Weapons Convictions for March 2026
The latest available data from the Justice Department show that during March 2026 the government reported 839 new weapons convictions. According to the case-by-case information analyzed by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), this number is up 17.3 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 2026 convictions of this type are compared with those of the same period in the previous year, the number of convictions was only slightly up (1.7%). 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 1.2 percent from levels reported in 2021.
Figure 1. Monthly Trends in Weapons Convictions
The leveling out 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 March 2026 was for "Weapons-Operation Triggerlock Major", accounting for 100 percent of convictions. See Figure 2.
The lead investigative agency for weapons convictions in March 2026 was ATF accounting for 62 percent of convictions. Other agencies with substantial numbers of weapons convictions were: FBI (15% ), Local (8%), DHS (5%). See Figure 3.
Weapons Convictions in U.S. Magistrate Courts
Top Ranked Lead Charges
In March 2026, 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 March 2026, 836 defendants in new cases for these matters were charged in the U.S. District Courts. In addition during March 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 March.
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 March 2026.
Lead Charge Count Rank 1yr ago 5yrs ago 18 USC 922 - Firearms; Unlawful acts 700 1 1 1 More 18 USC 924 - Firearms; Penalties 28 2 5 2 More 21 USC 841 - Drug Abuse Prevention & Control-Prohibited acts A 22 3 3 5 More 18 USC 1951 - Hobbs Act 18 4 4 3 More 18 USC 933 - Trafficking in firearms 11 5 - - More 21 USC 846 - Attempt and conspiracy 10 6 8 8 More 18 USC 554 - Smuggling goods from the United States 7 7 6 6 More 26 USC 5861 - Tax on Making Firearms - Prohibited acts 7 7 7 7 More 18 USC 2119 - Carjacking 6 9 10 10 More 18 USC 932 - Straw purchase firearms 5 10 - - 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 "Firearms; Penalties" under Title 18 U.S.C Section 924. "Firearms; Penalties" under Title 18 U.S.C Section 924 was ranked 5 a year ago, while it was ranked 2 five years ago.
Ranked 3rd was "Drug Abuse Prevention & Control-Prohibited acts A" under Title 21 U.S.C Section 841. "Drug Abuse Prevention & Control-Prohibited acts A" under Title 21 U.S.C Section 841 was ranked 3 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 116.9 percent — compared to one year ago was Title 18 U.S.C Section 924 that involves " Firearms; Penalties ". Compared to five years ago, the largest increase — 88.2 percent — was registered for convictions under " Carjacking " (Title 18 U.S.C Section 2119 ).
Again among the top ten lead charges, the one showing the sharpest decline in convictions compared to one year ago — down 34.4 percent — was " Tax on Making Firearms - Prohibited acts " (Title 26 U.S.C Section 5861 ). Compared to five years ago, the most significant decline in convictions — 37.1 percent — was for convictions where the lead charge was " Hobbs Act " (Title 18 U.S.C Section 1951 ).
Top Ranked Judicial Districts
In March 2026 the Justice Department's case-by-case records show that the government obtained 295 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 D. C. 3,759 22 1 85 41 More Ala, S 1,506 11 2 32 51 More Ark, E 1,380 19 3 9 9 More Mo, W 1,375 38 4 15 11 More Montana 1,266 12 5 21 15 More Iowa, N 1,165 13 6 23 18 More Tenn, W 1,157 15 7 7 13 More Iowa, S 1,136 18 8 91 14 More Ala, M 1,095 11 9 45 58 More Ga, S 1,002 14 10 56 19 More Table 3. Top 10 Districts (per ten million people)
The District of Washington, D.C. (Washington) — with 3759 convictions as compared with 295 convictions per ten million population in the United States — was the most active during March 2026.
The Southern District of Alabama (Mobile) ranked 2nd.
Eastern District of Arkansas (Little Rock) is now ranking 3rd. The Eastern District of Arkansas (Little Rock) was ranked 9 a year ago, while it was ranked 9 for most frequent use five years ago.
Recent entrants to the top 10 list were Western District of Missouri (Kansas City), now ranked 4th , and Montana at 5th In the same order, these districts ranked 15th and 21st one year ago and 11th and 15th five years ago.
The federal judicial district which showed the greatest growth in the rate of weapons convictions compared to one year ago — 5200 percent — was Southern District of Iowa (Des Moines). Compared to five years ago, the district with the largest growth — 84 percent — was Middle District of Alabama (Montgomery).
In the last year, the judicial District Court recording the largest drop in the rate of weapons convictions — 54.1 percent — was Western District of Tennessee (Memphis). But over the past five years, Southern District of Georgia (Savannah) showed the largest drop — 36.8 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 March 2026 are shown in Table 4.
Judge Count Rank Phillips, Mary Elizabeth Mo, W 12 1 More Ebinger, Rebecca Goodgame Iowa, S 10 2 More Sippel, Rodney W. Mo, E 8 3 More Kays, David Gregory Mo, W 8 3 More Wimes, Brian Curtis Mo, W 8 3 More Counts, Walter David, III Texas, W 8 3 More Bunning, David L. Ken, E 7 7 More Watters, Susan Pamela Montana 7 7 More Marshall, Denzil Price, Jr. Ark, E 6 9 More Leitman, Matthew Frederick Mich, E 6 9 More Bell, Kenneth Davis, Sr. N Car, W 6 9 More Lewis, Mary Geiger S Car 6 9 More Table 4. Top Ten Judges
A total of 6 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 6 judges were from other districts. (Because of ties, there were a total of 12 judges in the "top ten" rankings.)
Judge Mary Elizabeth Phillips in the Western District of Missouri (Kansas City) ranked 1st with 12 convicted in weapons convictions.
Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger in the Southern District of Iowa (Des Moines) ranked 2nd with 10 convicted in weapons convictions.
Judges Rodney W. Sippel in the Eastern District of Missouri (St. Louis), David Gregory Kays in the Western District of Missouri (Kansas City), Brian Curtis Wimes in the Western District of Missouri (Kansas City) and Walter David Counts, III in the Western District of Texas (San Antonio) ranked 3rd with 8 convicted in weapons convictions.
Report Generated: May 21, 2026
