National Internal Security/Terrorism Convictions for September 2019
The latest available data from the Justice Department show that during September 2019 the government reported 20 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 25 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 2019 convictions of this type are compared with those of the same period in the previous year, the number of convictions was up (23.7%). 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 14.5 percent from levels reported in 2014.
Figure 1. Monthly Trends in National Internal Security/Terrorism Convictions
The decrease 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 September 2019 was for "Terrorism-Domestic", accounting for 40 percent of convictions. Convictions were also filed for "Internal Security Offenses" (25%), "Terrorism-Critical Infrastructure Protec" (10%), "Terrorism-International" (10%), "Terrorism-Related Financing" (10%), "Terrorism-Related Export Enforcement" (5%). See Figure 2.
The lead investigative agency for national internal security/terrorism convictions in September 2019 was FBI accounting for 45 percent of convictions. Other agencies with substantial numbers of national internal security/terrorism convictions were: DHS (15% ), SecServ (10%), Commerce (5%), DEA (5%). See Figure 3.
National Internal Security/Terrorism Convictions in U.S. Magistrate Courts
Top Ranked Lead Charges
In September 2019, 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 September 2019, 20 defendants in new cases for these matters were charged in the U.S. District Courts. In addition during September 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 September.
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 September 2019.
Lead Charge Count Rank 18 USC 371 - Conspiracy to commit offense or to defraud US 3 1 More 18 USC 2339B - Provide material support to foreign terrorist orgs 3 1 More 49 USC 46504 - Interference with flight crew members and attendants 2 3 More 15 USC 1705 - Information required in statement of record 1 4 More 18 USC 115 - Influencing, impeding, or retaliating against a Federal official 1 4 More 18 USC 373 - Solicitation to commit a crime of violence 1 4 More 18 USC 751 - Escape - Prisoners in custody 1 4 More 18 USC 844 - Explosives - Importation and storage of explosives 1 4 More 18 USC 951 - Agents of foreign governments 1 4 More 18 USC 1001 - Fraud/false statements or entries generally 1 4 More 18 USC 1038 - False Information and Hoaxes 1 4 More 18 USC 1752 - Temporary residence and office of President, etc. 1 4 More 21 USC 841 - Drug Abuse Prevention & Control-Prohibited acts A 1 4 More 21 USC 960 - Prohibited acts A 1 4 More Table 2. Top Charges for Convictions
"Conspiracy to commit offense or to defraud US" (Title 18 U.S.C Section 371) and "Provide material support to foreign terrorist orgs" (Title 18 U.S.C Section 2339) were the most frequent recorded lead charges.
Ranked 3rd was "Interference with flight crew members and attendants" under Title 49 U.S.C Section 46504.
Top Ranked Judicial Districts
In September 2019 the Justice Department's case-by-case records show that the government obtained 7.4 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.
The District of Washington, D.C. (Washington) and Eastern District of North Carolina (Raleigh) — with 4 convictions — were the most active during September 2019.
Eastern District of Michigan (Detroit) is 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 September 2019 are shown in Table 4.
Judge Count Rank Drain, Gershwin Allen Mich, E 3 1 More Flanagan, Louise W. N Car, E 3 1 More Kollar-Kotelly, Colleen D. C. 1 3 More Chutkan, Tanya Sue D. C. 1 3 More Kelly, Timothy James D. C. 1 3 More Meriweather, Robin M. D. C. 1 3 More Coleman, Sharon Johnson Ill, N 1 3 More Barker, Sarah Evans Ind, S 1 3 More Vance, Sarah S. La, E 1 3 More Boyle, Terrence William N Car, E 1 3 More Vazquez, Martha Alicia N Mexico 1 3 More Cauthron, Robin J. Okla, W 1 3 More Phillips, Thomas W. Tenn, E 1 3 More O'Connor, Reed Charles Texas, N 1 3 More Adelman, Lynn S. Wisc, E 1 3 More Table 4. Top Ten Judges
All 15 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 15 judges in the "top ten" rankings.)
Judges Gershwin Allen Drain in the Eastern District of Michigan (Detroit) and Louise W. Flanagan in the Eastern District of North Carolina (Raleigh) ranked 1st with 3 convicted in national internal security/terrorism convictions.
Judges Colleen Kollar-Kotelly in the District of Washington, D.C. (Washington), Tanya Sue Chutkan in the District of Washington, D.C. (Washington), Timothy James Kelly in the District of Washington, D.C. (Washington), Robin M. Meriweather in the District of Washington, D.C. (Washington), Sharon Johnson Coleman in the Northern District of Illinois (Chicago), Sarah Evans Barker in the Southern District of Indiana (Indianapolis), Sarah S. Vance in the Eastern District of Louisiana (New Orleans), Terrence, ranked 3rd with 1 convicted in national internal security/terrorism convictions.
Report Generated: October 25, 2019
