Weapons Convictions for April 2018

Number Latest Month 624
Percent Change from previous month -25.8
Percent Change from 1 year ago 12.1
Percent Change from 5 years ago
(Including Magistrate Court)
11.7
Percent Change from 5 years ago
(Excluding Magistrate Court)
11.8
Table 1. Criminal Weapons Convictions

The latest available data from the Justice Department show that during April 2018 the government reported 624 new weapons convictions. According to the case-by-case information analyzed by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), this number is down 25.8 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 2018 convictions of this type are compared with those of the same period in the previous year, the number of convictions was up (12.1%). 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 11.7 percent from levels reported in 2013.

Bar and line plot of FYMON

Figure 1. Monthly Trends in Weapons Convictions

The increase 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 April 2018 was for "Weapons-Operation Triggerlock Major", accounting for 100 percent of convictions. See Figure 2.

The lead investigative agency for weapons convictions in April 2018 was ATF accounting for 70 percent of convictions. Other agencies with substantial numbers of weapons convictions were: Local (11% ), FBI (8%), DHS (4%), DEA (2%). See Figure 3.

Pie chart of progcatlabel

Figure 2. Specific Types of Convictions
Pie chart of agenrevgrp

Figure 3. Convictions by Investigative Agency

Weapons Convictions in U.S. Magistrate Courts

Top Ranked Lead Charges

In April 2018, no defendants in weapons 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.

Weapons Convictions in U.S. District Courts

In April 2018, 624 defendants in new cases for these matters were charged in the U.S. District Courts. In addition during April 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 April.

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 April 2018.

Lead Charge Count Rank 1yr ago 5yrs ago  
18 USC 922 - Firearms; Unlawful acts 512 1 1 1 More
18 USC 1951 - Hobbs Act 23 2 3 3 More
21 USC 841 - Drug Abuse Prevention & Control-Prohibited acts A 22 3 4 4 More
18 USC 924 - Firearms; Penalties 21 4 2 2 More
26 USC 5861 - Tax on Making Firearms - Prohibited acts 9 5 5 6 More
18 USC 554 - Smuggling goods from the United States 8 6 9 8 More
21 USC 846 - Attempt and conspiracy 7 7 7 5 More
18 USC 842 - Explosives - Importation, manufacture, etc 2 9 15 9 More
18 USC 3665 - Firearms possessed by convicted felons 2 9 16 28 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 "Hobbs Act" under Title 18 U.S.C Section 1951. "Hobbs Act" under Title 18 U.S.C Section 1951 was ranked 3 a year ago, while it was ranked 3 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 4 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 75 percent — compared to one year ago was Title 18 U.S.C Section 3665 that involves " Firearms possessed by convicted felons ". Compared to five years ago, the largest increase — 2100 percent — was registered for convictions under "Other US Code Section " (Title U.S.C Section ).

Again among the top ten lead charges, the one showing the sharpest decline in convictions compared to one year ago — down 34.5 percent — was " Hobbs Act " (Title 18 U.S.C Section 1951 ). Compared to five years ago, the most significant decline in convictions — 61.1 percent — was for convictions where the lead charge was " Explosives - Importation, manufacture, etc " (Title 18 U.S.C Section 842 ).

Top Ranked Judicial Districts

In April 2018 the Justice Department said the government obtained 231.7 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  
Ind, N 1,577 34 1 30 42 More
Tenn, W 1,147 15 2 12 5 More
Okla, E 1,123 7 3 58 89 More
Mo, E 1,106 27 4 1 21 More
Mo, W 1,025 27 5 4 12 More
Ala, S 995 7 6 29 47 More
Utah 944 24 7 15 27 More
Tenn, E 922 20 8 8 4 More
Iowa, N 904 10 9 44 40 More
Alaska 833 5 10 63 54 More
Table 3. Top 10 Districts (per ten million people)

  • The Northern District of Indiana (South Bend) — with 1577 convictions as compared with 231.7 convictions per ten million population in the United States — was the most active during April 2018.

  • The Western District of Tennessee (Memphis) ranked 2nd.

  • Eastern District of Oklahoma (Muskogee) is now ranking 3rd.

Recent entrants to the top 10 list were Western District of Tennessee (Memphis), now ranked 2nd , and Utah at 7th In the same order, these districts ranked 12th and 15th one year ago and 5th and 27th five years ago.

The federal judicial district which showed the greatest growth in the rate of weapons convictions compared to one year ago — 139.3 percent — was Northern District of Iowa (Cedar Rapids). Compared to five years ago, the district with the largest growth — 184.6 percent — was Eastern District of Missouri (St. Louis).

In the last year, the judicial District Court recording the largest drop in the rate of weapons convictions — 43.5 percent — was Eastern District of Oklahoma (Muskogee).  But over the past five years, Alaska showed the largest drop — 9.1 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 April 2018 are shown in Table 4.

Judge Count Rank  
Miller, Robert Lowell, Jr. Ind, N 11 1 More
Greer, J. Ronnie Tenn, E 10 2 More
Crone, Marcia A. Texas, E 10 2 More
Fenner, Gary A. Mo, W 9 4 More
Cain, Timothy Martin S Car 8 5 More
Lipman, Sheryl Halle Tenn, W 8 5 More
DeGuilio, Jon Ernest Ind, N 7 7 More
Springmann, Theresa Lazar Ind, N 7 7 More
Crabtree, Daniel Dale Kansas 7 7 More
White, Ronald A. Okla, E 7 7 More
Table 4. Top Ten Judges

A total of 7 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 3 judges were from other districts.

  • Judge Robert Lowell Miller, Jr. in the Northern District of Indiana (South Bend) ranked 1st with 11 convicted in weapons convictions.

  • Judges J. Ronnie Greer in the Eastern District of Tennessee (Knoxville) and Marcia A. Crone in the Eastern District of Texas (Tyler) ranked 2nd with 10 convicted in weapons convictions.

Report Generated: May 23, 2018
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