Weapons Convictions for February 2018

Number Latest Month 683
Percent Change from previous month -10.1
Percent Change from 1 year ago 13.5
Percent Change from 5 years ago
(Including Magistrate Court)
8.9
Percent Change from 5 years ago
(Excluding Magistrate Court)
9.0
Table 1. Criminal Weapons Convictions

The latest available data from the Justice Department show that during February 2018 the government reported 683 new weapons convictions. According to the case-by-case information analyzed by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), this number is down 10.1 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 (13.5%). 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 8.9 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 February 2018 was for "Weapons-Operation Triggerlock Major", accounting for 100 percent of convictions. See Figure 2.

The lead investigative agency for weapons convictions in February 2018 was ATF accounting for 72 percent of convictions. Other agencies with substantial numbers of weapons convictions were: FBI (9% ), DHS (7%), Local (5%), DEA (3%). 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 February 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 February 2018, 682 defendants in new cases for these matters were charged in the U.S. District Courts. In addition during February 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 February.

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 February 2018.

Lead Charge Count Rank 1yr ago 5yrs ago  
18 USC 922 - Firearms; Unlawful acts 555 1 1 1 More
18 USC 924 - Firearms; Penalties 39 2 2 2 More
21 USC 841 - Drug Abuse Prevention & Control-Prohibited acts A 20 3 4 4 More
18 USC 1951 - Hobbs Act 19 4 3 3 More
18 USC 371 - Conspiracy to commit offense or to defraud US 12 5 6 7 More
21 USC 846 - Attempt and conspiracy 8 6 7 5 More
26 USC 5861 - Tax on Making Firearms - Prohibited acts 6 7 5 5 More
18 USC 554 - Smuggling goods from the United States 4 9 8 8 More
18 USC 842 - Explosives - Importation, manufacture, etc 2 10 15 9 More
18 USC 844 - Explosives - Importation and storage of explosives 2 10 20 12 More
18 USC 3583 - Term of supervised release after imprisonment 2 10 12 15 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 "Firearms; Penalties" under Title 18 U.S.C Section 924. "Firearms; Penalties" under Title 18 U.S.C Section 924 was ranked 2 a year ago, while it was ranked 2 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 1100 percent — compared to one year ago was Title U.S.C Section that involves "Other US Code Section ". This was the same statute that had the largest increase — 500 % — when compared with five years ago.

Again among the top ten lead charges, the one showing the sharpest decline in convictions compared to one year ago — down 28.3 percent — was " Hobbs Act " (Title 18 U.S.C Section 1951 ). Compared to five years ago, the most significant decline in convictions — 60 percent — was for convictions where the lead charge was " Explosives - Importation and storage of explosives " (Title 18 U.S.C Section 844 ).

Top Ranked Judicial Districts

In February 2018 the Justice Department said the government obtained 253.3 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  
Tenn, W 1,835 24 1 21 4 More
Ala, S 1,137 8 2 28 30 More
Ga, S 990 13 3 20 30 More
Ill, S 950 10 4 61 43 More
Mo, E 901 22 5 1 18 More
Tenn, E 876 19 6 10 14 More
La, M 862 6 7 84 75 More
Miss, N 860 8 8 84 72 More
Montana 806 7 9 23 55 More
Ark, E 805 11 10 48 49 More
Table 3. Top 10 Districts (per ten million people)

  • The Western District of Tennessee (Memphis) — with 1835 convictions as compared with 253.3 convictions per ten million population in the United States — was the most active during February 2018.

  • The Southern District of Alabama (Mobile) ranked 2nd.

  • Southern District of Georgia (Savannah) is now ranking 3rd.

Recent entrants to the top 10 list were Southern District of Georgia (Savannah), now ranked 3rd , and Western District of Tennessee (Memphis) at 1st In the same order, these districts ranked 20th and 21st one year ago and 30th and 4th five years ago.

The federal judicial district which showed the greatest growth in the rate of weapons convictions compared to one year ago — 311.1 percent — was Middle District of Louisiana (Baton Rouge). This was the same district that had the largest increase — 146.7 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 — 32.7 percent — was Southern District of Georgia (Savannah).  But over the past five years, Northern District of Mississippi (Oxford) showed the largest drop — 12.5 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 February 2018 are shown in Table 4.

Judge Count Rank 1yr ago 5yrs ago  
Crone, Marcia A. Texas, E 22 1 11 6 More
Reidinger, Martin Karl N Car, W 9 2 104 164 More
Hall, James Randal Ga, S 6 3 150 9 More
Yandle, Staci Michelle Ill, S 6 3 532 - More
Reade, Linda R. Iowa, N 6 3 4 4 More
Cerezo, Carmen Consuelo Puer Rico 6 3 318 104 More
Anderson, Stanley Thomas Tenn, W 6 3 - 11 More
Hughes, Lynn Nettleton Texas, S 6 3 532 - More
Corrigan, Timothy J. Fla, M 5 9 239 211 More
Middlebrooks, Donald M. Fla, S 5 9 70 431 More
Crabtree, Daniel Dale Kansas 5 9 104 - More
Bennett, Richard D. Maryland 5 9 82 128 More
White, Ronnie Lee Mo, E 5 9 28 - More
Watters, Susan Pamela Montana 5 9 2 - More
Browning, James O. N Mexico 5 9 239 104 More
Rossiter, Robert F., Jr. Nebraska 5 9 - - More
Hornak, Mark Raymond Penn, W 5 9 318 551 More
Dominguez, Daniel R. Puer Rico 5 9 104 104 More
Gelpi, Gustavo Antonio, Jr. Puer Rico 5 9 188 266 More
Breen, J. Daniel Tenn, W 5 9 40 12 More
Fowlkes, John Thomas, Jr. Tenn, W 5 9 53 16 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 14 judges were from other districts. (Because of ties, there were a total of 21 judges in the "top ten" rankings.)

  • Judge Marcia A. Crone in the Eastern District of Texas (Tyler) ranked 1st with 22 convicted in weapons convictions.

  • Judge Martin Karl Reidinger in the Western District of North Carolina (Asheville) ranked 2nd with 9 convicted in weapons convictions.

  • Judges James Randal Hall in the Southern District of Georgia (Savannah), Staci Michelle Yandle in the Southern District of Illinois (East St. Louis), Linda R. Reade in the Northern District of Iowa (Cedar Rapids), Carmen Consuelo Cerezo in the District of Puerto Rico, Stanley Thomas Anderson in the Western District of Tennessee (Memphis) and Lynn Nettleton Hughes in the Southern District of Texas (Houston) ranked 3rd with 6 convicted in weapons convictions. Judge Reade appeared in the top ten rankings one year (ranked 4) and five years ago (rank 4).

Report Generated: March 26, 2018
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