White Collar Crime Prosecutions for January 2025
The latest available data from the Justice Department show that during January 2025 the government reported 233 new white collar crime prosecutions. According to the case-by-case information analyzed by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), this number is down 13.7 percent over the previous month.
The comparisons of the number of defendants charged with white collar crime-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 prosecutions of this type are compared with those of the same period in the previous year, the number of filings was down (-2.4%). Prosecutions over the past year are still much lower than they were five years ago. Overall, the data show that prosecutions of this type are down 30.5 percent from levels reported in 2020.
The decrease from the levels five years ago in white collar crime prosecutions for these matters is shown more clearly in Figure 1. The vertical bars in Figure 1 represent the number of white collar crime prosecutions 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.
Figure 1. Monthly Trends in White Collar Crime Prosecutions
Within the broad category of white collar crime, cases were classified by prosecutors into more specific types.
Case types within white collar crime are
• Federal Procurement Fraud • Federal Program Fraud • Tax Fraud • Arson for Profit • Other Insurance Fraud • Financial Institution Fraud • Bankruptcy Fraud • Advance Fee Schemes • Other Fraud Against Businesses • Consumer Fraud • Securities Fraud • Commodities Fraud • Other Investment Fraud • Antitrust Violations - Other • Computer Fraud • Health Care Fraud • Fraud Against Insurance Providers • Intellectual Property Violations • Insider Fraud Against Insurance Providers • MEWA (Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangements) Fraud/MET • Antitrust Violations - Airlines • Antitrust Violations - Banking • Antitrust Violations - Defense Procurement • Antitrust Violations - Extraterritorial Application Of • Antitrust Violations - Finance Markets, Other than Banking • Telemarketing Fraud • Corporate Fraud • Identity Theft • Aggravated Identity Theft • Other White Collar Crime/Fraud The largest number of prosecutions of these matters in January 2025 was for "Fraud-Federal Program", accounting for 18.9 percent of prosecutions. Prosecutions were also filed for "Fraud-Other" (15.9%), "Fraud-Financial Institution" (14.2%), "Fraud-Tax" (9.9%), "Fraud-Computer" (7.7%), "Fraud-Other Investment" (6%), "Fraud-Other Business" (5.2%), "Fraud-Health Care" (4.3%), "Fraud-Securities" (3.9%), "Fraud-Consumer" (3.4%), "Fraud-Identity Theft-Aggravated" (3%). See Figure 2.
The lead investigative agency for white collar crime prosecutions in January 2025 was FBI accounting for 44 percent of prosecutions referred. Other agencies with substantial numbers of white collar crime referrals were: IRS (14% ), SecServ (10%), DHS (9%), Postal (4%). See Figure 3.
White Collar Crime Prosecutions in U.S. Magistrate Courts
Top Ranked Lead Charges
In January 2025, 15 defendants in white collar crime cases for these matters were filed 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.
In the magistrate courts in January the most frequently cited lead charge was Title 18 U.S.C Section 1343 involving "Fraud by wire, radio, or television". This was the lead charge for 26.7 percent of all magistrate filings in January.
White Collar Crime Prosecutions in U.S. District Courts
In January 2025, 218 defendants in new cases for these matters were charged in the U.S. District Courts. In addition during January there were an additional 18 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 prosecutions of white collar crime matters filed in U.S. District Court during January 2025.
Lead Charge Count Rank 1yr ago 5yrs ago 18 USC 1343 - Fraud by wire, radio, or television 82 1 1 1 More 18 USC 1344 - Bank Fraud 31 2 3 2 More 18 USC 1349 - Mail Fraud - Attempt and Conspiracy 16 3 2 3 More 18 USC 371 - Conspiracy to commit offense or to defraud US 13 4 4 5 More 26 USC 7202 - Willful failure to collect or pay over tax 7 6 17 20 More 18 USC 1014 - Fraud - Loan and credit applications etc 6 7 34 23 More 26 USC 7201 - Attempt to evade or defeat tax 6 7 14 12 More 18 USC 641 - Public money, property or records 5 9 5 4 More 18 USC 1028 - Fraud and related activity - id documents 5 9 7 11 More 18 USC 2314 - Transportation of stolen goods, etc 5 9 23 52 More 26 USC 7206 - Fraud and False statements 5 9 8 10 More Table 2. Top Charges Filed
"Fraud by wire, radio, or television" (Title 18 U.S.C Section 1343) was the most frequent recorded lead charge. "Fraud by wire, radio, or television" (Title 18 U.S.C Section 1343) was ranked 1 a year ago, while it was ranked 1 five years ago.
Ranked 2nd in frequency was the lead charge "Bank Fraud" under Title 18 U.S.C Section 1344. "Bank Fraud" under Title 18 U.S.C Section 1344 was ranked 3 a year ago, while it was ranked 2 five years ago.
Ranked 3rd was "Mail Fraud - Attempt and Conspiracy" under Title 18 U.S.C Section 1349. "Mail Fraud - Attempt and Conspiracy" under Title 18 U.S.C Section 1349 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 prosecutions — up 325 percent — compared to one year ago was Title 18 U.S.C Section 1014 that involves " Fraud - Loan and credit applications etc ". Compared to five years ago, the largest increase — 140.7 percent — was registered for prosecutions under "Other US Code Section " (Title U.S.C Section ).
Again among the top ten lead charges, the one showing the sharpest decline in prosecutions compared to one year ago — down 25.5 percent — was " Mail Fraud - Attempt and Conspiracy " (Title 18 U.S.C Section 1349 ). Compared to five years ago, the most significant decline in prosecutions — 45.9 percent — was for filings where the lead charge was " Fraud and False statements " (Title 26 U.S.C Section 7206 ).
Top Ranked Judicial Districts
In January 2025 the Justice Department's case-by-case records show that the government brought 84.6 white collar crime prosecutions for every ten million people in the United States.
Understandably, there is great variation in the per capita number of white collar crime prosecutions that are filed in each of the nation's ninety-four federal judicial districts.
The districts registering the largest number of prosecutions per capita for these matters last month are shown in Table 3. Districts must have at least 5 white collar crime prosecutions to receive a ranking.
Judicial District Percapita Count Rank 1yr ago 5yrs ago Ark, E 1,458 20 1 46 21 More Virg, W 545 10 2 71 78 More S Car 402 18 3 20 39 More Mo, W 329 9 4 15 55 More N. J. 220 17 5 7 5 More Mo, E 206 5 6 8 11 More Fla, S 190 12 7 1 1 More Mich, E 130 7 8 17 8 More Fla, M 110 12 9 2 3 More Penn, E 100 5 10 9 7 More Table 3. Top 10 Districts (per ten million people)
The Eastern District of Arkansas (Little Rock) — with 1458 prosecutions as compared with 84.6 prosecutions per ten million population in the United States — was the most active during January 2025.
The Western District of Virginia (Roanoke) ranked 2nd.
District of South Carolina is now ranking 3rd.
Recent entrants to the top 10 list were Western District of Missouri (Kansas City), now ranked 4th , and Eastern District of Michigan (Detroit) at 8th In the same order, these districts ranked 15th and 17th one year ago and 55th and 8th five years ago.
The federal judicial district which showed the greatest growth in the rate of white collar crime prosecutions compared to one year ago — 214.3 percent — was Western District of Virginia (Roanoke). This was the same district that had the largest increase — 214.3 percent — when compared with five years ago.
In the last year, the judicial District Court recording the largest drop in the rate of white collar crime prosecutions — 36.4 percent — was Eastern District of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia). This was the same district that had the largest increase — 58.2 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 white collar crime crime cases of this type during January 2025 are shown in Table 4.
Judge Count Rank 1yr ago 5yrs ago Moody, James Maxwell, Jr. Ark, E 20 1 17 132 More Shipp, Michael A. N. J. 7 2 37 57 More Weisman, M. David Ill, N 3 3 269 34 More Martinotti, Brian R. N. J. 3 3 107 57 More Fitzgerald, Michael Walter Cal, C 2 5 77 57 More Barber, Thomas Patrick Fla, M 2 5 3 - More Winsor, Allen Cothrel Fla, N 2 5 56 - More Ruiz, Rodolfo Armando, II Fla, S 2 5 166 204 More Reeves, Danny C. Ken, E 2 5 166 204 More Leitman, Matthew Frederick Mich, E 2 5 269 436 More Sachs, Howard Frederic Mo, W 2 5 107 436 More Kays, David Gregory Mo, W 2 5 107 436 More Phillips, Mary Elizabeth Mo, W 2 5 269 436 More Ketchmark, Roseann Ambrosia Mo, W 2 5 9 - More Suddaby, Glenn T. N. Y., N 2 5 269 - More Polster, Dan A. Ohio, N 2 5 - 291 More McHugh, Gerald Austin, Jr. Penn, E 2 5 269 436 More Scholer, Karen Gren Texas, N 2 5 - 132 More Table 4. Top Ten Judges
A total of 11 out of the "top ten" judges were in districts which were in the top ten with the largest number of white collar crime filings per capita, while the remaining 7 judges were from other districts. (Because of ties, there were a total of 18 judges in the "top ten" rankings.)
Judge James Maxwell Moody, Jr. in the Eastern District of Arkansas (Little Rock) ranked 1st with 20 defendants in white collar crime cases.
Judge Michael A. Shipp in the District of New Jersey ranked 2nd with 7 defendants in white collar crime cases.
Judges M. David Weisman in the Northern District of Illinois (Chicago) and Brian R. Martinotti in the District of New Jersey ranked 3rd with 3 defendants in white collar crime cases.
Report Generated: March 12, 2025
