Organized Crime Convictions for August 2012
The latest available data from the Justice Department show that during August 2012 the government reported 27 new organized crime convictions. According to the case-by-case information analyzed by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), this number is up 35% over the previous month.
The comparisons of the number of defendants convicted for organized 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 2012 convictions of this type are compared with those of the same period in the previous year, the number of convictions was down (-8.1 percent). Convictions over the past year are still much lower than they were five years ago. Overall, the data show that convictions of this type are down 27.7 percent from levels reported in 2007.
The decrease from the levels five years ago in organized crime convictions for these matters is shown more clearly in Figure 1. The vertical bars in Figure 1 represent the number of organized 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.
Within the broad category of organized crime, cases were classified by prosecutors into more specific types.
Case types within organized crime are
Organized Crime - Traditional Organizations
Organized Crime - Emerging Organizations
The largest number of convictions of these matters in August 2012 was for "Organized Crime-Traditional Organization", accounting for 63 percent of convictions. Convictions were also filed for "Organized Crime-Emerging Organization" ( 29.6%), "Organized Crime-High Priority Organized" (7.4%). See Figure 2.
The lead investigative agency for organized crime convictions in August 2012 was FBI accounting for 44 percent of convictions. Other agencies with substantial numbers of organized crime convictions were: ATF (30% ), DEA (11%), Labor (7%). See Figure 3.
Organized Crime Convictions in U.S. Magistrate Courts
Top Ranked Lead Charges
In August 2012, no defendants in organized 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.
Organized Crime Convictions in U.S. District Courts
In August 2012, 27 defendants in new cases for these matters were charged in the U.S. District Courts. In addition during August 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 August.
Top Ranked Lead Charges
Table 2 shows the top lead charges recorded in the convictions of organized crime matters filed in U.S. District Court during August 2012.
Lead Charge Count Rank 18 USC 1959 - Violent crimes in aid of racketeering activity 7 1 More 18 USC 1962 - RICO - prohibited activities 5 2 More 18 USC 894 - Collection of extensions of credit by extortionate 3 3 More 18 USC 1341 - Mail Fraud - Frauds and swindles 2 4 More 18 USC 1349 - Mail Fraud - Attempt and Conspiracy 2 4 More 18 USC 1951 - Hobbs Act 2 4 More 21 USC 841 - Drug Abuse Prevention & Control-Prohibited acts A 2 4 More 18 USC 892 - Making extortionate extensions of credit 1 8 More 18 USC 1344 - Bank Fraud 1 8 More 18 USC 1955 - Prohibition of illegal gambling businesses 1 8 More 21 USC 846 - Attempt and conspiracy 1 8 More Table 2: Top charges for convictions
"Violent crimes in aid of racketeering activity" (Title 18 U.S.C Section 1959) was the most frequent recorded lead charge.
Ranked 2nd in frequency was the lead charge "RICO - prohibited activities" under Title 18 U.S.C Section 1962.
Ranked 3rd was "Collection of extensions of credit by extortionate" under Title 18 U.S.C Section 894.
Top Ranked Judicial Districts
In August 2012 the Justice Department said the government obtained 10.6 organized crime convictions for every ten million people in the United States.
Understandably, there is great variation in the number of organized crime convictions in each of the nation's ninety-four federal judicial districts.
The districts registering the largest number of convictions of this type last month are shown in Table 3.
The Eastern District of New York (Brooklyn) and Middle District of Tennessee (Nashville)—with 7 convictions—were the most active during August 2012.
Southern District of New York (Manhattan) is now ranking 3rd.
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 organized crime crime cases resulting in convictions of this type during August 2012 are shown in Table 4.
Judge Count Rank Campbell, Todd J. Tenn, M 7 1 More Amon, Carol Bagley N. Y., E 2 2 More Berman, Richard M. N. Y., S 2 2 More Anello, Michael M. Cal, S 1 4 More Merryday, Steven Douglas Fla, M 1 4 More Covington, Virginia Maria Hernandez Fla, M 1 4 More Hayden, Katharine Sweeney N. J. 1 4 More Block, Frederic N. Y., E 1 4 More Gershon, Nina N. Y., E 1 4 More Hurley, Denis Reagan N. Y., E 1 4 More Townes, Sandra L. N. Y., E 1 4 More Go, Marilyn D. N. Y., E 1 4 More Kaplan, Lewis A. N. Y., S 1 4 More Marrero, Victor N. Y., S 1 4 More Scheindlin, Shira A. N. Y., S 1 4 More Boyko, Christopher A. Ohio, N 1 4 More Dalzell, Stewart R. Penn, E 1 4 More Davis, Legrome D. Penn, E 1 4 More Table 4: Top 10 judges
All 18 of the "top ten" judges were in districts which were in the top ten with the largest number of organized crime convictions . (Because of ties, there were a total of 18 judges in the "top ten" rankings.)
Judge Todd J. Campbell in the Middle District of Tennessee (Nashville) ranked 1st with 7 convicted in organized crime convictions.
Judges Carol Bagley Amon in the Eastern District of New York (Brooklyn) and Richard M. Berman in the Southern District of New York (Manhattan) ranked 2nd with 2 convicted in organized crime convictions.
Report Generated: November 19, 2012
