Prosecutions for September 2024
Referring Agency: Social Security Administration
The latest available data from the Justice Department show that during September 2024 the government reported 27 new prosecutions for these matters. Those cases were referred by the Social Security Administration. According to the case-by-case information analyzed by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), this number is up 35 percent over the previous month.
The comparisons of the number of defendants charged 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 prosecutions of this type are compared with those of the same period in the previous year, the number of filings was up (10.9%). Prosecutions over the past year are still much lower than they were five years ago. Overall, the data show that prosecutions of this type are down 43.1 percent from levels reported in 2019.
Figure 1. Monthly Trends in Prosecutions
The decrease from the levels five years ago in prosecutions for these matters is shown more clearly in Figure 1. The vertical bars in Figure 1 represent the number of prosecutions 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.
Cases were classified by prosecutors into more specific types.
The largest number of prosecutions of these matters in September 2024 was for "Theft-Government Property", accounting for 37 percent of prosecutions. Prosecutions were also filed for "Fraud-Federal Program" (33.3%), "Withheld by Govt from TRAC (FOIA challen" (11.1%), "Other Criminal Prosecutions" (7.4%), "Fraud-Identity Theft-Other" (3.7%), "Fraud-Other" (3.7%), "Violence-Other" (3.7%). See Figure 2.
Prosecutions in U.S. Magistrate Courts
Top Ranked Lead Charges
In September 2024, no defendants in cases for these matters were filed 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.
Prosecutions in U.S. District Courts
In September 2024, 27 defendants in new cases for these matters were charged in the U.S. District Courts. In addition during September there were an additional 1 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 prosecutions of matters filed in U.S. District Court during September 2024 referred by the Social Security Administration.
Lead Charge Count Rank 1yr ago 5yrs ago 18 USC 641 - Public money, property or records 20 1 1 1 More 18 USC 115 - Influencing, impeding, or retaliating against a Federal official 1 2 - - More 18 USC 1343 - Fraud by wire, radio, or television 1 2 2 3 More 18 USC 1542 - False statement in application and use of passport 1 2 13 9 More 42 USC 408 - Fed Old Age, Survivors & Disab Insur -Penalties 1 2 3 2 More 42 USC 1383a - Fraudulent acts; penalties; restitution 1 2 7 3 More Table 2. Top Charges Filed
"Public money, property or records" (Title 18 U.S.C Section 641) was the most frequent recorded lead charge. "Public money, property or records" (Title 18 U.S.C Section 641) was ranked 1 a year ago, while it was ranked 1 five years ago.
Ranked 2nd in frequency were the lead charges "Influencing, impeding, or retaliating against a Federal official" under Title 18 U.S.C Section 115, "Fraud by wire, radio, or television" under Title 18 U.S.C Section 1343, "False statement in application and use of passport" under Title 18 U.S.C Section 1542, "Fed Old Age, Survivors & Disab Insur -Penalties" under Title 42 U.S.C Section 408 and "Fraudulent acts; penalties; restitution" under Title 42 U.S.C Section 1383. "Fraud by wire, radio, or television" under Title 18 U.S.C Section 1343 was ranked 2 a year ago, while it was ranked 3 five years ago."Fed Old Age, Survivors & Disab Insur -Penalties" under Title 42 U.S.C Section 408 was ranked 3 a year ago, while it was ranked 2 five years ago."Fraudulent acts; penalties; restitution" under Title 42 U.S.C Section 1383 was ranked 7 a year ago, while it was ranked 3 five years ago.
Among these top ten lead charges, the one showing the greatest increase in prosecutions — up 100 percent — compared to one year ago was Title 18 U.S.C Section 1542 that involves " False statement in application and use of passport ". Compared to five years ago, the largest increase — 200 percent — was registered for prosecutions under " " ( ).
Again among the top ten lead charges, the one showing the sharpest decline in prosecutions compared to one year ago — down 66.7 percent — was " Fraudulent acts; penalties; restitution " (Title 42 U.S.C Section 1383 ). This was the same statute that had the largest decrease — 90 % — 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 brought 10.1 prosecutions for every ten million people in the United States.
Understandably, there is great variation in the number of prosecutions that are filed in each of the nation's ninety-four federal judicial districts.
The districts registering the largest number of prosecutions of this type last month are shown in Table 3.
Judicial District Count Rank Mo, E 5 1 More Fla, M 4 2 More Cal, N 3 3 More Utah 2 4 More Ala, M 1 5 More Ala, S 1 5 More Cal, E 1 5 More Cal, S 1 5 More Iowa, N 1 5 More La, E 1 5 More Mass 1 5 More Mich, E 1 5 More Mich, W 1 5 More N Car, M 1 5 More Ohio, N 1 5 More Ohio, S 1 5 More Tenn, W 1 5 More Texas, W 1 5 More Table 3. Top 10 Districts
The Eastern District of Missouri (St. Louis) — with 5 prosecutions — was the most active during September 2024.
The Middle District of Florida (Tampa) ranked 2nd.
Northern District of California (San Francisco) 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 crime cases of this type during September 2024 are shown in Table 4.
Judge Count Rank Doyle, Stephen Michael Ala, M 1 1 More DuBose, Kristi K. Ala, S 1 1 More Mendez, John A. Cal, E 1 1 More Davila, Edward John Cal, N 1 1 More Tigar, Jon Steven Cal, N 1 1 More Goddard, Allison Cal, S 1 1 More Antoon, John, II Fla, M 1 1 More Moody, James S., Jr. Fla, M 1 1 More Dalton, Roy Bale, Jr. Fla, M 1 1 More Byron, Paul Gregory Fla, M 1 1 More Mastroianni, Mark Gerald Mass 1 1 More Levy, Judith Ellen Mich, E 1 1 More Jonker, Robert James Mich, W 1 1 More Graham, James L. Ohio, S 1 1 More Rodriguez, Xavier Texas, W 1 1 More Stewart, Brian Theadore Utah 1 1 More Waddoups, Clark Utah 1 1 More Table 4. Top Ten Judges
All 17 of the "top ten" judges were in districts which were in the top ten with the largest number of filings. (Because of ties, there were a total of 17 judges in the "top ten" rankings.)
Judges Stephen Michael Doyle in the Middle District of Alabama (Montgomery), Kristi K. DuBose in the Southern District of Alabama (Mobile), John A. Mendez in the Eastern District of California (Sacramento), Edward John Davila in the Northern District of California (San Francisco), Jon Steven Tigar in the Northern District of California (San Francisco), Allison Goddard in the Southern District of California (San Diego), John Antoon, II in the Middle District of Florida (Tampa), James S. Moody, Jr. in th ranked 1st with 1 defendants in cases.
Report Generated: November 1, 2024
