Overview of Federal Criminal Cases
Fiscal Year 2015

U N I T E D STAT E S SE N T E NC I NG COM M ISSION

United States Sentencing Commission
One Columbus Circle, N.E.
Washington, DC 20002
www.ussc.gov

Patti B. Saris
Chair
Charles R. Breyer
Vice Chair
Dabney L. Friedrich
Commissioner
Rachel E. Barkow
Commissioner
William H. Pryor, Jr.
Commissioner
Michelle Morales
Ex Officio
J. Patricia Wilson Smoot
Ex Officio

Kenneth P. Cohen
Staff Director
Glenn R. Schmitt
Director
Office of Research and Data

June 2016

Overview of Federal Criminal Cases – Fiscal Year 2015

Overview of Federal Criminal Cases
Fiscal Year 2015

The  United  States  Sentencing  Commission1  
Glenn R. Schmitt, J.D., M.P.P.
received  information  on  71,184  federal  criminal  
Director
cases  in  which  the  offender  was  sentenced  in  fiscal  
Office of Research and Data
year  2015.2  Among  these  cases,  71,003  involved  
Elizabeth Jones, M.A.
an  individual  offender  and  181  involved  a  
Research Associate
corporation  or  other  “organizational”  offender.  The  
Office of Research and Data
Commission  also  received  information  on  24,743  
cases  in  which  the  court  resentenced  the  offender  
or  modified  the  sentence  that  had  been  previously  imposed.  This  publication  provides  
an  overview  of  those  cases.  

The Case Load at a Glance
The  71,003  individual  original  cases  reported  to  the  Commission  in  fiscal  year  2015  
represent  a  decrease  of  4,833  (6.4%)  cases  from  fiscal  year  2014.  Since  fiscal  year  
2011,  the  year  in  which  the  largest  number  of  offenders  were  sentenced,3  the  number  of  
offenders  sentenced  in  the  federal  courts  has  fallen  steadily,  for  a  total  decrease  of  17.6  
percent.    In  fiscal  year  2015,  fewer  cases  were  reported  for  virtually  every  type  of  
offense  than  in  the  prior  fiscal  year.  
For  more  than  a  decade,  
cases  involving  drugs,  
immigration,  fraud,  or  firearms  
constituted  the  vast  majority  
of  federal  felonies  and  Class  
A  misdemeanors.  This  trend  
continued  in  fiscal  year  2015,  
as  these  crimes  accounted  for  
81.6  percent  of  all  cases  
reported  to  the  Commission.  

Figure 1. Number of Offenders Over Time
Fiscal Years 2006 - 2015

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United States Sentencing Commission

Drugs
Drug  cases  continued  to  be  the  
most  common  type  of  federal  
case.  The  22,631  drug  cases  
reported  to  the  Commission  in  
fiscal  year  2015  accounted  for  
31.8  percent  of  all  cases  report  
to  the  Commission.  Most  of  
those  cases  (88.5%)  involved  
drug  trafficking  offenses.  

Figure 2. Offenders in Each Primary Offense Category
Fiscal Year 2015

Immigration
Immigration  cases  were  the  next  
most  common,  accounting  for  
29.3  percent  of  the  total  federal  
caseload.  In  fiscal  year  2011,  
immigration  cases  were  the  most  
common  federal  crime;;  however,  
since  that  year  the  number  of  
these  cases  has  steadily  
declined.    The  20,771  
immigration  cases  reported  to  
the  Commission  in  2015  
represent  a  6.6  percent  decrease  
from  2014,  and  a  30.1  percent  
decrease  from  2011.  

Figure 3. Immigration Offenses Over Time
Fiscal Years 2006 - 2015

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Overview of Federal Criminal Cases – Fiscal Year 2015

Fraud
There  were  7,420  fraud  cases  in  fiscal  year  2015,  accounting  for  10.5  percent  of  the  total  
federal  caseload;;  however,  this  number  represents  a  2.5  percent  reduction  from  the  year  
before.    Finally,  there  were  7,069  firearms  cases  reported  to  the  Commission  in  fiscal  
year  2015.  These  cases  accounted  for  10.0  percent  of  the  caseload,  about  the  same  
portion  of  the  overall  caseload  that  they  represented  in  fiscal  year  2010.  However,  this  
number  represents  a  10.8  percent  decline  in  firearms  cases  from  fiscal  year  2014.  

Individual Offender Characteristics
Gender
Most  criminal  offenders  are  men,  and  their  proportion  of  the  total  offender  population  has  
remained  constant  for  more  than  a  decade.  In  fiscal  year  2015,  86.2  percent  of  all  
offenders  were  men,  compared  with  86.8  percent  in  fiscal  year  2010,  and  86.4  percent  in  
fiscal  year  2005.  Among  female  offenders,  the  most  common  crime  was  drug  trafficking  
(committed  by  30.7%  of  all  women  
Figure 4a. Gender and Race of Offenders
offenders).  Embezzlement  continues  to  be  
Fiscal Year 2015
the  only  crime  for  which  female  offenders  
outnumber  male  offenders  (55.8%  to  44.2%),  
although  the  number  of  these  cases  (342)  is  
small  when  compared  to  other  offense  types.  

Race
In  fiscal  year  2015,  52.7  percent  of  all  federal  
offenders  were  Hispanic,  while  23.5  percent  
were  White,  and  19.8  percent  were  Black.  
The  racial  composition  of  offenders  varied  
widely  across  offense  types.  For  example,  
most  Hispanic  offenders  (79.5%)  were  
sentenced  for  one  of  two  types  of  offenses  —  
immigration  or  drug  trafficking  crimes.  
Among  drug  offenders,  racial  and  ethnic  
background  varied  depending  on  the  type  of  
drug  involved  in  the  crime.  

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United States Sentencing Commission

Citizenship
A  majority  of  federal  offenders  are  United  
States  citizens  (58.5%).  Most  non-­citizen  
offenders  committed  an  immigration  
offense  (66.0%).  The  next  most  common  
offense  type  among  non-­citizen  offenders  
was  drug  trafficking  (17.8%).  

Figure 4b. Citizenship of Offenders
Fiscal Year 2015

Age
The  average  age  of  offenders  in  fiscal  
year  2015  was  36  years  old,  only  a  slight  
increase  from  the  average  age  of  35  for  
offenders  sentenced  in  fiscal  years  2005  or  2010.  Almost  half  of  all  federal  offenders  
sentenced  in  fiscal  year  2015  (45.3%)  had  not  completed  high  school,  and  only  6.3  
percent  of  offenders  had  completed  college.  

Case Disposition
In  fiscal  year  2015  the  vast  majority  of  offenders  (97.1%)  pleaded  guilty.  Among  those  
offenders  who  did,  50.7  percent  received  a  sentence  below  the  applicable  sentencing  
guideline  range.  Almost  sixty  percent  (59.3%)  of  these  below  range  sentences  were  
requested  by  the  government,  usually  because  the  defendant  had  provided  substantial  
assistance  to  the  government  or  had  agreed  to  have  his  or  her  case  handled  as  part  of  
an  early  disposition  program.  In  comparison,  in  the  2.9  percent  of  cases  where  the  
offender  did  not  plead  guilty,  46.7  percent  received  a  sentence  below  the  guideline  
range,  although  only  10.6  percent  of  those  below  range  sentences  were  requested  by  
the  government.  
Figure 5. Type of Sentence Imposed
Fiscal Year 2015

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Most  federal  offenders  
convicted  of  a  felony  or  Class  A  
misdemeanor  received  a  
sentence  of  incarceration.  In  
fiscal  year  2015,  an  
imprisonment  sentence  was  
imposed  on  87.3  percent  of  all  
offenders.  Another  7.2  percent  
of  offenders  received  a  
sentence  of  probation  (i.e.,  
where  no  type  of  confinement  
was  imposed),  a  rate  that  has  
decreased  over  time  from  a  

  
  
  
  

Overview of Federal Criminal Cases – Fiscal Year 2015

  

high  of  15.3  percent  in  1990.4  Among  those  offenders  in  fiscal  year  2015  not  sentenced  
to  one  of  these  two  types  of  sentence,  2.6  percent  were  sentenced  to  periods  of  
probation  and  some  type  of  confinement  and  2.9  percent  were  sentenced  to  a  
combination  of  imprisonment  and  community  confinement,  such  as  in  a  half-­way  house  
or  home  confinement.5  
  

The  length  of  imprisonment  imposed  on  
Almost three-quarters of
offenders  varies  greatly  depending  on  the  
offenders sentenced in fiscal
seriousness  of  the  offense  and  the  criminal  
year 2015 received a sentence
history  of  the  offender.  Offenders  
committing  murder  received  the  longest  
of less than five years.
terms  of  confinement  in  fiscal  year  2015,  at  
287  months  on  average.  Crimes  involving  violations  of  environment  and  wildlife  statutes  
were  punished  least  severely,  with  offenders  receiving  confinement  sentences  of  four  
months,  on  average.  
Overall,  71.3  percent  of  offenders  received  a  sentence  of  less  than  five  years,  16.5  
percent  of  offenders  received  a  sentence  of  five  years  or  longer  but  less  than  ten  years,  
and  12.1  percent  received  a  sentence  of  ten  years  or  longer.  In  fiscal  year  2015,  144  
federal  offenders  were  sentenced  to  life  imprisonment  while  one  offender  was  sentenced  
to  death.  
Fines  were  imposed  in  8.8  percent  of  all  cases  in  which  an  individual  was  sentenced  in  
fiscal  year  2015,  either  as  the  sole  punishment  or  combined  with  some  other  sanction.  
Fines  were  most  commonly  imposed  in  antitrust  cases  (73.4%),  environmental  cases  
(60.2%),  and  gambling/lottery  cases  (49.4%).  When  the  offender  was  an  organization,  
courts  imposed  a  fine  in  just  under  two  thirds  of  cases  (64.6%).  
Courts  ordered  restitution  to  be  paid  to  the  victim  of  the  crime  in  14.3  percent  of  all  cases  
in  which  an  individual  was  the  offender.    Restitution  was  most  commonly  ordered  in  
cases  involving  embezzlement  (86.3%),  robbery  (79.3%),  arson  (78.0%),  larceny  
(77.6%),  tax  (75.4%),  and  fraud  (72.9%).  Restitution  was  ordered  in  30.9  percent  of  the  
cases  where  the  offender  was  an  organization.  
Most  offenders  who  were  sentenced  to  imprisonment  also  were  sentenced  to  serve  a  
period  of  supervised  release  following  the  completion  of  their  confinement.  In  fiscal  year  
2015,  80.8  percent  of  offenders  sentenced  to  incarceration  also  were  sentenced  to  serve  
a  period  of  supervised  release.  The  average  length  of  supervised  release  imposed  was  
47  months,  and  the  median  length  was  36  months.  In  immigration  cases,  the  rate  of  
imposition  of  supervised  release  was  58.9  percent,  reflecting  the  fact  that  many  
immigration  offenders  are  ordered  deported  from  the  United  States  once  they  complete  
their  incarceration  sentence.  

  

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United States Sentencing Commission

The Most Common Crimes
Drugs
Drug  offenses  were  the  most  common  federal  crimes  in  fiscal  year  2015.  Most  of  the  
22,631  drug  cases  involved  the  manufacture,  sale,  or  transportation  of  a  drug,6   while  
2,277  of  those  cases  involved  the  simple  possession  of  a  drug.  
The  total  number  of  drug  cases  reported  to  the  
Commission  fell  for  the  third  consecutive  year.  
However,  cases  involving  methamphetamine  
(6,468  cases)  and  heroin  (2,744  cases)  both  
increased  over  the  number  of  such  cases  
reported  in  fiscal  year  2014.  

Methamphetamine offenses
were the most common drug
trafficking offenses in fiscal
year 2015.

For  the  first  time  since  the  Commission  began  reporting  sentencing  data,  
methamphetamine  offenses  were  the  most  common  drug  cases,  representing  28.5  
percent  of  all  drug  crimes.  The  number  of  methamphetamine  cases  has  increased  
substantially  since  1994,  when  those  cases  accounted  for  only  6.4  percent  of  all  drug  
cases.  
Offenses  involving  cocaine,  in  either  powder  form  or  base  (crack)  form,  were  the  second  
most  common  drug  crimes,  accounting  for  26.6  percent  of  all  drug  offenders  sentenced.  
Powder  cocaine  cases  accounted  for  18.4  percent  of  all  drug  cases  while  crack  cocaine  
cases  accounted  for  8.2  percent.  The  number  of  crack  cocaine  cases  has  fallen  
substantially  since  fiscal  year  2008,  the  year  in  which  the  largest  number  of  those  cases  
were  reported  to  the  Commission.    That  year,  the  6,168  crack  cocaine  cases  
represented  24.3  percent  of  all  drug  cases.  
  
  
  

Figure 6. Average Prison Sentence by Primary Drug Type
Fiscal Year 2015

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Overview of Federal Criminal Cases – Fiscal Year 2015

  

Of  the  remaining  drug  cases,  marijuana  cases  accounted  for  24.8  percent  of  the  cases,  
heroin  for  12.1  percent,  and  cases  involving  other  drugs,  mostly  prescription  drugs  such  
as  oxycodone,  accounted  for  8.0  percent  of  all  drug  offenses.  
Most  drug  offenders  were  United  States  citizens,  although  the  citizenship  of  drug  
offenders  varied  widely  depending  on  the  type  of  drug  involved  in  the  offense.  For  
example,  98.0  percent  of  crack  cocaine  offenders  were  United  States  citizens,  while  only  
53.4  percent  of  marijuana  offenders  were  citizens.  
The  race  of  drug  offenders  varied  even  more  widely  by  the  type  of  drug  involved  in  the  
offense.  Almost  half  (48.4%)  of  all  drug  offenders  convicted  in  federal  court  were  
Hispanic,  while  Black  offenders  constituted  24.2  percent  of  all  drug  offenders,  and  White  
offenders  were  24.3  percent  of  all  drug  offenders.  Yet,  in  crack  cocaine  cases,  79.9  
percent  of  those  convicted  were  Black,  and  in  “other”  drug  cases  56.5  percent  of  the  
offenders  were  White.  In  marijuana  cases,  68.6  percent  off  those  convicted  were  
Hispanic.  
Weapons  were  involved  in  17.2  percent  of  all  
drug  offenses.  As  with  the  other  aspects  of  
these  cases,  the  rate  of  weapon  involvement  
varied  depending  on  the  type  of  drug  involved,  
ranging  from  30.2  percent  in  crack  cocaine  
cases  to  9.4  percent  in  marijuana  cases.  

Methamphetamine offenses
were the most severely
punished drug crime in fiscal
year 2015.

The  length  of  sentences  imposed  in  drug  cases  decreased  for  all  drug  types  in  fiscal  
year  2015.  The  largest  reduction  in  average  sentence  occurred  in  cases  involving  crack  
cocaine,  where  the  average  length  of  imprisonment  decreased  to  84  months  (with  a  
median  sentence  of  65  months),  which  was  a  9.7  percent  from  fiscal  year  2014.  The  
average  sentence  in  crack  cocaine  cases  has  decreased  steadily  each  year,  from  a  high  
of  129  months  in  fiscal  year  2007.  
For  more  than  20  years,  crack  cocaine  offenses  were  the  most  severely  punished  
among  all  drug  offenses.  However,  in  fiscal  year  2015,  methamphetamine  offenses  
became  the  most  severely  punished  drug  crime,  with  an  average  length  of  imprisonment  
of  87  months  (and  a  median  sentence  of  70  months).    Marijuana  offenders  had  the  
lowest  average  imprisonment  in  fiscal  year  2015  at  32  months  (with  a  median  sentence  
of  20  months).  
Several  factors  can  affect  the  average  prison  sentence  imposed  in  drug  offenses,  
including  statutory  mandatory  minimum  punishments,  the  quantity  of  the  drugs  involved  
in  the  case,  the  prior  criminal  history  of  the  offender,  and  whether  the  offender  assisted  
the  government  in  the  investigation  of  his  or  her  crime  and  other  crimes.  Mandatory  
minimum  sentences  enacted  by  Congress  play  a  large  part  in  determining  the  sentence  
for  drug  offenders,  either  outright  or  through  the  impact  of  these  statutes  on  the  structure  
of  the  guidelines.7  In  fiscal  year  2015,  just  under  half  (45.8%)  of  all  drug  offenders  were  
convicted  of  an  offense  carrying  a  mandatory  minimum  penalty;;  however,  this  proportion  
was  the  lowest  it  has  been  since  1993,  the  year  in  which  the  Commission  began  
  

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United States Sentencing Commission

reporting  data  on  the  rate  at  which  mandatory  minimum  penalties  were  applied  in  federal  
cases.  This  significant  reduction  was  due,  in  large  part,  to  a  change  in  the  policy  of  the  
Department  of  Justice  in  2013  as  to  how  to  charge  drug  cases.8
In  fiscal  year  2015,  powder  cocaine  offenders  and  methamphetamine  offenders  were  
convicted  of  an  offense  that  provided  for  the  imposition  of  a  mandatory  minimum  
sentence  at  the  highest  rates  –  61.9  percent  in  powder  cocaine  cases  and  54.5  percent  
in  methamphetamine  cases.9  Mandatory  minimum  penalties  were  least  common  in  drug  
cases  involving  “other”  drugs  (which  are  mostly  prescription  drugs)  and  marijuana,  
accounting  for  4.1  percent  and  28.9  percent,  respectively,  of  those  cases.  
Many  offenders  convicted  of  an  offense  
The proportion of drug offenders
carrying  a  mandatory  minimum  penalty  are  
able  to  obtain  relief  from  that  penalty  through  
convicted of an offense
the  “safety  valve”  exception  to  such  
carrying a mandatory minimum
sentences,  which  requires  courts  to  sentence  
penalty was the lowest it has
the  offender  without  regard  to  any  otherwise  
been since 1993.
applicable  mandatory  minimum  punishment  
10    
when  certain  conditions  are  met. Powder  
cocaine  offenders  obtained  relief  from  a  mandatory  minimum  sentence  through  the  use  
of  the  safety  valve  most  often,  in  22.7  percent  of  all  powder  cocaine  cases  in  which  a  
mandatory  minimum  penalty  applied.  In  contrast,  only  3.6  percent  of  crack  cocaine  
offenders  obtained  this  relief.  
This  difference  is  due  largely  to  the  differing  criminal  histories  of  powder  cocaine  and  
crack  cocaine  offenders.  In  fiscal  year  2015,  58.3  percent  of  powder  cocaine  offenders  
were  assigned  to  Criminal  History  Category  I  (offenders  with  a  criminal  history  score  
under  the  sentencing  guidelines  of  zero  or  one)  while  just  18.6  percent  of  crack  cocaine  
offenders  were  assigned  to  that  category.  Only  offenders  assigned  to  Criminal  History  
Category  I  are  eligible  to  receive  the  benefit  of  the  safety  valve.  
Overall,  crack  cocaine  offenders  continue  to  have,  on  average,  a  more  serious  criminal  
history  than  any  other  category  of  drug  offender.11  Crack  cocaine  offenders  were  
assigned  to  the  most  serious  criminal  history  category  (CHC  VI)  in  28.8  percent  of  all  
crack  cocaine  cases.  In  contrast,  powder  cocaine  offenders  were  assigned  to  CHC  VI  in  
only  8.9  percent  of  cases.  By  comparison,  17.1  percent  of  heroin  offenders  were  
assigned  to  CHC  VI  and  14.2  percent  of  methamphetamine  offenders  were  assigned  to  
CHC  VI.  Offenders  convicted  of  marijuana  offenses  generally  had  the  least  serious  
criminal  histories,  with  59.5  percent  assigned  to  CHC  I  and  only  3.8  percent  to  CHC  VI.  
An  offender’s  role  in  the  offense  also  can  affect  the  guideline  range  that  judges  consider  
when  imposing  punishment.  In  fiscal  year  2015,  judges  in  16.7  percent  of  all  drug  cases  
determined  that  the  applicable  guideline  range  should  be  lowered  because  of  the  
offender’s  minor  or  minimal  role  in  the  offense.    In  marijuana  cases,  this  adjustment  to  
the  guideline  range  occurred  27.2  percent  of  the  time.  In  contrast,  courts  found  such  an  
adjustment  warranted  in  only  4.3  percent  of  crack  cocaine  cases.  In  7.7  percent  of  all  
drug  cases,  the  court  determined  that  the  applicable  guideline  range  should  be  
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Overview of Federal Criminal Cases – Fiscal Year 2015

  
  
  
  

increased  because  of  the  offender’s  role  as  an  organizer,  leader,  manager,  or  
supervisor.  
  

  
Immigration
Immigration  offenses12  were  the  second  most  common  federal  crime  in  fiscal  year  2015,  
representing  29.3  percent  of  the  cases  reported  to  the  Commission.  This  number  
represents  a  6.6  percent  decrease  from  fiscal  year  2014.  The  majority  of  these  offenses  
involved  either  the  unlawful  reentry  into  the  United  States  or  unlawfully  remaining  in  the  
United  States  without  authority  (81.9%).  Another  11.9  percent  were  alien  smuggling  
offenses.    The  average  sentence  in  immigration  cases  in  fiscal  year  2015  was  15  
months.  
Offenders  sentenced  under  the  immigration  guidelines  differ  from  other  federal  offenders  
in  several  ways.  For  example,  although  United  States  citizens  committed  the  majority  of  
all  federal  crimes  (58.5%)  in  fiscal  year  2015,  the  overwhelming  majority  (92.1%)  of  
immigration  offenses  were  committed  by  non-­citizens.13  Similarly,  while  Hispanics  
accounted  for  only  32.2  percent  of  non-­immigration  offenders,  they  account  for  95.4  
percent  of  immigration  offenders.  Also,  immigration  offenders  had  significantly  less  
education  than  other  offenders.  Over  80  percent  (80.7%)  of  immigration  offenders  had  
less  than  a  high  school  education,  compared  with  less  than  31.4  percent  of  offenders  
convicted  of  other  crimes.  While  men  committed  most  federal  crimes  not  involving  an  
immigration  offense  (83.6%),  men  committed  an  even  higher  proportion  of  immigration  
crimes  (93.1%).  
  
  

Fraud
Fraud  crimes  accounted  for  the  third  largest  portion  (10.5%)  of  the  total  federal  criminal  
convictions  for  fiscal  year  2015.    The  7,420  fraud  cases  reported  to  the  Commission  
were  a  decrease  of  2.5  percent  from  the  number  of  fraud  cases  reported  the  prior  year.  
The  losses  in  these  cases  ranged  from  no  loss  (134  cases)  to  more  than  $7  billion,  with  
an  average  loss  amount  of  $2,909,541  and  a  median  loss  amount  of  $213,831.  Identity  
theft  crimes14  accounted  for  a  relatively  small  number  (886)  of  these  cases  in  fiscal  year  
2015.    The  average  sentence  imposed  in  fraud  cases  in  fiscal  year  2015  was  27  months.  

  
  

Firearms and other weapons
Crimes  involving  firearms  or  other  dangerous  weapons15  accounted  for  10.0  percent  of  
the  total  number  of  federal  criminal  convictions  in  fiscal  year  2015.  The  7,069  firearms  
cases  reported  to  the  Commission  represent  a  decrease  of  10.8  percent  from  the  prior  
year.  Of  all  firearms  cases,  25.7  percent  involved  the  possession  or  use  of  a  firearm  in  
connection  with  a  crime  of  violence  or  drug  trafficking  crime.16      More  than  half  of  firearms  
  

9

  
  
  
  

United States Sentencing Commission

  

cases  (53.2%)  involved  the  illegal  possessed  a  firearm,  usually  by  a  convicted  felon.17  
The  average  sentence  imposed  in  firearms  cases  was  79  months.  
Cases  other  than  firearms  prosecutions  also  
Ten percent of all federal
may  involve  the  possession  or  use  of  a  
criminal convictions involved a
dangerous  weapon.  In  the  cases  with  
complete  guideline  application  information  
firearm or other dangerous
reported  to  the  Commission  in  fiscal  year  
weapon.
2015,  the  sentences  imposed  in  8.8  percent  of  
the  cases  were  enhanced  (either  through  
application  of  specific  offense  characteristics  under  the  guidelines  when  available  or  by  
statute)  because  a  firearm  or  other  dangerous  weapon  (e.g.,  knife)  was  involved  in  the  
offense.  In  drug  cases,  a  weapon  was  involved  at  a  rate  (17.2%)  more  than  twice  that  of  
all  cases  generally.  Among  drug  cases,  weapons  were  present  most  often  in  crack  
cocaine  cases  (30.2%)  and  least  often  in  marijuana  cases  (9.4%).  
  
  

Organizational Cases
Organizations  such  as  corporations  and  partnerships  can  be  prosecuted  for  violating  
federal  criminal  law,  and  181  organizations  were  sentenced  for  at  least  one  federal  
criminal  offense  in  fiscal  year  2015.    This  number  is  a  10.5  percent  increase  from  the  
161  cases  reported  in  fiscal  year  2014,  although  the  number  of  organizational  
defendants  continues  to  be  lower  than  in  earlier  years.  For  example,  200  organizational  
defendants  were  sentenced  in  fiscal  year  2003,  and  255  organizational  defendants  were  
sentenced  in  fiscal  year  1999.  
Of  the  181  organizational  offenders,  97.8  percent  pled  guilty  to  one  or  more  charges  in  
fiscal  year  2015.  The  most  common  crimes  for  which  organizational  defendants  were  
convicted  were  environmental  and  fraud  crimes.  Organizational  offenders  were  
sentenced  to  pay  only  a  fine  in  87  cases.  In  an  additional  30  cases  the  offender  was  
sentenced  to  pay  restitution  to  the  victim  of  the  crime  as  well  as  to  pay  a  fine.  In  26  
cases,  the  organization  was  sentenced  to  pay  restitution  only.  No  fine  or  restitution  was  
imposed  in  38  cases,  although  other  sanctions  were  imposed  in  some  of  these  cases.  
Additionally,  of  the  181  organizational  offenders,  139  received  some  term  of  probation,  
and  51  were  ordered  to  make  improvements  in  compliance  or  ethics  procedures.  

   10

  

Overview of Federal Criminal Cases – Fiscal Year 2015

  
  
  
  

Resentencings and Other Modifications of Sentence
In  2015,  the  Commission  received  documentation  on  24,743  resentencings  and  other  
modifications  of  sentence,  more  than  in  any  prior  fiscal  year.  The  most  frequently  
reported  reason  was  the  modification  of  a  term  of  imprisonment  due  to  the  retroactive  
application  of  an  amendment  to  the  sentencing  guidelines  (21,576  cases;;  87.2%  of  all  
cases).  Almost  all  of  the  cases  in  which  this  reason  was  cited  involved  the  retroactive  
application  of  the  2014  drug  guidelines  amendment.18  
The  second  most  common  type  of  resentencing  was  a  reduction  in  sentence  for  
substantial  assistance19  to  the  government  in  investigating  or  prosecuting  another  
person  after  the  offender  was  sentenced  (1,536  cases;;  6.2%  of  all  cases).  The  third  
most  common  type  of  resentencing  or  modification  of  sentence  was  a  modification  of  
restitution  order  (708  cases;;  2.9%  of  all  cases).  

  
Figure 7. Resentencings and Other Modifications of Sentence
Fiscal Year 2015

  

  

For More Information

  
More information on these cases can be found in the Commission’s 2015
Sourcebook of Federal Sentencing Statistics and Guideline Application Frequencies
for Fiscal Year 2015. The Sourcebook is available in hard copy format through the
Commission. Both documents, together with other reports on sentencing data, are
also available in electronic format at the Commission's website at www.ussc.gov.
Additional statistical analyses of these cases can be found through the
Commission’s “Interactive Sourcebook of Federal Sentencing Statistics” at
http://isb.ussc.gov.

  

11

United States Sentencing Commission

1  

The  United  States  Sentencing  Commission  is  an  independent  agency  in  the  judicial  branch  of  government.  
Its  principal  purposes  are  (1)  to  establish  sentencing  policies  and  practices  for  the  federal  courts,  including  
guidelines  to  be  consulted  regarding  the  appropriate  form  and  severity  of  punishment  for  offenders  convicted  
of  federal  crimes;;  (2)  to  advise  and  assist  Congress  and  the  executive  branch  in  the  development  of  
effective  and  efficient  crime  policy;;  and  (3)  to  collect,  analyze,  research,  and  distribute  a  broad  array  of  
information  on  federal  crime  and  sentencing  issues.  
2  

The  Commission  receives  information  from  the  courts  on  cases  in  which  the  defendant  has  been  convicted  
of  a  felony  or  a  Class  A  misdemeanor.  
3  

In  fiscal  year  2011,  86,201  individual  offenders  were  sentenced.  U.S.  SENT’G  COMM’N,  2011  SOURCEBOOK

OF  FEDERAL  SENTENCING  STATISTICS  iv  (2012).  
4  

See  U.S.  SENT’G  COMM’N,  1990  ANNUAL  REPORT  53  (1991).  

5  

For  more  information  concerning  the  use  of  alternative  sentences  in  the  federal  system,  see  COURTNEY
SEMISCH,  U.S.  SENT’G.  COMM’N,  ALTERNATIVE  SENTENCES  IN  THE  FEDERAL  SYSTEM  (2015).  
6    

This  number  also  includes  persons  convicted  of  one  or  more  crimes  in  addition  to  a  drug  offense.  

7  

The  Commission’s  general  practice  has  been  to  incorporate  statutory  minimum  penalties  into  the  structure  
of  the  guidelines.  For  example,  in  drug  trafficking  cases,  the  offense  levels  that  correspond  to  the  drug  
quantities  that  trigger  the  statutory  mandatory  minimum  penalties  provide  for  a  sentencing  range  for  an  
offender  with  no  prior  criminal  history  that  includes  the  statutory  penalty.  The  remaining  sentencing  ranges  
are  extrapolated  upward  and  downward  from  the  guideline  ranges  that  include  the  mandatory  minimum  
penalties.  See  generally  U.S.  SENT’G  COMM’N,  GUIDELINES  MANUAL,  APPENDIX  C,  AMENDMENT  782  (effective  
November  1,  2014).  
8  
See  Memorandum  to  United  States  Attorneys  and  Assistant  Attorney  General  for  the  Criminal  Division  
from  Attorney  General  Eric  Holder,  Department  Policy  on  Charging  Mandatory  Minimum  Sentences  and  
Recidivist  Enhancements  in  Certain  Drug  Cases,  August  12,  2013.  In  fiscal  year  2013,  the  fiscal  year  that  
concluded  just  after  the  Attorney  General’s  memorandum  was  issued,  62.2  percent  of  drug  offenders  were  
convicted  of  an  offense  carrying  a  mandatory  minimum  penalty.  The  portion  of  drug  cases  carrying  a  
mandatory  minimum  penalty  in  fiscal  year  2014  was  50.1  percent.  
9  

Some  of  these  offenders  received  a  sentence  that  was  lower  than  the  applicable  statutory  mandatory  
minimum  punishment  due  to  the  operation  of  18  U.S.C.  §§  3553(e)  or  (f).  Subsection  (e)  authorizes  courts  
to  impose  a  sentence  that  is  below  a  statutory  mandatory  minimum  when  the  offender  has  provided  
substantial  assistance  to  the  government  in  investigating  or  prosecuting  another  offender.  Subsection  (f)  
requires  courts  to  impose  a  sentence  on  a  non-­violent  offender  with  no  or  limited  criminal  background  
without  regard  to  a  statutory  mandatory  minimum  punishment  when  certain  other  conditions  are  met.  
10    

See  18  U.S.C.  §  3553(f).  

11  

Under  the  guidelines,  offenders  are  assigned  to  one  of  six  criminal  history  categories  (CHCs)  based  on  
their  prior  criminal  history.  The  criminal  history  score  establishes  the  CHC  for  an  offender.  See  U.S.  SENT’G  
COMM’N,  GUIDELINES  MANUAL,  Ch.4  (2015).  The  CHC,  along  with  the  final  offense  level,  determines  the  
sentencing  range  under  the  guidelines.  

12

Overview of Federal Criminal Cases – Fiscal Year 2015

12  

Immigration  offense  means,  in  general,  a  case  in  which  at  least  one  of  the  statutes  of  conviction  involved  
trafficking  in  passports  or  entry  documents;;  failure  to  surrender  naturalization  certificates;;  fraudulently  
acquiring  passports;;  alien  smuggling;;  unlawful  presence  in  the  United  States;;  or  fraudulently  acquiring  entry  
documents.  
13  

Non-­citizens  primarily  are  convicted  of  immigration  crimes.  Non-­citizens  were  the  offenders  in  only  14.1  
percent  of  all  other  federal  crimes  in  fiscal  year  2015.  
14    
Identity  theft  crimes  are  those  fraud  cases  in  which  one  or  more  of  the  offenses  of  conviction  was  
18  U.S.C.  §  1028(a)(7)  or  18  U.S.C.  §  1028A.  The  Commission  includes  these  cases  with  other  fraud  cases  
when  it  reports  sentencing  statistics.  
15  
Firearms  crime  includes  unlawful  possession  or  transportation  of  firearms  or  ammunition;;  unlawful  
trafficking  in  explosives;;  possession  of  guns  or  explosives  in  a  federal  facility,  a  school,  or  on  an  aircraft;;  the  
use  of  fire  or  explosives  to  commit  a  felony;;  and  the  use  of  firearms  or  ammunition  during  a  crime.  
16      

I.e.,  a  case  in  which  18  U.S.C.  §  924(c)  was  the  statute  of  conviction.  

17      

I.e.,  a  case  in  which  18  U.S.C.  §  922(g)(1)  was  the  statute  of  conviction.  

18    

See  U.S.  SENT’G  COMM’N,  GUIDELINES  MANUAL,  APPENDIX  C,  AMENDMENT  782  (effective  November  1,  2014).  

19  
See  Fed  R.  Crim.  P.  35(b).  For  more  information  about  cases  involving  a  resentencing  for  substantial  
assistance  to  the  government  after  sentencing,  see  KEVIN  BLACKWELL  &  JILL  BAISINGER,  U.S.  SENT’G  COMM’N,  
THE  USE  OF  FEDERAL  RULE  OF  CRIMINAL  PROCEDURE  35(B)  (2016).  

13