Weapons Convictions for September 2024
The latest available data from the Justice Department show that during September 2024 the government reported 930 new weapons convictions. According to the case-by-case information analyzed by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), this number is up 10.5 percent over the previous month.
The comparisons of the number of defendants convicted for weapons-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 down (-8.8%). 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 6.9 percent from levels reported in 2019.
Figure 1. Monthly Trends in Weapons Convictions
The leveling out from the levels five years ago in weapons convictions for these matters is shown more clearly in Figure 1. The vertical bars in Figure 1 represent the number of weapons 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 weapons, cases were classified by prosecutors into more specific types.
Case types within weapons are
Armed Career Criminal Act
Firearms/Triggerlock
Other Operation Triggerlock Prosecutions
The largest number of convictions of these matters in September 2024 was for "Weapons-Operation Triggerlock Major", accounting for 100 percent of convictions. See Figure 2.
The lead investigative agency for weapons convictions in September 2024 was ATF accounting for 58 percent of convictions. Other agencies with substantial numbers of weapons convictions were: FBI (16% ), Local (10%), DHS (5%), DEA (4%). See Figure 3.
Weapons Convictions in U.S. Magistrate Courts
Top Ranked Lead Charges
In September 2024, no defendants in weapons 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.
Weapons Convictions in U.S. District Courts
In September 2024, 929 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 weapons matters filed in U.S. District Court during September 2024.
Lead Charge Count Rank 1yr ago 5yrs ago 18 USC 922 - Firearms; Unlawful acts 754 1 1 1 More 21 USC 841 - Drug Abuse Prevention & Control-Prohibited acts A 27 3 3 4 More 18 USC 1951 - Hobbs Act 23 4 2 3 More 18 USC 924 - Firearms; Penalties 16 5 5 2 More 26 USC 5861 - Tax on Making Firearms - Prohibited acts 13 6 6 7 More 18 USC 554 - Smuggling goods from the United States 11 7 7 8 More 21 USC 846 - Attempt and conspiracy 9 8 11 6 More 18 USC 371 - Conspiracy to commit offense or to defraud US 8 9 7 9 More 18 USC 2119 - Carjacking 8 9 9 9 More Table 2. Top Charges for Convictions
"Firearms; Unlawful acts" (Title 18 U.S.C Section 922) was the most frequent recorded lead charge. "Firearms; Unlawful acts" (Title 18 U.S.C Section 922) was ranked 1 a year ago, while it was ranked 1 five years ago.
Ranked 2nd in frequency was the lead charge "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 5 five years ago.
Ranked 3rd was "Drug Abuse Prevention & Control-Prohibited acts A" under Title 21 U.S.C Section 841. "Drug Abuse Prevention & Control-Prohibited acts A" under Title 21 U.S.C Section 841 was ranked 3 a year ago, while it was ranked 4 five years ago.
Among these top ten lead charges, the one showing the greatest increase in convictions — up 41.5 percent — compared to one year ago was Title 18 U.S.C Section 554 that involves " Smuggling goods from the United States ". Compared to five years ago, the largest increase — 54.2 percent — was registered for convictions under " Carjacking " (Title 18 U.S.C Section 2119 ).
Again among the top ten lead charges, the one showing the sharpest decline in convictions compared to one year ago — down 26.9 percent — was " Hobbs Act " (Title 18 U.S.C Section 1951 ). Compared to five years ago, the most significant decline in convictions — 63.3 percent — was for convictions where the lead charge was " Firearms; Penalties " (Title 18 U.S.C Section 924 ).
Top Ranked Judicial Districts
In September 2024 the Justice Department's case-by-case records show that the government obtained 334.5 weapons convictions for every ten million people in the United States.
Understandably, there is great variation in the per capita number of weapons 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 weapons convictions to receive a ranking.
Judicial District Percapita Count Rank 1yr ago 5yrs ago Mo, E 2,595 63 1 1 1 More W Virg, N 2,207 17 2 61 65 More D. C. 2,143 12 3 54 69 More Ark, E 1,757 24 4 10 30 More Ala, N 1,311 33 5 22 8 More Iowa, N 1,262 14 6 19 21 More Vermont 1,113 6 7 83 87 More Ga, M 986 17 8 46 56 More La, M 985 7 9 86 39 More Ala, S 973 7 10 34 23 More Table 3. Top 10 Districts (per ten million people)
The Eastern District of Missouri (St. Louis) — with 2595 convictions as compared with 334.5 convictions per ten million population in the United States — was the most active during September 2024. The Eastern District of Missouri (St. Louis) was ranked 1 a year ago, while it was ranked 1 for most frequent use five years ago.
The Northern District of West Virginia (Wheeling) ranked 2nd.
District of Washington, D.C. (Washington) is now ranking 3rd.
Recent entrants to the top 10 list were Northern District of Iowa (Cedar Rapids), now ranked 6th , and Northern District of Alabama (Birmingham) at 5th In the same order, these districts ranked 19th and 22nd one year ago and 21st and 8th five years ago.
The federal judicial district which showed the greatest growth in the rate of weapons convictions compared to one year ago — 64.3 percent — was Vermont . This was the same district that had the largest increase — 228.6 percent — when compared with five years ago.
In the last year, the judicial District Court recording the largest drop in the rate of weapons convictions — 49.1 percent — was Southern District of Alabama (Mobile). But over the past five years, Middle District of Louisiana (Baton Rouge) showed the largest drop — 78.3 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 weapons crime cases resulting in convictions of this type during September 2024 are shown in Table 4.
Judge Count Rank Autrey, Henry Edward Mo, E 14 1 More Barber, Thomas Patrick Fla, M 9 2 More Moody, James Maxwell, Jr. Ark, E 8 3 More Fleissig, Audrey Goldstein Mo, E 8 3 More Osteen, William Lindsay, Jr. N Car, M 8 3 More Kleeh, Thomas Shawn W Virg, N 8 3 More Crane, Randy Texas, S 7 7 More Coogler, L. Scott Ala, N 6 8 More Haikala, Madeline H. Ala, N 6 8 More Marshall, Denzil Price, Jr. Ark, E 6 8 More Strand, Leonard T. Iowa, N 6 8 More Ebinger, Rebecca Goodgame Iowa, S 6 8 More Sippel, Rodney W. Mo, E 6 8 More Bough, Stephen Rogers Mo, W 6 8 More Pittman, Mark Timothy Texas, N 6 8 More Saldana, Diana Texas, S 6 8 More Hanks, George C., Jr. Texas, S 6 8 More Young, Roderick C. Virg, E 6 8 More Table 4. Top Ten Judges
A total of 9 out of the "top ten" judges were in districts which were in the top ten with the largest number of weapons convictions per capita, while the remaining 9 judges were from other districts. (Because of ties, there were a total of 18 judges in the "top ten" rankings.)
Judge Henry Edward Autrey in the Eastern District of Missouri (St. Louis) ranked 1st with 14 convicted in weapons convictions.
Judge Thomas Patrick Barber in the Middle District of Florida (Tampa) ranked 2nd with 9 convicted in weapons convictions.
Judges James Maxwell Moody, Jr. in the Eastern District of Arkansas (Little Rock), Audrey Goldstein Fleissig in the Eastern District of Missouri (St. Louis), William Lindsay Osteen, Jr. in the Middle District of North Carolina (Greensboro) and Thomas Shawn Kleeh in the Northern District of West Virginia (Wheeling) ranked 3rd with 8 convicted in weapons convictions.
Report Generated: November 1, 2024
