White Collar Crime Convictions for September 2024
The latest available data from the Justice Department show that during September 2024 the government reported 559 new white collar crime convictions. According to the case-by-case information analyzed by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), this number is up 64.9 percent over the previous month.
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 2024 convictions of this type are compared with those of the same period in the previous year, the number of convictions was only slightly up (1%). 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 20.1 percent from levels reported in 2019.
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 September 2024 was for "Fraud-Other", accounting for 23.1 percent of convictions. Convictions were also filed for "Fraud-Federal Program" (15.6%), "Fraud-Financial Institution" (12.5%), "Fraud-Health Care" (11.1%), "Fraud-Other Business" (5.5%), "Fraud-Tax" (5.5%), "Fraud-Computer" (5.2%), "Fraud-Identity Theft-Aggravated" (4.3%), "Antitrust-Other" (3.9%), "Fraud-Identity Theft-Other" (2.5%), "Fraud-Consumer" (2.1%). See Figure 2.
The lead investigative agency for white collar crime convictions in September 2024 was FBI accounting for 39 percent of convictions. Other agencies with substantial numbers of white collar crime convictions were: IRS (10% ), SecServ (10%), DHS (8%), HHS (6%). See Figure 3.
White Collar Crime Convictions in U.S. Magistrate Courts
Top Ranked Lead Charges
In September 2024, no defendants in white collar crime 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.
White Collar Crime Convictions in U.S. District Courts
In September 2024, 558 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 white collar crime matters filed in U.S. District Court during September 2024.
Lead Charge Count Rank 1yr ago 5yrs ago 18 USC 1343 - Fraud by wire, radio, or television 179 1 1 1 More 18 USC 1344 - Bank Fraud 53 2 2 2 More 18 USC 1349 - Mail Fraud - Attempt and Conspiracy 52 3 3 5 More 18 USC 641 - Public money, property or records 37 4 8 4 More 18 USC 371 - Conspiracy to commit offense or to defraud US 30 5 6 6 More 18 USC 1347 - Health Care Fraud 22 6 3 7 More 18 USC 1001 - Fraud/false statements or entries generally 20 7 15 17 More 18 USC 1341 - Mail Fraud - Frauds and swindles 15 8 5 9 More 26 USC 7206 - Fraud and False statements 13 9 10 11 More 18 USC 1029 - Fraud and related activity - access devices 12 10 9 3 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 "Mail Fraud - Attempt and Conspiracy" under Title 18 U.S.C Section 1349. "Mail Fraud - Attempt and Conspiracy" under Title 18 U.S.C Section 1349 was ranked 3 a year ago, while it was ranked 5 five years ago.
Among these top ten lead charges, the one showing the greatest increase in convictions — up 95.5 percent — compared to one year ago was Title 18 U.S.C Section 1001 that involves " Fraud/false statements or entries generally ". Compared to five years ago, the largest increase — 54.8 percent — was registered for convictions under " Fraud by wire, radio, or television " (Title 18 U.S.C Section 1343 ).
Again among the top ten lead charges, the one showing the sharpest decline in convictions compared to one year ago — down 30.6 percent — was " Fraud and related activity - access devices " (Title 18 U.S.C Section 1029 ). This was the same statute that had the largest decrease — 73.9 % — when compared with five years ago.
Top Ranked Judicial Districts
In September 2024 the Justice Department's case-by-case records show that the government obtained 200.9 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 D. C. 1,429 8 1 68 83 More La, M 1,267 9 2 33 27 More W Virg, N 909 7 3 81 79 More Mo, E 700 17 4 6 6 More Mo, W 625 17 5 20 48 More N. Y., S 625 27 5 3 2 More Miss, N 550 5 7 82 48 More Fla, S 543 34 8 1 1 More Texas, W 492 32 9 16 23 More Ala, N 437 11 10 33 23 More Table 3. Top 10 Districts (per ten million people)
The District of Washington, D.C. (Washington) — with 1429 convictions as compared with 200.9 convictions per ten million population in the United States — was the most active during September 2024.
The Middle District of Louisiana (Baton Rouge) ranked 2nd.
Northern District of West Virginia (Wheeling) is now ranking 3rd.
Recent entrants to the top 10 list were Western District of Texas (San Antonio), now ranked 9th , and Western District of Missouri (Kansas City) at 5th In the same order, these districts ranked 16th and 20th one year ago and 23rd and 48th 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 — 225 percent — was Northern District of Mississippi (Oxford). Compared to five years ago, the district with the largest growth — 161.1 percent — was Western District of Missouri (Kansas City).
In the last year, the judicial District Court recording the largest drop in the rate of white collar crime convictions — 52.4 percent — was Middle District of Louisiana (Baton Rouge). This was the same district that had the largest increase — 67.7 percent — when compared with five years ago.
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 September 2024 are shown in Table 4.
Judge Count Rank Moses, Alia M. Texas, W 10 1 More Pitman, Robert Texas, W 8 2 More Coogler, L. Scott Ala, N 6 3 More Anderson, Percy Cal, C 6 3 More Cannon, Aileen Mercedes Fla, S 6 3 More Dick, Shelly Deckert La, M 6 3 More Wimes, Brian Curtis Mo, W 6 3 More Williams, Kathleen Mary Fla, S 5 8 More Berg, Terrence George Mich, E 5 8 More Tunheim, John R. Minnesota 5 8 More Mills, Michael P. Miss, N 5 8 More Sachs, Howard Frederic Mo, W 5 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 white collar crime convictions per capita, while the remaining 3 judges were from other districts. (Because of ties, there were a total of 12 judges in the "top ten" rankings.)
Judge Alia M. Moses in the Western District of Texas (San Antonio) ranked 1st with 10 convicted in white collar crime convictions.
Judge Robert Pitman in the Western District of Texas (San Antonio) ranked 2nd with 8 convicted in white collar crime convictions.
Judges L. Scott Coogler in the Northern District of Alabama (Birmingham), Percy Anderson in the Central District of California (Los Angeles), Aileen Mercedes Cannon in the Southern District of Florida (Miami), Shelly Deckert Dick in the Middle District of Louisiana (Baton Rouge) and Brian Curtis Wimes in the Western District of Missouri (Kansas City) ranked 3rd with 6 convicted in white collar crime convictions.
Report Generated: November 1, 2024
