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# Theft and Fraud Sentences in 2025: Federal Court vs. Courts-Martial
- URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-sentences-vs-courts-martial-2025/
- Published: 2026-11-03T06:10:12.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-03T06:10:12.000Z
- Description: In fiscal year 2025, 4,804 people were sentenced in federal court under guideline §2B1.1, and 75% received prison with a median term of 20.5 months. Courts-martial tried in 2025 recorded 59 Article 121 convictions for larceny, theft, and fraud. Confinement was adjudged in 76% of them, with a median
- 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/) › Theft and Fraud: 2025

**In brief:** In fiscal year 2025, 4,804 people were sentenced in federal court under guideline §2B1.1, and 75% received prison with a median term of 20.5 months. Courts-martial tried in 2025 recorded 59 Article 121 convictions for larceny, theft, and fraud. Confinement was adjudged in 76% of them, with a median of 3 months.

Updated November 3, 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 4,804 people sentenced in federal court in fiscal year 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/).

## Federal Court After a Plea and After a Trial

Most federal defendants in this group pleaded guilty: 4,624 of 4,804 (96%). The other 180 were convicted after a trial.

The median prison term after a guilty plea was 18 months. After a trial it was 60 months, based on 170 people convicted at trial and sent to prison.

Of the federal guilty pleas, 92% were made under a written plea agreement. The remaining 8% were straight pleas with no agreement.

## Court-Martial Sentences in 2025

Confinement was part of 45 of the 59 military sentences. The median adjudged confinement was 3 months, and a quarter of sentences were 6 months or more. The records also show 1 sentence of confinement for life.

These are sentences as adjudged at trial, before clemency or appeal. Federal prison terms, by contrast, are terms imposed, not time served.

A plea was recorded for 55 military convictions, and 44 (80%) were guilty pleas. After a guilty plea, the median confinement was 3 months in 33 cases. Contested convictions had a median of 3.6 months in 7 cases, a group too small to read as a pattern.

|                                    | Courts-martial, 2025                | Federal court, FY2025                  |
| ---------------------------------- | ----------------------------------- | -------------------------------------- |
| Convictions or people sentenced    | 59                                  | 4,804                                  |
| Sentenced to confinement or prison | 76%                                 | 75%                                    |
| Median confinement or prison       | 3 months                            | 20.5 months                            |
| A quarter received this or more    | 6 months                            | 40 months                              |
| Pleaded guilty                     | 44 of 55 with a plea recorded (80%) | 96%                                    |
| Mandatory minimum applied          | See the caveats                     | 421 of 4,802 with the information (9%) |

## Discharge and Dismissal

Of the 54 enlisted members convicted, 31 (57%) received a punitive discharge. There were 2 dishonorable discharges and 29 bad-conduct discharges.

Officers accounted for 4 convictions, and 2 were dismissed. A general court-martial decided 18 of the 59 convictions (31%).

The Army had 25 of the convictions. The Navy and the Marine Corps had 13 each, and the Air Force had 8.

## The Wider Federal Sentence

Prison was imposed on 3,616 federal defendants, and probation only on 974 (20%). Among those sent to prison, a quarter received 40 months or more and a quarter received 6 months or less.

Supervised release was ordered after prison for 3,489 people (73%), with a median of 36 months; 1 person received it for life. Restitution was ordered for 3,959 (82%) and a fine for 387 (8%). A mandatory minimum applied to 421 (9%).

Among the 4,803 sentences with guideline information, 41% (1,974) were within the range. Below the range at the government's request were 27% (1,315), below without such a request 29% (1,385), and above the range 3% (129).

## Matching the Years and the Offenses

The court-martial count uses trial dates in calendar 2025\. Federal fiscal year 2025 ran from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2025, so the periods overlap only in part.

Guideline §2B1.1 is wider than Article 121\. It covers embezzlement and property damage as well as theft and fraud.

Federal records show 74% of these defendants in criminal history category I and 4% in category VI. Court-martial records do not record criminal history.

## 2025 Within the Full Data

Over 2016 to 2025, the data has 626 court-martial convictions with a median confinement of 5 months. Over fiscal years 2016 to 2025, it has 53,639 federal sentences with a median prison term of 21 months.

The records do not describe the conduct in each case, the amount of loss in the military cases, or the reasons a sentence was chosen.

| Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
| ----------- | ---------------- | ------------- | -------------- |
| 2016        | 7,104            | 22.2 months   | 95%            |
| 2017        | 6,358            | 24 months     | 95%            |
| 2018        | 5,948            | 24 months     | 95%            |
| 2019        | 5,707            | 22 months     | 95%            |
| 2020        | 4,356            | 18 months     | 96%            |
| 2021        | 4,235            | 20 months     | 98%            |
| 2022        | 5,208            | 21 months     | 96%            |
| 2023        | 4,904            | 21 months     | 95%            |
| 2024        | 5,015            | 20 months     | 96%            |
| 2025        | 4,804            | 20.5 months   | 96%            |

### How We Counted

Courts-martial with a trial date in 2025 ending in a conviction for larceny, theft, and fraud (Article 121; federal guideline §2B1.1) (59). Federal: people sentenced in fiscal year 2025 under primary guideline §2B1.1 (theft, embezzlement, fraud, and property damage) (4,804), U.S. Sentencing Commission.

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

**Who is in each set of numbers.** The federal sentencing numbers come from the U.S. Sentencing Commission. They count only people who were convicted and sentenced in federal district court. People whose cases were dismissed or who were acquitted are not in them. The military numbers come from court-martial results, which include acquittals. To compare acquittal or dismissal rates, the federal side uses a different source: the Federal Judicial Center's case data, which counts every defendant whose case ended.

**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.

**Military confinement credit and parole.** For military sentences adjudged after 2004, good conduct time is 5 days for each month of confinement, about 16%. Military prisoners can also earn up to 8 more days a month for work and programs and up to 2 days a month for special acts, with a limit of 15 days a month in total. Military prisoners can be considered for parole by their service's clemency and parole board. The military numbers in this post are the confinement adjudged at trial, not the time served.

**Military sentences include punishments federal sentences do not.** A court-martial sentence can include a punitive discharge (bad-conduct discharge, dishonorable discharge, or dismissal for officers), reduction in rank, and forfeiture of pay. These have no federal counterpart. A comparison of months of confinement leaves them out. A short confinement term combined with a dishonorable discharge is a heavier sentence than the months alone show.

**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.

**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.

## 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)
- [Theft and Fraud Sentences in 2024: Federal Court vs. Courts-Martial](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-sentences-vs-courts-martial-2024/) (previous or next year)
- [Theft and Fraud Sentences Since the 2023 Military Sentencing Reform: What the Data Shows So Far](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-2023-sentencing-reform-so-far/)
- [Theft and Fraud: Federal Sentences vs. Air Force Courts-Martial, 2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-vs-air-force/)
- [Theft and Fraud: Federal Sentences vs. Army Courts-Martial](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-vs-army/)
- [Theft and Fraud: Federal Sentences vs. Marine Corps Courts-Martial](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-vs-marine-corps/)
- [Theft and Fraud: Federal Sentences vs. Navy Courts-Martial, 2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-vs-navy/)
- [Theft and Fraud: Courts-Martial at Bremerton vs. Federal Court in the Western District of Washington](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-bremerton-vs-western-district-of-washington/)
- [Theft and Fraud: Courts-Martial at Camp Lejeune vs. Federal Court in the Eastern District of North Carolina](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-camp-lejeune-vs-eastern-district-of-north-carolina/)
- [Theft and Fraud: Courts-Martial at Camp Pendleton vs. Federal Court in the Southern District of California](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-theft-fraud-camp-pendleton-vs-southern-district-of-california/)
- [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.