Convictions for January 2026
Referring Agency: Internal Revenue Service
The latest available data from the Justice Department show that during January 2026 the government reported 43 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 the same as in 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 2026 convictions of this type are compared with those of the same period in the previous year, the number of convictions was up (4.1%). Convictions over the past year are still much higher than they were five years ago. Overall, the data show that convictions of this type are up 17.8 percent from levels reported in 2021.
Figure 1. Monthly Trends in Convictions
The increase 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 2026 was for "Fraud-Tax", accounting for 51.2 percent of convictions. Convictions were also filed for "Fraud-Federal Program" (11.6%), "Fraud-Other" (9.3%), "Drugs-Organized Crime Task Force" (4.7%), "Money Laundering-Drug" (4.7%), "Money Laundering-Other" (4.7%), "Drugs-Drug Trafficking" (2.3%), "Fraud-Computer" (2.3%), "Fraud-Financial Institution" (2.3%), "Fraud-Identity Theft-Other" (2.3%), "Fraud-Other Business" (2.3%), "Theft-Government Property" (2.3%). See Figure 2.
Convictions in U.S. Magistrate Courts
Top Ranked Lead Charges
In January 2026, 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 2026, 43 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 2026 referred by the Internal Revenue Service.
Lead Charge Count Rank 18 USC 1343 - Fraud by wire, radio, or television 11 1 More 26 USC 7201 - Attempt to evade or defeat tax 11 1 More 26 USC 7206 - Fraud and False statements 6 3 More 18 USC 1956 - Laundering of monetary instruments 4 4 More 18 USC 1344 - Bank Fraud 2 5 More 18 USC 371 - Conspiracy to commit offense or to defraud US 1 6 More 18 USC 641 - Public money, property or records 1 6 More 18 USC 1014 - Fraud - Loan and credit applications etc 1 6 More 18 USC 1028 - Fraud and related activity - id documents 1 6 More 18 USC 1955 - Prohibition of illegal gambling businesses 1 6 More 18 USC 1960 - Prohibition of illegal money transmitting business 1 6 More 18 USC 3146 - Penalty for failure to appear 1 6 More 26 USC 7202 - Willful failure to collect or pay over tax 1 6 More Table 2. Top Charges for Convictions
"Fraud by wire, radio, or television" (Title 18 U.S.C Section 1343) and "Attempt to evade or defeat tax" (Title 26 U.S.C Section 7201) were the most frequent recorded lead charges.
Ranked 3rd was "Fraud and False statements" under Title 26 U.S.C Section 7206.
Top Ranked Judicial Districts
In January 2026 the Justice Department's case-by-case records show that the government obtained 15.2 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 District of Connecticut and District of Utah — with 4 convictions — were the most active during January 2026.
Middle District of Florida (Tampa) is 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 2026 are shown in Table 4.
Judge Count Rank Menendez, Katherine M. Minnesota 2 1 More Brooks, Timothy Lloyd Ark, W 1 2 More Tucker, Josephine Staton Cal, C 1 2 More Dooley, Kari Anne Conn 1 2 More Noreika, Maryellen Delaware 1 2 More Mendoza, Carlos Eduardo Fla, M 1 2 More Jung, William Frederic Fla, M 1 2 More Hale, David Jason Ken, W 1 2 More Walker, Lance Edward Maine 1 2 More Hood, Denise Page Mich, E 1 2 More Ketchmark, Roseann Ambrosia Mo, W 1 2 More Cogburn, Max Oliver, Jr. N Car, W 1 2 More Siragusa, Charles J. N. Y., W 1 2 More Adams, John R. Ohio, N 1 2 More Rose, Thomas M. Ohio, S 1 2 More Heaton, Joe L. Okla, W 1 2 More Immergut, Karin Johanna Oregon 1 2 More Kinkeade, James E. Texas, N 1 2 More Pittman, Mark Timothy Texas, N 1 2 More Hoyt, Kenneth M. Texas, S 1 2 More Biery, Samuel Frederick, Jr. Texas, W 1 2 More Pitman, Robert Texas, W 1 2 More Sam, David Utah 1 2 More Nielson, Howard Curtis, Jr. Utah 1 2 More Johnson, Alan Bond Wyoming 1 2 More Table 4. Top Ten Judges
A total of 13 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 25 judges in the "top ten" rankings.)
Judge Katherine M. Menendez in the District of Minnesota ranked 1st with 2 convicted in convictions.
Judges Timothy Lloyd Brooks in the Western District of Arkansas (Fort Smith), Josephine Staton Tucker in the Central District of California (Los Angeles), Kari Anne Dooley in the District of Connecticut, Maryellen Noreika in the District of Delaware, Carlos Eduardo Mendoza in the Middle District of Florida (Tampa), William Frederic Jung in the Middle District of Florida (Tampa), David Jason Hale in the Western District of Kentucky (Louisville), Lance Edward Walker in the District of Maine, Denise Page, ranked 2nd with 1 convicted in convictions.
Report Generated: April 16, 2026
