Convictions for May 2009
Referring Agency: Internal Revenue Service
The latest available data from the Justice Department show that during May 2009 the government reported 82 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 4.7% 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 2009 convictions of this type are compared with those of the same period in the previous year, the number of convictions was up (3.9 percent). Convictions over the past year are still much higher than they were five years ago. Overall, the data show that convictions of this type are up 10.2 percent from levels reported in 2004.
The increase 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. 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 May 2009 was for "Fraud-Tax", accounting for 56.1 percent of convictions. Convictions were also filed for "Withheld by Govt from TRAC (FOIA challen" (15.9%), " Fraud-Against Ins. Provider" (3.7%), "Fraud-Federal Program" (3.7%), "Money Laundering-Other" (3.7%), "Drugs-Organized Crime Task Force" (2.4%), "Fraud-Other" (2.4%), "Other Criminal Prosecutions" (2.4%). See Figure 2.
Convictions in U.S. Magistrate Courts
Top Ranked Lead Charges
In May 2009, no cases for these matters took place in U.S. Magistrate Courts which handle less serious misdemeanor cases, including what are called "petty offenses."
Convictions in U.S. District Courts
Top Ranked Lead Charges
Table 2 shows the top lead charges recorded in the convictions of matters filed in U.S. District Court during May 2009referred by the Internal Revenue Service.
Lead Charge Count Rank 26 USC 7206 - Fraud and False statements 15 1 More 26 USC 7201 - Attempt to evade or defeat tax 13 2 More 18 USC 287 - False, fictitious or fraudulent claims 6 3 More 18 USC 1341 - Mail Fraud - Frauds and swindles 6 3 More 26 USC 7203 - Willful failure to file return, supply information 6 3 More 18 USC 1956 - Laundering of monetary instruments 5 6 More 18 USC 371 - Conspiracy to commit offense or to defraud US 3 7 More 31 USC 5324 - Structuring transactions to evade reporting requir 3 7 More 7 USC 2024 - Food Stamps - Violations and enforcement 2 9 More 18 USC 4 - Misprision of Felony 2 9 More 18 USC 286 - Conspiracy to defraud the Government claims 2 9 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 were "False, fictitious or fraudulent claims" under Title 18 U.S.C Section 287, "Mail Fraud - Frauds and swindles" under Title 18 U.S.C Section 1341 and "Willful failure to file return, supply information" under Title 26 U.S.C Section 7203.
Top Ranked Judicial Districts
In May 2009 the Justice Department said the government obtained 32.9 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 District of Maryland—with 6 convictions—was the most active during May 2009.
The District of Connecticut, Northern District of Illinois (Chicago) and Northern District of Texas (Fort Worth) 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 resulting in convictions of this type during May 2009 are shown in Table 4.
Judge Count Rank Solis, Jorge Antonio Texas, N 4 1 More Blake, Catherine C. Maryland 3 2 More Mordue, Norman A. N. Y., N 3 2 More Breyer, Charles R. Cal, N 2 4 More Coffman, Jennifer B. Ken, E 2 4 More Ken, W 1 9 More Bennett, Richard D. Maryland 2 4 More Zatkoff, Lawrence Paul Mich, E 2 4 More Copenhaver, John Thomas Jr. W Virg, S 2 4 More Hendren, Jimm Larry Ark, W 1 9 More Pregerson, Dean D. Cal, C 1 9 More Walter, John F. Cal, C 1 9 More Guilford, Andrew J. Cal, C 1 9 More Ishii, Anthony W. Cal, E 1 9 More England, Morrison C. Jr. Cal, E 1 9 More Lorenz, M. James Cal, S 1 9 More Whelan, Thomas J. Cal, S 1 9 More Burns, Ellen Bree Conn 1 9 More Hall, Janet C. Conn 1 9 More Thompson, Alvin W. Conn 1 9 More Kravitz, Mark R. Conn 1 9 More Antoon, John II Fla, M 1 9 More Moody, James S. Jr. Fla, M 1 9 More Smoak, John Richard Jr. Fla, N 1 9 More Martinez, Jose E. Fla, S 1 9 More Lodge, Edward J. Idaho 1 9 More Winmill, B. Lynn Idaho 1 9 More McCuskey, Michael Patrick Ill, C 1 9 More Andersen, Wayne R. Ill, N 1 9 More Gettleman, Robert William Ill, N 1 9 More Manning, Blanche M. Ill, N 1 9 More Norgle, Charles Ronald Sr. Ill, N 1 9 More Barbier, Carl J. La, E 1 9 More Titus, Roger W. Maryland 1 9 More Ponsor, Michael Adrian Mass 1 9 More Zobel, Rya Weickert Mass 1 9 More Cox, Sean Francis Mich, E 1 9 More Magnuson, Paul Arthur Minnesota 1 9 More Montgomery, Ann D. Minnesota 1 9 More Tunheim, John R. Minnesota 1 9 More Perry, Catherine D. Mo, E 1 9 More Webber, E. Richard Mo, E 1 9 More Dever, James C. III N Car, E 1 9 More Greenaway, Joseph A. Jr. N. J. 1 9 More Wigenton, Susan Davis N. J. 1 9 More Platt, Thomas Collier Jr. N. Y., E 1 9 More Stein, Sidney H. N. Y., S 1 9 More Skretny, William M. N. Y., W 1 9 More Dawson, Kent J. Nevada 1 9 More Frost, Gregory L. Ohio, S 1 9 More Robreno, Eduardo C. Penn, E 1 9 More Diamond, Gustave Penn, W 1 9 More Herlong, Henry Michael Jr. S Car 1 9 More Collier, Curtis Lynn Tenn, E 1 9 More Trauger, Aleta Arthur Tenn, M 1 9 More Rosenthal, Lee Hyman Texas, S 1 9 More Biery, Samuel Frederick Jr. Texas, W 1 9 More Smith, Walter Scott Jr. Texas, W 1 9 More O`Grady, Liam Virg, E 1 9 More Jones, James Parker Virg, W 1 9 More Keeley, Irene Patricia Murphy W Virg, N 1 9 More Griesbach, William C. Wisc, E 1 9 More Brimmer, Clarence Addison Jr. Wyoming 1 9 More
Table 4: Top 10 judges
A total of 25 out of the "top ten" judges were in districts which were in the top ten with the largest number of convictions , while the remaining 38 judges were from other districts. (Because of ties, there were a total of 63 judges in the "top ten" rankings.)
Judge Jorge Antonio Solis in the Northern District of Texas (Fort Worth) ranked 1st with 4 convicted in convictions.
Judges Catherine C. Blake in the District of Maryland and Norman A. Mordue in the Northern District of New York (Syracuse) ranked 2nd with 3 convicted in convictions.
