Weapons Convictions for January 2025
The latest available data from the Justice Department show that during January 2025 the government reported 779 new weapons convictions. According to the case-by-case information analyzed by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), this number is up 40.6 percent over the previous month.
The comparisons of the number of defendants convicted for weapons-related offenses 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 down (-9.5%). 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 13.7 percent from levels reported in 2020.
Figure 1. Monthly Trends in Weapons Convictions
The decrease from the levels five years ago in weapons convictions for these matters is shown more clearly in Figure 1. The vertical bars in Figure 1 represent the number of weapons 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.
Within the broad category of weapons, cases were classified by prosecutors into more specific types.
Case types within weapons are
Armed Career Criminal Act
Firearms/Triggerlock
Other Operation Triggerlock Prosecutions
The largest number of convictions of these matters in January 2025 was for "Weapons-Operation Triggerlock Major", accounting for 100 percent of convictions. See Figure 2.
The lead investigative agency for weapons convictions in January 2025 was ATF accounting for 62 percent of convictions. Other agencies with substantial numbers of weapons convictions were: Local (12% ), FBI (12%), DHS (7%), DEA (2%). See Figure 3.
Weapons Convictions in U.S. Magistrate Courts
Top Ranked Lead Charges
In January 2025, no defendants in weapons 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.
Weapons Convictions in U.S. District Courts
In January 2025, 778 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 weapons matters filed in U.S. District Court during January 2025.
Lead Charge Count Rank 1yr ago 5yrs ago 18 USC 922 - Firearms; Unlawful acts 649 1 1 1 More 18 USC 554 - Smuggling goods from the United States 18 3 8 8 More 21 USC 841 - Drug Abuse Prevention & Control-Prohibited acts A 18 3 4 5 More 18 USC 1951 - Hobbs Act 15 5 2 3 More 18 USC 924 - Firearms; Penalties 13 6 5 2 More 26 USC 5861 - Tax on Making Firearms - Prohibited acts 12 7 6 6 More 21 USC 846 - Attempt and conspiracy 4 8 9 7 More 08 USC 1324 - Bringing in and harboring certain aliens 3 9 18 - More 18 USC 2119 - Carjacking 3 9 10 9 More Table 2. Top Charges for Convictions
"Firearms; Unlawful acts" (Title 18 U.S.C Section 922) was the most frequent recorded lead charge. "Firearms; Unlawful acts" (Title 18 U.S.C Section 922) was ranked 1 a year ago, while it was ranked 1 five years ago.
Ranked 2nd in frequency was the lead charge "Other US Code Section" under Title U.S.C Section. "Other US Code Section" under Title U.S.C Section was ranked 3 a year ago, while it was ranked 4 five years ago.
Ranked 3rd were "Smuggling goods from the United States" under Title 18 U.S.C Section 554 and "Drug Abuse Prevention & Control-Prohibited acts A" under Title 21 U.S.C Section 841. "Smuggling goods from the United States" under Title 18 U.S.C Section 554 was ranked 8 a year ago, while it was ranked 8 five years ago."Drug Abuse Prevention & Control-Prohibited acts A" under Title 21 U.S.C Section 841 was ranked 4 a year ago, while it was ranked 5 five years ago.
Among these top ten lead charges, the one showing the greatest increase in convictions — up 91.7 percent — compared to one year ago was Title 18 U.S.C Section 554 that involves " Smuggling goods from the United States ". This was the same statute that had the largest increase — 91.7 % — when compared with five years ago.
Again among the top ten lead charges, the one showing the sharpest decline in convictions compared to one year ago — down 30 percent — was " Carjacking " (Title 18 U.S.C Section 2119 ). Compared to five years ago, the most significant decline in convictions — 58 percent — was for convictions where the lead charge was " Firearms; Penalties " (Title 18 U.S.C Section 924 ).
Top Ranked Judicial Districts
In January 2025 the Justice Department's case-by-case records show that the government obtained 278.8 weapons convictions for every ten million people in the United States.
Understandably, there is great variation in the per capita number of weapons convictions in each of the nation's ninety-four federal judicial districts.
The districts registering the largest number of convictions per capita for these matters last month are shown in Table 3. Districts must have at least 5 weapons convictions to receive a ranking.
Judicial District Percapita Count Rank 1yr ago 5yrs ago Okla, E 2,577 16 1 86 72 More Mo, E 2,349 57 2 1 1 More Ala, S 1,519 11 3 48 26 More Montana 1,271 12 4 30 45 More Ark, E 1,239 17 5 4 23 More Wyoming 1,233 6 6 83 79 More Ala, M 1,104 11 7 25 61 More S Dakota 1,060 8 8 23 51 More N Car, E 1,021 36 9 11 4 More Tenn, W 1,006 13 10 41 15 More Table 3. Top 10 Districts (per ten million people)
The Eastern District of Oklahoma (Muskogee) — with 2577 convictions as compared with 278.8 convictions per ten million population in the United States — was the most active during January 2025.
The Eastern District of Missouri (St. Louis) ranked 2nd. The Eastern District of Missouri (St. Louis) was ranked 1 a year ago, while it was ranked 1 for most frequent use five years ago.
Southern District of Alabama (Mobile) is now ranking 3rd.
Recent entrants to the top 10 list were Eastern District of North Carolina (Raleigh), now ranked 9th , and South Dakota at 8th In the same order, these districts ranked 11th and 23rd one year ago and 4th and 51st five years ago.
The federal judicial district which showed the greatest growth in the rate of weapons convictions compared to one year ago — 210 percent — was Eastern District of Oklahoma (Muskogee). Compared to five years ago, the district with the largest growth — 57.1 percent — was Montana .
In the last year, the judicial District Court recording the largest drop in the rate of weapons convictions — 43.3 percent — was Middle District of Alabama (Montgomery). But over the past five years, Eastern District of North Carolina (Raleigh) showed the largest drop — 32.4 percent.
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 weapons crime cases resulting in convictions of this type during January 2025 are shown in Table 4.
Judge Count Rank Autrey, Henry Edward Mo, E 13 1 More White, Ronald A. Okla, E 10 2 More Ross, John Andrew Mo, E 8 3 More Clark, Stephen Robert, Sr. Mo, E 8 3 More Boyle, Terrence William N Car, E 8 3 More Doughty, Terry Alvin La, W 7 6 More Dever, James C., III N Car, E 7 6 More Barber, Thomas Patrick Fla, M 6 8 More Flanagan, Louise W. N Car, E 6 8 More Marks, Emily Coody Ala, M 5 10 More Marquez, Rosemary Arizona 5 10 More Miller, Brian Stacy Ark, E 5 10 More Sippel, Rodney W. Mo, E 5 10 More Gonzales, Kenneth John N Mexico 5 10 More Crone, Marcia A. Texas, E 5 10 More Schroeder, Robert William, III Texas, E 5 10 More Truncale, Michael Joseph Texas, E 5 10 More O'Connor, Reed Charles Texas, N 5 10 More Hendrix, James Wesley Texas, N 5 10 More Stadtmueller, Joseph Peter Wisc, E 5 10 More Table 4. Top Ten Judges
A total of 10 out of the "top ten" judges were in districts which were in the top ten with the largest number of weapons convictions per capita, while the remaining 10 judges were from other districts. (Because of ties, there were a total of 20 judges in the "top ten" rankings.)
Judge Henry Edward Autrey in the Eastern District of Missouri (St. Louis) ranked 1st with 13 convicted in weapons convictions.
Judge Ronald A. White in the Eastern District of Oklahoma (Muskogee) ranked 2nd with 10 convicted in weapons convictions.
Judges John Andrew Ross in the Eastern District of Missouri (St. Louis), Stephen Robert Clark, Sr. in the Eastern District of Missouri (St. Louis) and Terrence William Boyle in the Eastern District of North Carolina (Raleigh) ranked 3rd with 8 convicted in weapons convictions.
Report Generated: March 12, 2025
