Weapons Convictions for May 2025
The latest available data from the Justice Department show that during May 2025 the government reported 764 new weapons convictions. According to the case-by-case information analyzed by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), this number is down 3.8 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 only slightly up (0.8%). 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 7.3 percent from levels reported in 2020.
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 May 2025 was for "Weapons-Operation Triggerlock Major", accounting for 100 percent of convictions. See Figure 2.
The lead investigative agency for weapons convictions in May 2025 was ATF accounting for 60 percent of convictions. Other agencies with substantial numbers of weapons convictions were: FBI (13% ), Local (13%), DHS (6%), DEA (2%). See Figure 3.
Weapons Convictions in U.S. Magistrate Courts
Top Ranked Lead Charges
In May 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 May 2025, 764 defendants in new cases for these matters were charged in the U.S. District Courts. In addition during May 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 May.
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 May 2025.
Lead Charge Count Rank 1yr ago 5yrs ago 18 USC 922 - Firearms; Unlawful acts 659 1 1 1 More 18 USC 1951 - Hobbs Act 14 3 4 2 More 26 USC 5861 - Tax on Making Firearms - Prohibited acts 14 3 6 6 More 18 USC 554 - Smuggling goods from the United States 13 5 8 7 More 21 USC 841 - Drug Abuse Prevention & Control-Prohibited acts A 13 5 3 5 More 18 USC 924 - Firearms; Penalties 11 7 5 3 More 18 USC 2119 - Carjacking 4 8 10 9 More 21 USC 846 - Attempt and conspiracy 3 9 8 8 More 18 USC 371 - Conspiracy to commit offense or to defraud US 2 10 7 10 More 18 USC 1201 - Kidnaping 2 10 21 21 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 2 a year ago, while it was ranked 4 five years ago.
Ranked 3rd were "Hobbs Act" under Title 18 U.S.C Section 1951 and "Tax on Making Firearms - Prohibited acts" under Title 26 U.S.C Section 5861. "Hobbs Act" under Title 18 U.S.C Section 1951 was ranked 4 a year ago, while it was ranked 2 five years ago."Tax on Making Firearms - Prohibited acts" under Title 26 U.S.C Section 5861 was ranked 6 a year ago, while it was ranked 6 five years ago.
Among these top ten lead charges, the one showing the greatest increase in convictions — up 153.1 percent — compared to one year ago was Title 18 U.S.C Section 554 that involves " Smuggling goods from the United States ". Compared to five years ago, the largest increase — 150 percent — was registered for convictions under " Kidnaping " (Title 18 U.S.C Section 1201 ).
Again among the top ten lead charges, the one showing the sharpest decline in convictions compared to one year ago — down 77.4 percent — was " Conspiracy to commit offense or to defraud US " (Title 18 U.S.C Section 371 ). This was the same statute that had the largest decrease — 60 % — when compared with five years ago.
Top Ranked Judicial Districts
In May 2025 the Justice Department's case-by-case records show that the government obtained 273.7 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 Iowa, S 2,943 46 1 38 34 More Okla, E 2,255 14 2 55 80 More Mo, E 1,895 46 3 1 1 More Okla, N 1,733 16 4 78 56 More Ark, E 1,385 19 5 8 22 More Montana 1,271 12 6 39 50 More N Dakota 1,225 8 7 74 86 More Tenn, W 1,160 15 8 37 25 More S Dakota 927 7 9 32 39 More Alaska 854 5 10 77 71 More Table 3. Top 10 Districts (per ten million people)
The Southern District of Iowa (Des Moines) — with 2943 convictions as compared with 273.7 convictions per ten million population in the United States — was the most active during May 2025.
The Eastern District of Oklahoma (Muskogee) ranked 2nd.
Eastern District of Missouri (St. Louis) is now ranking 3rd. 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.
Recent entrants to the top 10 list were South Dakota , now ranked 9th , and Western District of Tennessee (Memphis) at 8th In the same order, these districts ranked 32nd and 37th one year ago and 39th and 25th five years ago.
The federal judicial district which showed the greatest growth in the rate of weapons convictions compared to one year ago — 214.3 percent — was Northern District of Oklahoma (Tulsa). Compared to five years ago, the district with the largest growth — 223.1 percent — was Eastern District of Oklahoma (Muskogee).
In the last year, the judicial District Court recording the largest drop in the rate of weapons convictions — 26.7 percent — was Alaska . This was the same district that had the largest increase — 45 percent — when compared with five years ago.
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 May 2025 are shown in Table 4.
Judge Count Rank Rose, Stephanie Marie Iowa, S 14 1 More Ebinger, Rebecca Goodgame Iowa, S 14 1 More Miller, Brian Stacy Ark, E 10 3 More Clark, Stephen Robert, Sr. Mo, E 9 4 More Hendrix, James Wesley Texas, N 8 5 More Welte, Peter David N Dakota 7 6 More Becerra, Jacqueline Fla, S 6 7 More Gallagher, Stephanie A. Maryland 6 7 More Ross, John Andrew Mo, E 6 7 More Watters, Susan Pamela Montana 6 7 More White, Ronald A. Okla, E 6 7 More Frizzell, Gregory Kent Okla, N 6 7 More Lee, Susan K. Tenn, E 6 7 More Mazzant, Amos L. Texas, E 6 7 More Jordan, Sean D. Texas, E 6 7 More Counts, Walter David, III Texas, W 6 7 More Table 4. Top Ten Judges
A total of 9 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 7 judges were from other districts. (Because of ties, there were a total of 16 judges in the "top ten" rankings.)
Judges Stephanie Marie Rose in the Southern District of Iowa (Des Moines) and Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger in the Southern District of Iowa (Des Moines) ranked 1st with 14 convicted in weapons convictions.
Judge Brian Stacy Miller in the Eastern District of Arkansas (Little Rock) ranked 3rd with 10 convicted in weapons convictions.
Report Generated: July 16, 2025
