Convictions for January 2025
Referring Agency: Internal Revenue Service
The latest available data from the Justice Department show that during January 2025 the government reported 50 new convictions for these matters. Those cases were referred by the Internal Revenue Service. According to the case-by-case information analyzed by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), this number is up 35.1 percent over the previous month.
The comparisons of the number of defendants convicted are based on case-by-case information obtained by TRAC under the Freedom of Information Act from the Executive Office for United States Attorneys (see Table 1).
When monthly 2025 convictions of this type are compared with those of the same period in the previous year, the number of convictions was up (3.3%). Convictions over the past year are still much lower than they were five years ago. Overall, the data show that convictions of this type are down 27.9 percent from levels reported in 2020.
Figure 1. Monthly Trends in Convictions
The decrease from the levels five years ago in convictions for these matters is shown more clearly in Figure 1. The vertical bars in Figure 1 represent the number of convictions of this type recorded on a month-to-month basis. Where a prosecution was initially filed in U.S. Magistrate Court and then transferred to the U.S. District Court, the magistrate filing date was used since this provides an earlier indicator of actual trends. The superimposed line on the bars plots the six-month moving average so that natural fluctuations are smoothed out. The one and five-year rates of change in Table 1 and in the sections that follow are all based upon this six-month moving average. To view trends year-by-year rather than month-by-month, see TRAC's annual report series for a broader picture.
Cases were classified by prosecutors into more specific types.
The largest number of convictions of these matters in January 2025 was for "Fraud-Tax", accounting for 52 percent of convictions. Convictions were also filed for "Drugs-Organized Crime Task Force" (14%), "Withheld by Govt from TRAC (FOIA challen" (10%), "Fraud-Federal Program" (8%), "Fraud-Other" (4%), "Weapons-Operation Triggerlock Major" (4%), "Contraband Cigarettes-Trafficking in" (2%), "Fraud-Against Ins. Provider" (2%), "Fraud-Computer" (2%), "Money Laundering-Other" (2%). See Figure 2.
Convictions in U.S. Magistrate Courts
Top Ranked Lead Charges
In January 2025, no defendants in cases for these matters were convicted in U.S. Magistrate Courts. These courts handle less serious misdemeanor cases, including what are called "petty offenses." In addition, complaints are sometimes filed in the magistrate courts before an indictment or information is entered. In these cases, the matter starts in the magistrate courts and later moves to the district court where subsequent proceedings take place.
Convictions in U.S. District Courts
In January 2025, 50 defendants in new cases for these matters were charged in the U.S. District Courts. In addition during January there were an additional 0 defendants whose cases moved from the magistrate courts to the U.S. district courts after an indictment or information was filed. The sections which follow cover both sets of cases and therefore cover all matters filed in district court during January.
Top Ranked Lead Charges
Table 2 shows the top lead charges recorded in the convictions of matters filed in U.S. District Court during January 2025 referred by the Internal Revenue Service.
Lead Charge Count Rank 26 USC 7206 - Fraud and False statements 9 1 More 26 USC 7201 - Attempt to evade or defeat tax 7 2 More 18 USC 1956 - Laundering of monetary instruments 6 3 More 26 USC 7202 - Willful failure to collect or pay over tax 5 4 More 18 USC 1343 - Fraud by wire, radio, or television 3 5 More 18 USC 1349 - Mail Fraud - Attempt and Conspiracy 3 5 More 18 USC 922 - Firearms; Unlawful acts 2 7 More 18 USC 287 - False, fictitious or fraudulent claims 1 8 More 18 USC 371 - Conspiracy to commit offense or to defraud US 1 8 More 18 USC 641 - Public money, property or records 1 8 More 18 USC 1001 - Fraud/false statements or entries generally 1 8 More 18 USC 1344 - Bank Fraud 1 8 More 18 USC 1957 - Monetary transactions w/property from unlawful act 1 8 More 18 USC 1960 - Prohibition of illegal money transmitting business 1 8 More 18 USC 2342 - Trafficking in contraband cigarettes Unlawful acts 1 8 More 18 USC 6003 - Court and Grand Jury Proceedings 1 8 More 26 USC 7203 - Willful failure to file return, supply information 1 8 More Table 2. Top Charges for Convictions
"Fraud and False statements" (Title 26 U.S.C Section 7206) was the most frequent recorded lead charge.
Ranked 2nd in frequency was the lead charge "Attempt to evade or defeat tax" under Title 26 U.S.C Section 7201.
Ranked 3rd was "Laundering of monetary instruments" under Title 18 U.S.C Section 1956.
Top Ranked Judicial Districts
In January 2025 the Justice Department's case-by-case records show that the government obtained 17.9 convictions for every ten million people in the United States.
Understandably, there is great variation in the number of convictions in each of the nation's ninety-four federal judicial districts.
The districts registering the largest number of convictions of this type last month are shown in Table 3.
The Northern District of California (San Francisco) and Middle District of Florida (Tampa) — with 5 convictions — were the most active during January 2025.
Central District of California (Los Angeles), Middle District of North Carolina (Greensboro) and District of Wyoming are now ranking 3rd.
Top Ranked District Judges
At any one time, there are about 680 federal District Court judges working in the United States. The judges recorded with the largest number of new crime cases resulting in convictions of this type during January 2025 are shown in Table 4.
Judge Count Rank White, Jeffrey Steven Cal, N 4 1 More Skavdahl, Scott Wesley Wyoming 3 2 More Maze, Corey Landon Ala, N 2 3 More Willett, Eileen S. Arizona 1 4 More Klausner, Robert G. Cal, C 1 4 More Drozd, Dale A. Cal, E 1 4 More Freeman, Beth Labson Cal, N 1 4 More Domenico, Daniel Desmond Colorado 1 4 More Dalton, Roy Bale, Jr. Fla, M 1 4 More Davis, Brian Jordan Fla, M 1 4 More Jung, William Frederic Fla, M 1 4 More Barber, Thomas Patrick Fla, M 1 4 More Berger, Wendy Williams Fla, M 1 4 More Altonaga, Cecilia M. Fla, S 1 4 More Becerra, Jacqueline Fla, S 1 4 More Tunheim, John R. Minnesota 1 4 More Ross, John Andrew Mo, E 1 4 More Phillips, Mary Elizabeth Mo, W 1 4 More Wimes, Brian Curtis Mo, W 1 4 More Dever, James C., III N Car, E 1 4 More Salas, Esther N. J. 1 4 More Oetken, James Paul N. Y., S 1 4 More McCafferty, Landya B. New Hamp 1 4 More Rose, Thomas M. Ohio, S 1 4 More Kearney, Mark A. Penn, E 1 4 More Brann, Matthew William Penn, M 1 4 More Schwab, Arthur J. Penn, W 1 4 More Hornak, Mark Raymond Penn, W 1 4 More Crenshaw, Waverly David, Jr. Tenn, M 1 4 More Rodriguez, Xavier Texas, W 1 4 More Sam, David Utah 1 4 More Parrish, Jill N. Utah 1 4 More Gibney, John Adrian, Jr. Virg, E 1 4 More Adelman, Lynn S. Wisc, E 1 4 More Table 4. Top Ten Judges
A total of 22 out of the "top ten" judges were in districts which were in the top ten with the largest number of convictions , while the remaining 12 judges were from other districts. (Because of ties, there were a total of 34 judges in the "top ten" rankings.)
Judge Jeffrey Steven White in the Northern District of California (San Francisco) ranked 1st with 4 convicted in convictions.
Judge Scott Wesley Skavdahl in the District of Wyoming ranked 2nd with 3 convicted in convictions.
Judge Corey Landon Maze in the Northern District of Alabama (Birmingham) ranked 3rd with 2 convicted in convictions.
Report Generated: March 12, 2025
