National Internal Security/Terrorism Convictions for August 2023
The latest available data from the Justice Department show that during August 2023 the government reported 34 new national internal security/terrorism convictions. According to the case-by-case information analyzed by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), this number is up 70 percent over the previous month.
The comparisons of the number of defendants convicted for national internal security/terrorism-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 2023 convictions of this type are compared with those of the same period in the previous year, the number of convictions was up (88.2%). 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 241.3 percent from levels reported in 2018.
Figure 1. Monthly Trends in National Internal Security/Terrorism Convictions
The increase from the levels five years ago in national internal security/terrorism convictions for these matters is shown more clearly in Figure 1. The vertical bars in Figure 1 represent the number of national internal security/terrorism 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 national internal security/terrorism, cases were classified by prosecutors into more specific types.
Case types within national internal security/terrorism are
Matters Relating to National Internal Security
International Terrorism Incidents Which Impact on U.S.
Domestic Terrorism
Terrorism Related Hoaxes
Terrorist Financing
Export Enforcement Terrorism Related
Anti-Terrorism/Environmental
Anti-Terrorism/Identity Theft
Anti-Terrorism/Immigration
Anti-Terrorism/OCDETF Drugs
Anti-Terrorism/Non-OCDETF Drugs
Anti-Terrorism/Violent Crime
Anti-Terrorism/All Others
National Security/Critical Infrastructure Protection
The largest number of convictions of these matters in August 2023 was for "Terrorism-Domestic", accounting for 67.6 percent of convictions. Convictions were also filed for "Internal Security Offenses" (17.6%), "Terrorism-Related Hoaxes" (8.8%), "Terrorism-Critical Infrastructure Protec" (2.9%), "Terrorism-Providing Material Support to" (2.9%). See Figure 2.
The lead investigative agency for national internal security/terrorism convictions in August 2023 was FBI accounting for 94 percent of convictions. Other agencies with substantial numbers of national internal security/terrorism convictions were: Defense (3% ), Interior (3%). See Figure 3.
National Internal Security/Terrorism Convictions in U.S. Magistrate Courts
Top Ranked Lead Charges
In August 2023, no defendants in national internal security/terrorism 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.
National Internal Security/Terrorism Convictions in U.S. District Courts
In August 2023, 34 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 national internal security/terrorism matters filed in U.S. District Court during August 2023.
Lead Charge Count Rank 18 USC 1752 - Temporary residence and office of President, etc. 11 1 More 18 USC 231 - Civil Disorders 5 2 More 18 USC 875 - Interstate Communications 4 3 More 18 USC 844 - Explosives - Importation and storage of explosives 2 4 More 18 USC 1512 - Tampering with a witness, victim, or an informant 2 4 More 18 USC 2339B - Provide material support to foreign terrorist orgs 2 4 More 18 USC 111 - Assaulting, resisting, impeding certain officers 1 7 More 18 USC 115 - Influencing, impeding, or retaliating against a Federal official 1 7 More 18 USC 793 - Gathering/transmitting/losing defense information 1 7 More 18 USC 1038 - False Information and Hoaxes 1 7 More 18 USC 2331 - Terrorism Violation 1 7 More 40 USC 5104 - Unlawful Activities 1 7 More 49 USC 46306 - Aircraft Registration Violations 1 7 More 49 USC 46504 - Interference with flight crew members and attendants 1 7 More Table 2. Top Charges for Convictions
"Temporary residence and office of President, etc." (Title 18 U.S.C Section 1752) was the most frequent recorded lead charge.
Ranked 2nd in frequency was the lead charge "Civil Disorders" under Title 18 U.S.C Section 231.
Ranked 3rd was "Interstate Communications" under Title 18 U.S.C Section 875.
Top Ranked Judicial Districts
In August 2023 the Justice Department's case-by-case records show that the government obtained 12.3 national internal security/terrorism convictions for every ten million people in the United States.
Understandably, there is great variation in the number of national internal security/terrorism 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.
Judicial District Count Rank D. C. 16 1 More Ohio, S 5 2 More Ark, W 1 3 More Fla, M 1 3 More Ga, M 1 3 More Ill, C 1 3 More La, W 1 3 More Mich, E 1 3 More N Car, E 1 3 More N. Y., N 1 3 More Oregon 1 3 More Tenn, M 1 3 More Texas, E 1 3 More Virg, E 1 3 More Wash, E 1 3 More Table 3. Top 10 Districts
The District of Washington, D.C. (Washington) — with 16 convictions — was the most active during August 2023.
The Southern District of Ohio (Cincinnati) ranked 2nd.
Western District of Arkansas (Fort Smith), Middle District of Florida (Tampa), Middle District of Georgia (Macon), Central District of Illinois (Springfield), Western District of Louisiana (Shreveport), Eastern District of Michigan (Detroit), Eastern District of North Carolina (Raleigh), Northern District of New York (Syracuse), District of Oregon, Middle District of Tennessee (Nashville), Eastern District of Texas (Tyler), Eastern District of Virginia (Alexandria) and Eastern District of Washin are 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 national internal security/terrorism crime cases resulting in convictions of this type during August 2023 are shown in Table 4.
Judge Count Rank McFadden, Trevor Neil D. C. 5 1 More Graham, James L. Ohio, S 3 2 More Cooper, Christopher Reid D. C. 2 3 More Hickey, Susan Owens Ark, W 1 4 More Kollar-Kotelly, Colleen D. C. 1 4 More Lamberth, Royce C. D. C. 1 4 More Boasberg, James Emanuel D. C. 1 4 More Howell, Beryl Alaine D. C. 1 4 More Jackson, Amy Berman D. C. 1 4 More Chutkan, Tanya Sue D. C. 1 4 More Moss, Randolph Daniel D. C. 1 4 More Mehta, Amit Priyavadan D. C. 1 4 More Friedrich, Dabney Langhorne D. C. 1 4 More Royal, C. Ashley Ga, M 1 4 More Shadid, James Edward Ill, C 1 4 More Foote, Elizabeth Erny La, W 1 4 More Ludington, Thomas Lamson Mich, E 1 4 More D'Agostino, Mae Avila N. Y., N 1 4 More Dlott, Susan J. Ohio, S 1 4 More Sargus, Edmund A., Jr. Ohio, S 1 4 More Hernandez, Marco Antonio Oregon 1 4 More Schell, Richard A. Texas, E 1 4 More Brinkema, Leonie M. Virg, E 1 4 More Rice, Thomas Owen Wash, E 1 4 More Table 4. Top Ten Judges
All 24 of the "top ten" judges were in districts which were in the top ten with the largest number of national internal security/terrorism convictions. (Because of ties, there were a total of 24 judges in the "top ten" rankings.)
Judge Trevor Neil McFadden in the District of Washington, D.C. (Washington) ranked 1st with 5 convicted in national internal security/terrorism convictions.
Judge James L. Graham in the Southern District of Ohio (Cincinnati) ranked 2nd with 3 convicted in national internal security/terrorism convictions.
Judge Christopher Reid Cooper in the District of Washington, D.C. (Washington) ranked 3rd with 2 convicted in national internal security/terrorism convictions.
Report Generated: October 6, 2023
