White Collar Crime Prosecutions for September 2025
The latest available data from the Justice Department show that during September 2025 the government reported 358 new white collar crime prosecutions. According to the case-by-case information analyzed by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), this number is down 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 up (12.4%). 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 47.9 percent from levels reported in 2020.
The increase 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 September 2025 was for "Fraud-Other", accounting for 28.5 percent of prosecutions. Prosecutions were also filed for "Fraud-Federal Program" (18.2%), "Fraud-Financial Institution" (10.3%), "Fraud-Tax" (8.9%), "Fraud-Health Care" (8.1%), "Fraud-Computer" (6.4%), "Fraud-Other Business" (5%), "Fraud-Identity Theft-Aggravated" (3.1%), "Fraud-Securities" (3.1%). See Figure 2.
The lead investigative agency for white collar crime prosecutions in September 2025 was FBI accounting for 35 percent of prosecutions referred. Other agencies with substantial numbers of white collar crime referrals were: IRS (11% ), DHS (11%), Labor (6%), SecServ (6%). See Figure 3.
White Collar Crime Prosecutions in U.S. Magistrate Courts
Top Ranked Lead Charges
In September 2025, 35 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 September 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 28.6 percent of all magistrate filings in September.
Other frequently prosecuted lead charges include: "18 USC 1344 - Bank Fraud" (14.3%).
White Collar Crime Prosecutions in U.S. District Courts
In September 2025, 323 defendants in new cases for these matters were charged in the U.S. District Courts. In addition during September there were an additional 25 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 September.
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 September 2025.
Lead Charge Count Rank 1yr ago 5yrs ago 18 USC 1343 - Fraud by wire, radio, or television 126 1 1 1 More 18 USC 1349 - Mail Fraud - Attempt and Conspiracy 42 2 3 3 More 18 USC 1344 - Bank Fraud 24 3 2 2 More 18 USC 641 - Public money, property or records 19 4 5 7 More 18 USC 371 - Conspiracy to commit offense or to defraud US 12 5 4 5 More 26 USC 7206 - Fraud and False statements 12 5 7 8 More 18 USC 1956 - Laundering of monetary instruments 10 8 17 15 More 26 USC 7201 - Attempt to evade or defeat tax 10 8 12 11 More 18 USC 1341 - Mail Fraud - Frauds and swindles 7 10 6 6 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 3 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 2 a year ago, while it was ranked 2 five years ago.
Among these top ten lead charges, the one showing the greatest increase in prosecutions — up 152.2 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 — 742.9 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 34.4 percent — was " Mail Fraud - Frauds and swindles " (Title 18 U.S.C Section 1341 ). This was the same statute that had the largest decrease — 24.1 % — when compared with five years ago.
Top Ranked Judicial Districts
In September 2025 the Justice Department's case-by-case records show that the government brought 124.7 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 D. C. 884 5 1 28 33 More La, E 732 10 2 53 12 More Montana 636 6 3 37 43 More Ala, M 502 5 4 44 83 More Ala, N 355 9 5 15 37 More Fla, S 317 20 6 1 16 More Ind, N 317 7 6 73 51 More Mich, E 315 17 8 12 4 More Fla, M 276 30 9 2 3 More Virg, E 240 13 10 5 11 More Table 3. Top 10 Districts (per ten million people)
The District of Washington, D.C. (Washington) — with 884 prosecutions as compared with 124.7 prosecutions per ten million population in the United States — was the most active during September 2025.
The Eastern District of Louisiana (New Orleans) ranked 2nd.
District of Montana is now ranking 3rd.
Recent entrants to the top 10 list were Eastern District of Michigan (Detroit), now ranked 8th , and Northern District of Alabama (Birmingham) at 5th In the same order, these districts ranked 12th and 15th one year ago and 4th and 37th 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 — 216.7 percent — was Northern District of Indiana (South Bend). Compared to five years ago, the district with the largest growth — 389.3 percent — was Southern District of Florida (Miami).
In the last year, the judicial District Court recording the largest drop in the rate of white collar crime prosecutions — 56.3 percent — was Middle District of Alabama (Montgomery). But over the past five years, Washington, D.C. (Washington) showed the largest drop — 35.3 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 September 2025 are shown in Table 4.
Judge Count Rank Moody, James S., Jr. Fla, M 13 1 More Humetewa, Diane Joyce Arizona 6 2 More Johnston, Iain David Ill, N 5 3 More Watters, Susan Pamela Montana 5 3 More Dimitrouleas, William P. Fla, S 4 5 More Leichty, Damon Ray Ind, N 4 5 More Bell, Kenneth Davis, Sr. N Car, W 4 5 More Lipman, Sheryl Halle Tenn, W 4 5 More Marks, Emily Coody Ala, M 3 9 More Sneed, Julie S. Fla, M 3 9 More Winmill, B. Lynn Idaho 3 9 More Caldwell, Karen K. Ken, E 3 9 More Flanagan, Louise W. N Car, E 3 9 More Wyrick, Patrick Robert Okla, W 3 9 More Mannion, Malachy E. Penn, M 3 9 More Hoyt, Kenneth M. Texas, S 3 9 More Garcia, Orlando Luis Texas, W 3 9 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 filings per capita, while the remaining 11 judges were from other districts. (Because of ties, there were a total of 17 judges in the "top ten" rankings.)
Judge James S. Moody, Jr. in the Middle District of Florida (Tampa) ranked 1st with 13 defendants in white collar crime cases.
Judge Diane Joyce Humetewa in the District of Arizona ranked 2nd with 6 defendants in white collar crime cases.
Judges Iain David Johnston in the Northern District of Illinois (Chicago) and Susan Pamela Watters in the District of Montana ranked 3rd with 5 defendants in white collar crime cases.
Report Generated: December 8, 2025
