White Collar Crime Convictions for January 2026
The latest available data from the Justice Department show that during January 2026 the government reported 306 new white collar crime convictions. According to the case-by-case information analyzed by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), this number is down 10.5 percent over the previous month.
The comparisons of the number of defendants convicted for 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 2026 convictions of this type are compared with those of the same period in the previous year, the number of convictions was up (8.9%). 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 36.4 percent from levels reported in 2021.
The increase from the levels five years ago in white collar crime convictions for these matters is shown more clearly in Figure 1. The vertical bars in Figure 1 represent the number of white collar crime 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.
Figure 1. Monthly Trends in White Collar Crime Convictions
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 convictions of these matters in January 2026 was for "Fraud-Other", accounting for 24.8 percent of convictions. Convictions were also filed for "Fraud-Federal Program" (21.6%), "Fraud-Financial Institution" (14.7%), "Fraud-Tax" (8.5%), "Fraud-Health Care" (7.5%), "Fraud-Computer" (4.9%), "Fraud-Identity Theft-Aggravated" (4.9%), "Fraud-Identity Theft-Other" (3.6%), "Fraud-Other Business" (2.6%). See Figure 2.
The lead investigative agency for white collar crime convictions in January 2026 was FBI accounting for 32 percent of convictions. Other agencies with substantial numbers of white collar crime convictions were: IRS (11% ), DHS (10%), HHS (6%), Postal (6%). See Figure 3.
White Collar Crime Convictions in U.S. Magistrate Courts
Top Ranked Lead Charges
In January 2026, no defendants in white collar crime 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.
White Collar Crime Convictions in U.S. District Courts
In January 2026, 305 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 white collar crime matters filed in U.S. District Court during January 2026.
Lead Charge Count Rank 1yr ago 5yrs ago 18 USC 1343 - Fraud by wire, radio, or television 92 1 1 1 More 18 USC 1349 - Mail Fraud - Attempt and Conspiracy 22 2 2 4 More 18 USC 1344 - Bank Fraud 21 3 3 2 More 18 USC 371 - Conspiracy to commit offense or to defraud US 17 4 5 5 More 18 USC 641 - Public money, property or records 17 4 4 7 More 26 USC 7201 - Attempt to evade or defeat tax 12 6 10 11 More 18 USC 1028 - Fraud and related activity - id documents 9 7 8 11 More 18 USC 1028A - Aggravated Identity Theft 7 9 13 8 More 18 USC 1030 - Fraud and related activity - computers 7 9 18 20 More 18 USC 1347 - Health Care Fraud 7 9 6 3 More 18 USC 1956 - Laundering of monetary instruments 7 9 15 17 More Table 2. Top Charges for Convictions
"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 "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 4 five years ago.
Ranked 3rd was "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.
Among these top ten lead charges, the one showing the greatest increase in convictions — up 200 percent — compared to one year ago was Title 18 U.S.C Section 1956 that involves " Laundering of monetary instruments ". Compared to five years ago, the largest increase — 278.9 percent — was registered for convictions under "Other US Code Section " (Title U.S.C Section ).
Again among the top ten lead charges, the one showing the sharpest decline in convictions compared to one year ago — down 31.6 percent — was " Public money, property or records " (Title 18 U.S.C Section 641 ). Compared to five years ago, the most significant decline in convictions — 41 percent — was for convictions where the lead charge was " Health Care Fraud " (Title 18 U.S.C Section 1347 ).
Top Ranked Judicial Districts
In January 2026 the Justice Department's case-by-case records show that the government obtained 107.6 white collar crime convictions for every ten million people in the United States.
Understandably, there is great variation in the per capita number of white collar crime 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 white collar crime convictions to receive a ranking.
Judicial District Percapita Count Rank 1yr ago 5yrs ago Okla, N 749 7 1 31 64 More La, E 583 8 2 80 60 More Montana 528 5 3 23 31 More Mo, E 492 12 4 5 16 More Fla, S 319 21 5 1 2 More Mo, W 289 8 6 20 42 More Ill, C 279 5 7 46 50 More Ind, N 270 6 8 66 27 More Conn 229 7 9 26 26 More N. Y., S 204 9 10 2 3 More Table 3. Top 10 Districts (per ten million people)
The Northern District of Oklahoma (Tulsa) — with 749 convictions as compared with 107.6 convictions per ten million population in the United States — was the most active during January 2026.
The Eastern District of Louisiana (New Orleans) ranked 2nd.
District of Montana is now ranking 3rd.
Recent entrants to the top 10 list were Western District of Missouri (Kansas City), now ranked 6th , and Montana at 3rd In the same order, these districts ranked 20th and 23rd one year ago and 42nd and 31st five years ago.
The federal judicial district which showed the greatest growth in the rate of white collar crime convictions compared to one year ago — 333.3 percent — was Eastern District of Louisiana (New Orleans). Compared to five years ago, the district with the largest growth — 250 percent — was Eastern District of Missouri (St. Louis).
In the last year, the judicial District Court recording the largest drop in the rate of white collar crime convictions — 48 percent — was Montana . This was the same district that had the largest increase — 31.6 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 resulting in convictions of this type during January 2026 are shown in Table 4.
Judge Count Rank Adams, John R. Ohio, N 4 1 More Birotte, Andre, Jr. Cal, C 3 2 More Williams, Kathleen Mary Fla, S 3 2 More Altman, Roy Kalman Fla, S 3 2 More Milazzo, Jane Margaret Triche La, E 3 2 More Vitter, Wendy Baldwin La, E 3 2 More Kays, David Gregory Mo, W 3 2 More Rakoff, Jed Saul N. Y., S 3 2 More Hendricks, Bruce Howe S Car 3 2 More Lipman, Sheryl Halle Tenn, W 3 2 More Godbey, David C. Texas, N 3 2 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 white collar crime convictions per capita, while the remaining 5 judges were from other districts. (Because of ties, there were a total of 11 judges in the "top ten" rankings.)
Judge John R. Adams in the Northern District of Ohio (Cleveland) ranked 1st with 4 convicted in white collar crime convictions.
Judges Andre Birotte, Jr. in the Central District of California (Los Angeles), Kathleen Mary Williams in the Southern District of Florida (Miami), Roy Kalman Altman in the Southern District of Florida (Miami), Jane Margaret Triche Milazzo in the Eastern District of Louisiana (New Orleans), Wendy Baldwin Vitter in the Eastern District of Louisiana (New Orleans), David Gregory Kays in the Western District of Missouri (Kansas City), Jed Saul Rakoff in the Southern District of New York (Manhattan), Bruce H ranked 2nd with 3 convicted in white collar crime convictions.
Report Generated: April 16, 2026
