     | 85%            |
| 2021        | 311              | 48 months     | 92%            |
| 2022        | 391              | 54 months     | 87%            |
| 2023        | 371              | 51.5 months   | 89%            |
| 2024        | 452              | 48 months     | 92%            |
| 2025        | 443              | 48 months     | 90%            |

## Prison Terms and Probation

Of the 265 people, 250 were given a prison term (94%). Probation only, without prison or other confinement, went to 11 people (4%).

The median prison term was 57 months. That is the middle term, with equal numbers above and below. A quarter of those in prison received 30 months or less, and a quarter received 96 months or more.

For all §2B1.1 cases in 2020, the median prison term was 18 months and 72% went to prison. The over-$3.5 million group had the longer median and the higher prison share.

## Sentences Below the Guideline Range

Sentences below the guideline range were split almost evenly between 2 kinds. At the government's request, 101 people (38%) received a below-range sentence. Without a government request, 100 people (38%) did.

Within-range sentences numbered 58 (22%). Above-range sentences numbered 6 (2%). The records include all 265 people for this measure, but they do not record reasons.

## What Changed When a Case Went to Trial?

There were 41 trial convictions in 2020 and 224 guilty pleas (85%). All 41 people convicted at trial were sent to prison, and their median prison term was 84 months. The median after a guilty plea was 51 months.

Those figures compare groups, not matched cases. A case that goes to trial can differ from a pleaded case in its facts and charges, and the data cannot separate those factors.

Among guilty pleas, 93% were made under a written plea agreement. Straight pleas, without an agreement, were 5%.

## Restitution, Supervision, and Criminal History

Restitution orders covered 236 people (89%). Fines covered 20 (8%). Supervised release after prison was ordered for 247 people (93%), with a median of 36 months.

A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 14 people (5%). Criminal history category I, the lowest, included 83% of the group. Category VI, the highest, included 3%.

## Reading the 2020 Numbers

With 265 people, the 2020 group is smaller than in other years, and percentages based on it can move more from year to year. Across fiscal years 2016 to 2025, this band had 3,842 people and a median prison term of 54 months.

Fiscal year 2020 ran from October 1, 2019, to September 30, 2020\. Only convicted and sentenced people are counted, so acquittals and dismissals are missing. Court-martial records rarely include the dollar value of a larceny, which rules out a military comparison by loss band.

### How We Counted

People sentenced in fiscal year 2020 under guideline §2B1.1 whose recorded dollar loss falls in the band "over $3.5 million" (265), 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 Over $3.5 Million, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-over-3-5-million/) (overview)
- [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/) (previous or next year)
- [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/) (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/) (same year, other loss band)
- [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/) (same year, other loss band)
- [Federal Theft and Fraud Sentences With a Loss of $1,001 to $15,000, Fiscal Year 2020](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-1001-to-15000-fy2020/) (same year, other loss band)
- [Federal Theft and Fraud Sentences With a Loss of $15,001 to $95,000, Fiscal Year 2020](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-15001-to-95000-fy2020/) (same year, other loss band)
- [Federal Theft and Fraud Sentences With a Loss of $95,001 to $550,000, Fiscal Year 2020](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-95001-to-550000-fy2020/) (same year, other loss band)
- [Federal Theft and Fraud Sentences With a Loss of $550,001 to $3.5 Million, Fiscal Year 2020](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-550001-to-3-5-million-fy2020/) (same year, other loss band)
- [Federal Theft and Fraud Sentences With the Loss Amount Not Specified, Fiscal Year 2020](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-loss-not-specified-fy2020/) (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.