White Collar Crime Prosecutions for May 2025
The latest available data from the Justice Department show that during May 2025 the government reported 349 new white collar crime prosecutions. According to the case-by-case information analyzed by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), this number is up 5.4 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 (-11.4%). Prosecutions over the past year are still much higher than they were five years ago. Overall, the data show that prosecutions of this type are up 4.6 percent from levels reported in 2020.
The leveling out 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 May 2025 was for "Fraud-Other", accounting for 30.7 percent of prosecutions. Prosecutions were also filed for "Fraud-Federal Program" (12%), "Fraud-Identity Theft-Aggravated" (9.7%), "Fraud-Computer" (9.2%), "Fraud-Health Care" (8.9%), "Fraud-Financial Institution" (8.3%), "Fraud-Tax" (6%), "Fraud-Other Business" (4.6%), "Fraud-Securities" (3.7%), "Fraud-Identity Theft-Other" (2.6%). See Figure 2.
The lead investigative agency for white collar crime prosecutions in May 2025 was FBI accounting for 38 percent of prosecutions referred. Other agencies with substantial numbers of white collar crime referrals were: DHS (15% ), IRS (9%), Postal (8%), SecServ (5%). See Figure 3.
White Collar Crime Prosecutions in U.S. Magistrate Courts
Top Ranked Lead Charges
In May 2025, 28 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 May the most frequently cited lead charge was Title 18 U.S.C Section 1030 involving "Fraud and related activity - computers". This was the lead charge for 25 percent of all magistrate filings in May.
White Collar Crime Prosecutions in U.S. District Courts
In May 2025, 321 defendants in new cases for these matters were charged in the U.S. District Courts. In addition during May there were an additional 20 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 prosecutions of white collar crime matters filed in U.S. District Court during May 2025.
Lead Charge Count Rank 1yr ago 5yrs ago 18 USC 1343 - Fraud by wire, radio, or television 91 1 1 1 More 18 USC 1349 - Mail Fraud - Attempt and Conspiracy 28 2 3 2 More 18 USC 1028 - Fraud and related activity - id documents 19 3 9 10 More 18 USC 1029 - Fraud and related activity - access devices 17 4 10 5 More 18 USC 1344 - Bank Fraud 16 5 2 3 More 07 USC 2156 - Animal Fighting Venture Prohibited 15 6 - - More 18 USC 1030 - Fraud and related activity - computers 15 6 16 17 More 18 USC 371 - Conspiracy to commit offense or to defraud US 12 9 5 6 More 18 USC 641 - Public money, property or records 12 9 4 7 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 "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 3 a year ago, while it was ranked 2 five years ago.
Ranked 3rd was "Fraud and related activity - id documents" under Title 18 U.S.C Section 1028. "Fraud and related activity - id documents" under Title 18 U.S.C Section 1028 was ranked 9 a year ago, while it was ranked 10 five years ago.
Among these top ten lead charges, the one showing the greatest increase in prosecutions — up 130.4 percent — compared to one year ago was Title 18 U.S.C Section 1030 that involves " Fraud and related activity - computers ". This was the same statute that had the largest increase — 231.3 % — when compared with five years ago.
Again among the top ten lead charges, the one showing the sharpest decline in prosecutions compared to one year ago — down 41.5 percent — was " Public money, property or records " (Title 18 U.S.C Section 641 ). Compared to five years ago, the most significant decline in prosecutions — 50.5 percent — was for filings where the lead charge was " Fraud and related activity - access devices " (Title 18 U.S.C Section 1029 ).
Top Ranked Judicial Districts
In May 2025 the Justice Department's case-by-case records show that the government brought 122.2 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 Miss, S 1,103 17 1 57 43 More Tenn, W 773 10 2 46 31 More Mo, E 577 14 3 7 15 More Nebraska 546 9 4 72 55 More N. Y., S 395 17 5 9 1 More Conn 299 9 6 33 20 More Virg, E 240 13 7 6 8 More Mo, W 219 6 8 11 36 More Cal, S 209 6 9 15 18 More N Car, E 199 7 10 21 39 More Table 3. Top 10 Districts (per ten million people)
The Southern District of Mississippi (Jackson) — with 1103 prosecutions as compared with 122.2 prosecutions per ten million population in the United States — was the most active during May 2025.
The Western District of Tennessee (Memphis) ranked 2nd.
Eastern District of Missouri (St. Louis) is now ranking 3rd. The Eastern District of Missouri (St. Louis) was ranked 7 a year ago.
Recent entrants to the top 10 list were Western District of Missouri (Kansas City), now ranked 8th , and Southern District of California (San Diego) at 9th In the same order, these districts ranked 11th and 15th one year ago and 36th and 18th 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 — 257.1 percent — was Nebraska . Compared to five years ago, the district with the largest growth — 191.7 percent — was Southern District of Mississippi (Jackson).
In the last year, the judicial District Court recording the largest drop in the rate of white collar crime prosecutions — 25 percent — was Eastern District of North Carolina (Raleigh). But over the past five years, Southern District of New York (Manhattan) showed the largest drop — 45.2 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 white collar crime crime cases of this type during May 2025 are shown in Table 4.
Judge Count Rank Besosa, Francisco Augusto Puer Rico 10 1 More Lipman, Sheryl Halle Tenn, W 7 2 More Schmehl, Jeffrey L. Penn, E 6 3 More Bolden, Victor Allen Conn 5 4 More Castel, P. Kevin N. Y., S 5 4 More Merryday, Steven Douglas Fla, M 4 6 More Autrey, Henry Edward Mo, E 4 6 More Moody, James Maxwell, Jr. Ark, E 3 8 More Birotte, Andre, Jr. Cal, C 3 8 More Barber, Thomas Patrick Fla, M 3 8 More Fleissig, Audrey Goldstein Mo, E 3 8 More Bell, Kenneth Davis, Sr. N Car, W 3 8 More Ross, Allyne R. N. Y., E 3 8 More Stadtmueller, Joseph Peter Wisc, E 3 8 More Table 4. Top Ten Judges
A total of 5 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 9 judges were from other districts. (Because of ties, there were a total of 14 judges in the "top ten" rankings.)
Judge Francisco Augusto Besosa in the District of Puerto Rico ranked 1st with 10 defendants in white collar crime cases.
Judge Sheryl Halle Lipman in the Western District of Tennessee (Memphis) ranked 2nd with 7 defendants in white collar crime cases.
Judge Jeffrey L. Schmehl in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia) ranked 3rd with 6 defendants in white collar crime cases.
Report Generated: July 16, 2025
