Weapons Convictions for October 2024
The latest available data from the Justice Department show that during October 2024 the government reported 745 new weapons convictions. According to the case-by-case information analyzed by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), this number is down 19.9 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 2024 convictions of this type are compared with those of the same period in the previous year, the number of convictions was down (-7%). 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 5.8 percent from levels reported in 2019.
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 October 2024 was for "Weapons-Operation Triggerlock Major", accounting for 100 percent of convictions. See Figure 2.
The lead investigative agency for weapons convictions in October 2024 was ATF accounting for 61 percent of convictions. Other agencies with substantial numbers of weapons convictions were: FBI (14% ), Local (9%), DHS (5%), DEA (5%). See Figure 3.
Weapons Convictions in U.S. Magistrate Courts
Top Ranked Lead Charges
In October 2024, 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 October 2024, 744 defendants in new cases for these matters were charged in the U.S. District Courts. In addition during October 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 October.
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 October 2024.
Lead Charge Count Rank 1yr ago 5yrs ago 18 USC 922 - Firearms; Unlawful acts 609 1 1 1 More 18 USC 1951 - Hobbs Act 24 3 2 3 More 21 USC 841 - Drug Abuse Prevention & Control-Prohibited acts A 23 4 3 4 More 18 USC 554 - Smuggling goods from the United States 10 5 10 8 More 18 USC 924 - Firearms; Penalties 8 6 5 2 More 26 USC 5861 - Tax on Making Firearms - Prohibited acts 8 6 6 7 More 18 USC 371 - Conspiracy to commit offense or to defraud US 6 8 7 10 More 21 USC 846 - Attempt and conspiracy 6 8 11 6 More 18 USC 844 - Explosives - Importation and storage of explosives 3 10 23 17 More 18 USC 2114 - Mail, money, or other property of United States 3 10 20 27 More 18 USC 2119 - Carjacking 3 10 8 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 4 a year ago, while it was ranked 5 five years ago.
Ranked 3rd was "Hobbs Act" under Title 18 U.S.C Section 1951. "Hobbs Act" under Title 18 U.S.C Section 1951 was ranked 2 a year ago, while it was ranked 3 five years ago.
Among these top ten lead charges, the one showing the greatest increase in convictions — up 300 percent — compared to one year ago was Title 18 U.S.C Section 844 that involves " Explosives - Importation and storage of explosives ". Compared to five years ago, the largest increase — 700 percent — was registered for convictions under " Mail, money, or other property of United States " (Title 18 U.S.C Section 2114 ).
Again among the top ten lead charges, the one showing the sharpest decline in convictions compared to one year ago — down 30.4 percent — was " Conspiracy to commit offense or to defraud US " (Title 18 U.S.C Section 371 ). Compared to five years ago, the most significant decline in convictions — 63.7 percent — was for convictions where the lead charge was " Firearms; Penalties " (Title 18 U.S.C Section 924 ).
Top Ranked Judicial Districts
In October 2024 the Justice Department's case-by-case records show that the government obtained 266.6 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 Mo, E 2,390 58 1 1 1 More Okla, E 2,255 14 2 89 81 More S Dakota 1,722 13 3 36 55 More Montana 1,695 16 4 32 43 More Ark, E 1,385 19 5 10 25 More Utah 1,124 32 6 14 17 More Okla, N 975 9 7 66 49 More Tenn, W 928 12 8 21 14 More Vermont 927 5 9 85 86 More Penn, M 850 23 10 63 47 More Table 3. Top 10 Districts (per ten million people)
The Eastern District of Missouri (St. Louis) — with 2390 convictions as compared with 266.6 convictions per ten million population in the United States — was the most active during October 2024. 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.
The Eastern District of Oklahoma (Muskogee) ranked 2nd.
District of South Dakota is now ranking 3rd.
Recent entrants to the top 10 list were Utah , now ranked 6th , and Western District of Tennessee (Memphis) at 8th In the same order, these districts ranked 14th and 21st one year ago and 17th and 14th five years ago.
The federal judicial district which showed the greatest growth in the rate of weapons convictions compared to one year ago — 218.2 percent — was Eastern District of Oklahoma (Muskogee). Compared to five years ago, the district with the largest growth — 300 percent — was Vermont .
In the last year, the judicial District Court recording the largest drop in the rate of weapons convictions — 15.3 percent — was Western District of Tennessee (Memphis). This was the same district that had the largest increase — 33 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 October 2024 are shown in Table 4.
Judge Count Rank Flanagan, Louise W. N Car, E 11 1 More Mariani, Robert David Penn, M 11 1 More Sippel, Rodney W. Mo, E 9 3 More Autrey, Henry Edward Mo, E 9 3 More Schreier, Karen E. S Dakota 9 3 More Clark, Stephen Robert, Sr. Mo, E 8 6 More Sam, David Utah 8 6 More Fleissig, Audrey Goldstein Mo, E 7 8 More Schroeder, Thomas D. N Car, M 7 8 More Counts, Walter David, III Texas, W 7 8 More Table 4. Top Ten Judges
A total of 7 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 3 judges were from other districts.
Judges Louise W. Flanagan in the Eastern District of North Carolina (Raleigh) and Robert David Mariani in the Middle District of Pennsylvania (Scranton) ranked 1st with 11 convicted in weapons convictions.
Judges Rodney W. Sippel in the Eastern District of Missouri (St. Louis), Henry Edward Autrey in the Eastern District of Missouri (St. Louis) and Karen E. Schreier in the District of South Dakota ranked 3rd with 9 convicted in weapons convictions.
Report Generated: December 17, 2024
