Convictions for August 2018
Referring Agency: Internal Revenue Service
The latest available data from the Justice Department show that during August 2018 the government reported 78 new convictions for these matters. Those cases were referred by the Internal Revenue Service. According to the case-by-case information analyzed by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), this number is down 6 percent over the previous month.
The comparisons of the number of defendants convicted 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 2018 convictions of this type are compared with those of the same period in the previous year, the number of convictions was down (-23.6%). 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 29.4 percent from levels reported in 2013.
The decrease from the levels five years ago in convictions for these matters is shown more clearly in Figure 1. The vertical bars in Figure 1 represent the number of 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.
Cases were classified by prosecutors into more specific types.
The largest number of convictions of these matters in August 2018 was for "Fraud-Tax", accounting for 57.7 percent of convictions. Convictions were also filed for "Withheld by Govt from TRAC (FOIA challen" (9%), "Fraud-Identity Theft-Aggravated" (7.7%), "Fraud-Other" (6.4%), "Money Laundering-Other" (3.8%), "Fraud-Financial Institution" (2.6%), "Fraud-Identity Theft-Other" (2.6%). See Figure 2.
Convictions in U.S. Magistrate Courts
Top Ranked Lead Charges
In August 2018, no 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.
Convictions in U.S. District Courts
In August 2018, 78 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 matters filed in U.S. District Court during August 2018 referred by the Internal Revenue Service.
Lead Charge Count Rank 26 USC 7206 - Fraud and False statements 19 1 More 26 USC 7201 - Attempt to evade or defeat tax 9 2 More 18 USC 287 - False, fictitious or fraudulent claims 6 3 More 18 USC 371 - Conspiracy to commit offense or to defraud US 5 4 More 18 USC 1343 - Fraud by wire, radio, or television 5 4 More 18 USC 641 - Public money, property or records 4 6 More 18 USC 286 - Conspiracy to defraud the Government claims 3 7 More 18 USC 1028 - Fraud and related activity - id documents 3 7 More 18 USC 1956 - Laundering of monetary instruments 3 7 More 18 USC 1028A - Aggravated Identity Theft 2 10 More 18 USC 1344 - Bank Fraud 2 10 More 26 USC 7202 - Willful failure to collect or pay over tax 2 10 More 31 USC 5324 - Structuring transactions to evade reporting requir 2 10 More Table 2. Top Charges for Convictions
"Fraud and False statements" (Title 26 U.S.C Section 7206) was the most frequent recorded lead charge.
Ranked 2nd in frequency was the lead charge "Attempt to evade or defeat tax" under Title 26 U.S.C Section 7201.
Ranked 3rd was "False, fictitious or fraudulent claims" under Title 18 U.S.C Section 287.
Top Ranked Judicial Districts
In August 2018 the Justice Department said the government obtained 29 convictions for every ten million people in the United States.
Understandably, there is great variation in the number of 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 Southern District of Florida (Miami), Eastern District of Michigan (Detroit), Eastern District of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia) and Northern District of Texas (Fort Worth) — with 4 convictions — were the most active during August 2018.
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 resulting in convictions of this type during August 2018 are shown in Table 4.
Judge Count Rank Hickey, Susan Owens Ark, W 3 1 More Freeman, Beth Labson Cal, N 2 2 More Walker, Mark Eaton Fla, N 2 2 More Bloom, Beth Francine Fla, S 2 2 More Lee, John Zihun Ill, N 2 2 More Mahan, James C. Nevada 2 2 More Quinones Alejandr, Nitza Ileana Penn, E 2 2 More Hopkins, Virginia Emerson Ala, N 1 8 More Proctor, R. David Ala, N 1 8 More Campbell, David G. Arizona 1 8 More Snow, G. Murray Arizona 1 8 More Ishii, Anthony W. Cal, E 1 8 More England, Morrison C., Jr. Cal, E 1 8 More Tigar, Jon Steven Cal, N 1 8 More Krieger, Marcia S. Colorado 1 8 More Thompson, Alvin W. Conn 1 8 More Shea, Michael Peter Conn 1 8 More Merryday, Steven Douglas Fla, M 1 8 More Scriven, Mary Stenson Fla, M 1 8 More Moore, Kevin Michael Fla, S 1 8 More Altonaga, Cecilia M. Fla, S 1 8 More Land, Clay D. Ga, M 1 8 More Abrams, Leslie Joyce Ga, M 1 8 More Duffey, William S., Jr. Ga, N 1 8 More Totenberg, Amy Mil Ga, N 1 8 More Hall, James Randal Ga, S 1 8 More Mihm, Michael Martin Ill, C 1 8 More Durkin, Thomas Michael Ill, N 1 8 More Young, Richard L. Ind, S 1 8 More Bennett, Mark W. Iowa, N 1 8 More Murguia, Carlos Kansas 1 8 More Hicks, S. Maurice, Jr. La, W 1 8 More Cleland, Robert Hardy Mich, E 1 8 More Cohn, Avern Levin Mich, E 1 8 More Roberts, Victoria A. Mich, E 1 8 More Steeh, George Caram, III Mich, E 1 8 More Doty, David Singleton Minnesota 1 8 More White, Ronnie Lee Mo, E 1 8 More Boyle, Terrence William N Car, E 1 8 More Voorhees, Richard Lesley N Car, W 1 8 More Browning, James O. N Mexico 1 8 More Shipp, Michael A. N. J. 1 8 More Mauskopf, Roslynn Renee N. Y., E 1 8 More Azrack, Joan M. N. Y., E 1 8 More Chen, Pamela Ki Mai N. Y., E 1 8 More McAvoy, Thomas James N. Y., N 1 8 More Smith Camp, Laurie Smith Nebraska 1 8 More Boulware, Richard Franklin, II Nevada 1 8 More Boyko, Christopher A. Ohio, N 1 8 More Watson, Michael H. Ohio, S 1 8 More Dowdell, John Edward Okla, N 1 8 More Pappert, Gerald John Penn, E 1 8 More Leeson, Joseph F., Jr. Penn, E 1 8 More Gibson, Kim R. Penn, W 1 8 More Herlong, Henry Michael, Jr. S Car 1 8 More Harwell, Robert Bryan S Car 1 8 More Clark, Ron Texas, E 1 8 More Lynn, Barbara M. Texas, N 1 8 More McBryde, John H. Texas, N 1 8 More O'Connor, Reed Charles Texas, N 1 8 More Boyle, Jane J. Texas, N 1 8 More Hittner, David Texas, S 1 8 More Garcia, Orlando Luis Texas, W 1 8 More Doumar, Robert George Virg, E 1 8 More Morgan, Henry Coke, Jr. Virg, E 1 8 More Moon, Norman K. Virg, W 1 8 More Martinez, Ricardo S. Wash, W 1 8 More Table 4. Top Ten Judges
A total of 26 out of the "top ten" judges were in districts which were in the top ten with the largest number of convictions , while the remaining 41 judges were from other districts. (Because of ties, there were a total of 67 judges in the "top ten" rankings.)
Judge Susan Owens Hickey in the Western District of Arkansas (Fort Smith) ranked 1st with 3 convicted in convictions.
Judges Beth Labson Freeman in the Northern District of California (San Francisco), Mark Eaton Walker in the Northern District of Florida (Pensacola), Beth Francine Bloom in the Southern District of Florida (Miami), John Zihun Lee in the Northern District of Illinois (Chicago), James C. Mahan in the District of Nevada and Nitza Ileana Quinones Alejandr in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia) ranked 2nd with 2 convicted in convictions.
Report Generated: October 4, 2018
