Prosecutions for September 2025
Referring Agency: Social Security Administration
The latest available data from the Justice Department show that during September 2025 the government reported 27 new prosecutions for these matters. Those cases were referred by the Social Security Administration. According to the case-by-case information analyzed by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), this number is the same as in the previous month.
The comparisons of the number of defendants charged 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 (-7.2%). 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 0.7 percent from levels reported in 2020.
Figure 1. Monthly Trends in Prosecutions
The leveling out from the levels five years ago in prosecutions for these matters is shown more clearly in Figure 1. The vertical bars in Figure 1 represent the number of 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.
Cases were classified by prosecutors into more specific types.
The largest number of prosecutions of these matters in September 2025 was for "Fraud-Federal Program", accounting for 51.9 percent of prosecutions. Prosecutions were also filed for "Theft-Government Property" (37%), "Fraud-Identity Theft-Other" (3.7%), "Other Criminal Prosecutions" (3.7%), "Withheld by Govt from TRAC (FOIA challen" (3.7%). See Figure 2.
Prosecutions in U.S. Magistrate Courts
Top Ranked Lead Charges
In September 2025, 1 defendants in 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 involving "&mg_pos1_uscdescription.". This was the lead charge for percent of all magistrate filings in September.
Prosecutions in U.S. District Courts
In September 2025, 26 defendants in new cases for these matters were charged in the U.S. District Courts. In addition during September there were an additional 1 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 matters filed in U.S. District Court during September 2025 referred by the Social Security Administration.
Lead Charge Count Rank 1yr ago 5yrs ago 18 USC 641 - Public money, property or records 20 1 1 1 More 42 USC 408 - Fed Old Age, Survivors & Disab Insur -Penalties 2 2 2 3 More 18 USC 371 - Conspiracy to commit offense or to defraud US 1 3 - 7 More 18 USC 875 - Interstate Communications 1 3 - - More 18 USC 1001 - Fraud/false statements or entries generally 1 3 5 2 More 18 USC 1343 - Fraud by wire, radio, or television 1 3 3 5 More 42 USC 1383a - Fraudulent acts; penalties; restitution 1 3 10 7 More Table 2. Top Charges Filed
"Public money, property or records" (Title 18 U.S.C Section 641) was the most frequent recorded lead charge. "Public money, property or records" (Title 18 U.S.C Section 641) was ranked 1 a year ago, while it was ranked 1 five years ago.
Ranked 2nd in frequency was the lead charge "Fed Old Age, Survivors & Disab Insur -Penalties" under Title 42 U.S.C Section 408. "Fed Old Age, Survivors & Disab Insur -Penalties" under Title 42 U.S.C Section 408 was ranked 2 a year ago, while it was ranked 3 five years ago.
Ranked 3rd were "Conspiracy to commit offense or to defraud US" under Title 18 U.S.C Section 371, "Interstate Communications" under Title 18 U.S.C Section 875, "Fraud/false statements or entries generally" under Title 18 U.S.C Section 1001, "Fraud by wire, radio, or television" under Title 18 U.S.C Section 1343 and "Fraudulent acts; penalties; restitution" under Title 42 U.S.C Section 1383. "Fraud/false statements or entries generally" under Title 18 U.S.C Section 1001 was ranked 5 a year ago, while it was ranked 2 five years ago."Fraud by wire, radio, or television" under Title 18 U.S.C Section 1343 was ranked 3 a year ago, while it was ranked 5 five years ago."Fraudulent acts; penalties; restitution" under Title 42 U.S.C Section 1383 was ranked 10 a year ago, while it was ranked 7 five years ago.
Among these top ten lead charges, the one showing the greatest increase in prosecutions — up 600 percent — compared to one year ago was Title 42 U.S.C Section 1383 that involves " Fraudulent acts; penalties; restitution ". This was the same statute that had the largest increase — 250 % — 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 50 percent — was " Fraud/false statements or entries generally " (Title 18 U.S.C Section 1001 ). This was the same statute that had the largest decrease — 83.3 % — 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 9.7 prosecutions for every ten million people in the United States.
Understandably, there is great variation in the number of prosecutions that are filed in each of the nation's ninety-four federal judicial districts.
The districts registering the largest number of prosecutions of this type last month are shown in Table 3.
The Eastern District of Michigan (Detroit) — with 6 prosecutions — was the most active during September 2025.
The Middle District of Florida (Tampa) and District of Puerto Rico ranked 2nd.
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 crime cases of this type during September 2025 are shown in Table 4.
Judge Count Rank Michelson, Laurie Mich, E 2 1 More Sabraw, Dana Makoto Cal, S 1 2 More Berg, Michael Cal, S 1 2 More Merryday, Steven Douglas Fla, M 1 2 More Covington, Virginia Maria Hernandez Fla, M 1 2 More Byron, Paul Gregory Fla, M 1 2 More Sorokin, Leo T. Mass 1 2 More Levy, Judith Ellen Mich, E 1 2 More Jonker, Robert James Mich, W 1 2 More Watters, Susan Pamela Montana 1 2 More D'Agostino, Mae Avila N. Y., N 1 2 More Table 4. Top Ten Judges
All 11 of the "top ten" judges were in districts which were in the top ten with the largest number of filings. (Because of ties, there were a total of 11 judges in the "top ten" rankings.)
Judge Laurie Michelson in the Eastern District of Michigan (Detroit) ranked 1st with 2 defendants in cases.
Judges Dana Makoto Sabraw in the Southern District of California (San Diego), Michael Berg in the Southern District of California (San Diego), Steven Douglas Merryday in the Middle District of Florida (Tampa), Virginia Maria Hernandez Covington in the Middle District of Florida (Tampa), Paul Gregory Byron in the Middle District of Florida (Tampa), Leo T. Sorokin in the District of Massachusetts, Judith Ellen Levy in the Eastern District of Michigan (Detroit), Robert James Jonker in the Western District ranked 2nd with 1 defendants in cases.
Report Generated: December 8, 2025
