Narcotics/Drugs Convictions for April 2024
The latest available data from the Justice Department show that during April 2024 the government reported 1629 new narcotics/drugs convictions. According to the case-by-case information analyzed by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), this number is up 6.8 percent over the previous month.
The comparisons of the number of defendants convicted for narcotics/drugs-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 2024 convictions of this type are compared with those of the same period in the previous year, the number of convictions was only slightly down (-0.7%). 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 5.5 percent from levels reported in 2019.
Figure 1. Monthly Trends in Narcotics/Drugs Convictions
The leveling out from the levels five years ago in narcotics/drugs convictions for these matters is shown more clearly in Figure 1. The vertical bars in Figure 1 represent the number of narcotics/drugs 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 narcotics/drugs, cases were classified by prosecutors into more specific types.
Case types within narcotics/drugs are
Drug Trafficking
Simple Drug Possession
Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF)
Major Project Triggerlock Prosecutions (OCDETF)
Other Triggerlock Prosecutions (OCDETF)
The largest number of convictions of these matters in April 2024 was for "Drugs-Drug Trafficking", accounting for 60.8 percent of convictions. Convictions were also filed for "Drugs-Organized Crime Task Force" (38.7%). See Figure 2.
The lead investigative agency for narcotics/drugs convictions in April 2024 was DEA accounting for 48 percent of convictions. Other agencies with substantial numbers of narcotics/drugs convictions were: FBI (19% ), DHS (14%), ATF (9%), Local (5%). See Figure 3.
Narcotics/Drugs Convictions in U.S. Magistrate Courts
Top Ranked Lead Charges
In April 2024, no defendants in narcotics/drugs cases for these matters were convicted 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.
Narcotics/Drugs Convictions in U.S. District Courts
In April 2024, 1626 defendants in new cases for these matters were charged in the U.S. District Courts. In addition during April 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 April.
Top Ranked Lead Charges
Table 2 shows the top lead charges recorded in the convictions of narcotics/drugs matters filed in U.S. District Court during April 2024.
Lead Charge Count Rank 1yr ago 5yrs ago 21 USC 841 - Drug Abuse Prevention & Control-Prohibited acts A 890 1 1 1 More 21 USC 846 - Attempt and conspiracy 482 2 2 2 More 21 USC 952 - Importation of controlled substances 45 4 3 3 More 46 USC 70506 - Penalties 30 5 8 8 More 18 USC 922 - Firearms; Unlawful acts 29 6 5 4 More 46 USC 70503 - Possession control substance on vessel subject to jurisdiction of US 22 7 6 5 More 18 USC 1956 - Laundering of monetary instruments 14 8 9 9 More 21 USC 963 - Attempt and conspiracy 13 9 7 6 More 18 USC 1201 - Kidnaping 5 10 48 32 More 18 USC 1962 - RICO - prohibited activities 5 10 17 12 More Table 2. Top Charges for Convictions
"Drug Abuse Prevention & Control-Prohibited acts A" (Title 21 U.S.C Section 841) was the most frequent recorded lead charge. "Drug Abuse Prevention & Control-Prohibited acts A" (Title 21 U.S.C Section 841) was ranked 1 a year ago, while it was ranked 1 five years ago.
Ranked 2nd in frequency was the lead charge "Attempt and conspiracy" under Title 21 U.S.C Section 846. "Attempt and conspiracy" under Title 21 U.S.C Section 846 was ranked 2 a year ago, while it was ranked 2 five years ago.
Ranked 3rd was "Other US Code Section" under Title U.S.C Section. "Other US Code Section" under Title U.S.C Section was ranked 4 a year ago, while it was ranked 7 five years ago.
Among these top ten lead charges, the one showing the greatest increase in convictions — up 1300 percent — compared to one year ago was Title 18 U.S.C Section 1201 that involves " Kidnaping ". This was the same statute that had the largest increase — 600 % — 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 43 percent — was " Importation of controlled substances " (Title 21 U.S.C Section 952 ). This was the same statute that had the largest decrease — 39.8 % — when compared with five years ago.
Top Ranked Judicial Districts
In April 2024 the Justice Department's case-by-case records show that the government obtained 585.4 narcotics/drugs convictions for every ten million people in the United States.
Understandably, there is great variation in the per capita number of narcotics/drugs 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 narcotics/drugs convictions to receive a ranking.
Judicial District Percapita Count Rank 1yr ago 5yrs ago Okla, N 2,949 27 1 87 81 More N Dakota 2,618 17 2 40 29 More S Dakota 2,410 18 3 60 65 More Utah 2,378 67 4 11 27 More Alaska 2,050 12 5 66 73 More Iowa, S 1,669 26 6 23 16 More Mo, E 1,565 38 7 25 25 More Cal, S 1,563 45 8 1 1 More N Mexico 1,476 26 9 22 11 More Ken, E 1,453 27 10 25 13 More Table 3. Top 10 Districts (per ten million people)
The Northern District of Oklahoma (Tulsa) — with 2949 convictions as compared with 585.4 convictions per ten million population in the United States — was the most active during April 2024.
The District of North Dakota ranked 2nd.
District of South Dakota is now ranking 3rd.
Recent entrants to the top 10 list were Utah , now ranked 4th , and New Mexico at 9th In the same order, these districts ranked 11th and 22nd one year ago and 27th and 11th five years ago.
The federal judicial district which showed the greatest growth in the rate of narcotics/drugs convictions compared to one year ago — 507.7 percent — was Northern District of Oklahoma (Tulsa). This was the same district that had the largest increase — 182.1 percent — when compared with five years ago.
In the last year, the judicial District Court recording the largest drop in the rate of narcotics/drugs convictions — 44.4 percent — was Southern District of California (San Diego). But over the past five years, New Mexico showed the largest drop — 46.9 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 narcotics/drugs crime cases resulting in convictions of this type during April 2024 are shown in Table 4.
Judge Count Rank 1yr ago 5yrs ago Hendrix, James Wesley Texas, N 24 1 11 - More Counts, Walter David, III Texas, W 22 2 1 1 More Cardone, Kathleen Texas, W 20 3 36 17 More Crane, Randy Texas, S 17 4 23 18 More O'Connor, Reed Charles Texas, N 15 5 21 19 More Schreier, Karen E. S Dakota 14 6 46 116 More Greer, J. Ronnie Tenn, E 14 6 80 9 More Crone, Marcia A. Texas, E 14 6 42 4 More Boyle, Terrence William N Car, E 12 9 105 15 More Reidinger, Martin Karl N Car, W 12 9 46 124 More Delgado Hernandez, Pedro Alberto Puer Rico 12 9 33 299 More Table 4. Top Ten Judges
A total of 1 out of the "top ten" judges were in districts which were in the top ten with the largest number of narcotics/drugs convictions per capita, while the remaining 10 judges were from other districts. (Because of ties, there were a total of 11 judges in the "top ten" rankings.)
Judge James Wesley Hendrix in the Northern District of Texas (Fort Worth) ranked 1st with 24 convicted in narcotics/drugs convictions.
Judge Walter David Counts, III in the Western District of Texas (San Antonio) ranked 2nd with 22 convicted in narcotics/drugs convictions. Judge Counts appeared in the top ten rankings one year (ranked 1) and five years ago (rank 1).
Judge Kathleen Cardone in the Western District of Texas (San Antonio) ranked 3rd with 20 convicted in narcotics/drugs convictions.
Report Generated: June 17, 2024
