White Collar Crime Convictions for November 2018
The latest available data from the Justice Department show that during November 2018 the government reported 352 new white collar crime convictions. According to the case-by-case information analyzed by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), this number is down 13.1 percent over the previous month.
White Collar Crime
This report summarizes the government's recent efforts when it comes to combating white collar crime — the number of such cases, the investigative agencies involved, the laws cited, the busiest federal districts and the busiest federal judges.
See more...The comparisons of the number of defendants convicted for 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 2018 convictions of this type are compared with those of the same period in the previous year, the number of convictions was up (3.7%). 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 27.4 percent from levels reported in 2013.
The decrease from the levels five years ago in white collar crime convictions for these matters is shown more clearly in Figure 1. The vertical bars in Figure 1 represent the number of white collar 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.
Figure 1. Monthly Trends in White Collar Crime Convictions
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 convictions of these matters in November 2018 was for "Fraud-Other", accounting for 21.9 percent of convictions. Convictions were also filed for "Fraud-Financial Institution" (15.3%), "Fraud-Federal Program" (10.5%), "Fraud-Identity Theft-Aggravated" (9.1%), "Fraud-Tax" (8.8%), "Fraud-Identity Theft-Other" (7.1%), "Fraud-Other Business" (7.1%), "Fraud-Health Care" (5.1%), "Fraud-Computer" (3.1%), "Fraud-Securities" (3.1%). See Figure 2.
The lead investigative agency for white collar crime convictions in November 2018 was FBI accounting for 32 percent of convictions. Other agencies with substantial numbers of white collar crime convictions were: DHS (13% ), Postal (13%), IRS (12%), SecServ (9%). See Figure 3.
White Collar Crime Convictions in U.S. Magistrate Courts
Top Ranked Lead Charges
In November 2018, 3 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 November the most frequently cited lead charge was Title 49 U.S.C Section 46317 involving "Criminal penalty for pilots operating w/o airman certificate". This was the lead charge for 66.7 percent of all magistrate convictions in November.
White Collar Crime Convictions in U.S. District Courts
In November 2018, 349 defendants in new cases for these matters were charged in the U.S. District Courts. In addition during November 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 November.
Top Ranked Lead Charges
Table 2 shows the top lead charges recorded in the convictions of white collar crime matters filed in U.S. District Court during November 2018.
Lead Charge Count Rank 1yr ago 5yrs ago 18 USC 1343 - Fraud by wire, radio, or television 71 1 1 1 More 18 USC 1344 - Bank Fraud 47 2 2 2 More 18 USC 1029 - Fraud and related activity - access devices 23 3 3 8 More 18 USC 1341 - Mail Fraud - Frauds and swindles 22 4 9 4 More 18 USC 1349 - Mail Fraud - Attempt and Conspiracy 19 5 8 5 More 18 USC 641 - Public money, property or records 17 6 6 6 More 18 USC 371 - Conspiracy to commit offense or to defraud US 15 7 5 3 More 18 USC 1028 - Fraud and related activity - id documents 14 8 6 7 More 18 USC 1347 - Health Care Fraud 14 8 4 9 More 18 USC 1028A - Aggravated Identity Theft 11 10 11 12 More 42 USC 408 - Fed Old Age, Survivors & Disab Insur -Penalties 11 10 15 16 More Table 2. Top Charges for Convictions
"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 "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.
Ranked 3rd was "Fraud and related activity - access devices" under Title 18 U.S.C Section 1029. "Fraud and related activity - access devices" under Title 18 U.S.C Section 1029 was ranked 3 a year ago, while it was ranked 8 five years ago.
Among these top ten lead charges, the one showing the greatest increase in convictions — up 28.6 percent — compared to one year ago was Title 18 U.S.C Section 1029 that involves " Fraud and related activity - access devices ". This was the same statute that had the largest increase — 28.6 % — when compared with five years ago.
Again among the top ten lead charges, the one showing the sharpest decline in convictions compared to one year ago — down 31.8 percent — was " Fraud and related activity - id documents " (Title 18 U.S.C Section 1028 ). Compared to five years ago, the most significant decline in convictions — 55 percent — was for convictions where the lead charge was " Mail Fraud - Frauds and swindles " (Title 18 U.S.C Section 1341 ).
Top Ranked Judicial Districts
In November 2018 the Justice Department said the government obtained 128.6 white collar crime convictions for every ten million people in the United States.
Understandably, there is great variation in the per capita number of white collar crime convictions in each of the nation's ninety-four federal judicial districts.
The districts registering the largest number of convictions per capita for these matters last month are shown in Table 3. Districts must have at least 5 white collar crime convictions to receive a ranking.
Judicial District Percapita Count Rank 1yr ago 5yrs ago Utah 774 20 1 25 28 More S Car 573 24 2 32 14 More Ind, N 370 8 3 12 35 More Penn, E 305 15 4 4 8 More Mo, E 287 7 5 5 11 More Mich, W 274 8 6 48 28 More Cal, S 239 7 7 36 19 More Conn 234 7 8 19 50 More Virg, E 229 12 9 8 10 More N. Y., S 227 10 10 2 5 More Table 3. Top 10 Districts (per ten million people)
The District of Utah — with 774 convictions as compared with 128.6 convictions per ten million population in the United States — was the most active during November 2018.
The District of South Carolina ranked 2nd.
Northern District of Indiana (South Bend) is now ranking 3rd.
Recent entrants to the top 10 list were Northern District of Indiana (South Bend), now ranked 3rd , and Connecticut at 8th In the same order, these districts ranked 12th and 19th one year ago and 35th and 50th five years ago.
The federal judicial district which showed the greatest growth in the rate of white collar crime convictions compared to one year ago — 116.7 percent — was South Carolina . Compared to five years ago, the district with the largest growth — 39.3 percent — was Connecticut .
In the last year, the judicial District Court recording the largest drop in the rate of white collar crime convictions — 32.9 percent — was Eastern District of Missouri (St. Louis). But over the past five years, Southern District of California (San Diego) showed the largest drop — 66.7 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 resulting in convictions of this type during November 2018 are shown in Table 4.
Judge Count Rank Springmann, Theresa Lazar Ind, N 7 1 More Parrish, Jill N. Utah 6 2 More Jackson, Raymond Alvin Virg, E 5 3 More O'Neill, Lawrence Joseph Cal, E 4 4 More May, Leigh Martin Ga, N 4 4 More Neff, Janet T. Mich, W 4 4 More Brody, Anita Blumstein Penn, E 4 4 More Lewis, Mary Geiger S Car 4 4 More Nunley, Troy Lynne Cal, E 3 9 More Byron, Paul Gregory Fla, M 3 9 More Mendoza, Carlos Eduardo Fla, M 3 9 More Moreno, Federico A. Fla, S 3 9 More Gayles, Darrin Phillip Fla, S 3 9 More Leitman, Matthew Frederick Mich, E 3 9 More Gwin, James S. Ohio, N 3 9 More Norton, David C. S Car 3 9 More Hendricks, Bruce Howe S Car 3 9 More Rosenthal, Lee Hyman Texas, S 3 9 More Benson, Dee Vance Utah 3 9 More Waddoups, Clark Utah 3 9 More Allen, Arenda Lauretta Wright Virg, E 3 9 More Urbanski, Michael Francis Virg, W 3 9 More Table 4. Top Ten Judges
A total of 11 out of the "top ten" judges were in districts which were in the top ten with the largest number of white collar crime convictions per capita, while the remaining 11 judges were from other districts. (Because of ties, there were a total of 22 judges in the "top ten" rankings.)
Judge Theresa Lazar Springmann in the Northern District of Indiana (South Bend) ranked 1st with 7 convicted in white collar crime convictions.
Judge Jill N. Parrish in the District of Utah ranked 2nd with 6 convicted in white collar crime convictions.
Judge Raymond Alvin Jackson in the Eastern District of Virginia (Alexandria) ranked 3rd with 5 convicted in white collar crime convictions.
Report Generated: January 11, 2019
