Prosecutions for April 2018

Referring Agency: Social Security Administration

Number Latest Month 45
Percent Change from previous month 0.0
Percent Change from 1 year ago 11.3
Percent Change from 5 years ago
(Including Magistrate Court)
-29.4
Percent Change from 5 years ago
(Excluding Magistrate Court)
-30.8
Table 1. Criminal Prosecutions

The latest available data from the Justice Department show that during April 2018 the government reported 45 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 the same as in 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 2018 prosecutions of this type are compared with those of the same period in the previous year, the number of filings was up (11.3%). 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 29.4 percent from levels reported in 2013.

Bar and line plot of FYMON

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 April 2018 was for "Fraud-Federal Program", accounting for 51.1 percent of prosecutions. Prosecutions were also filed for "Theft-Government Property" (22.2%), "Withheld by Govt from TRAC (FOIA challen" (8.9%), "Violence-Other" (6.7%), "Assimilated Crimes" (2.2%), "Fraud-Identity Theft-Aggravated" (2.2%), "Fraud-Other" (2.2%), "Immigration" (2.2%), "Weapons-Operation Triggerlock Major" (2.2%). See Figure 2.

Pie chart of progcatlabel

Figure 2. Specific Types of Prosecutions

Prosecutions in U.S. Magistrate Courts

Top Ranked Lead Charges

In April 2018, 7 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.

In the magistrate courts in April the most frequently cited lead charge was Title 18 U.S.C Section 641 involving "Public money, property or records". This was the lead charge for 42.9 percent of all magistrate filings in April.

Prosecutions in U.S. District Courts

In April 2018, 38 defendants in new cases for these matters were charged in the U.S. District Courts. In addition during April there were an additional 2 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 prosecutions of matters filed in U.S. District Court during April 2018 referred by the Social Security Administration.

Lead Charge Count Rank 1yr ago 5yrs ago  
18 USC 641 - Public money, property or records 21 1 1 1 More
42 USC 408 - Fed Old Age, Survivors & Disab Insur -Penalties 9 2 2 2 More
18 USC 1001 - Fraud/false statements or entries generally 2 3 5 3 More
18 USC 930 - Possession of firearms/dangerous weapons in federal facility 1 4 - - More
18 USC 1542 - False statement in application and use of passport 1 4 13 - More
42 USC 1320a-8b - Attempts to interfere with administration of Social 1 4 - - More
42 USC 1383a - Fraudulent acts; penalties; restitution 1 4 10 4 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 was the lead charge "Fed Old Age, Survivors & Disab Insur -Penalties" under Title 42 U.S.C Section 408. "Fed Old Age, Survivors & Disab Insur -Penalties" under Title 42 U.S.C Section 408 was ranked 2 a year ago, while it was ranked 2 five years ago.

  • Ranked 3rd was "Fraud/false statements or entries generally" under Title 18 U.S.C Section 1001. "Fraud/false statements or entries generally" under Title 18 U.S.C Section 1001 was ranked 5 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 350 percent — compared to one year ago was Title 42 U.S.C Section 1383 that involves " Fraudulent acts; penalties; restitution ". 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 50 percent — was " Fraud/false statements or entries generally " (Title 18 U.S.C Section 1001 ). This was the same statute that had the largest decrease — 54.5 % — when compared with five years ago.

Top Ranked Judicial Districts

In April 2018 the Justice Department said the government brought 14.9 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  
Tenn, E 5 1 More
Mo, E 4 2 More
Ala, N 3 3 More
Ill, N 3 3 More
Ark, W 2 5 More
Cal, C 2 5 More
Ark, E 1 7 More
Cal, S 1 7 More
Fla, M 1 7 More
Fla, N 1 7 More
Fla, S 1 7 More
Ga, N 1 7 More
Ill, C 1 7 More
Ind, N 1 7 More
La, E 1 7 More
La, W 1 7 More
Mich, W 1 7 More
Minnesota 1 7 More
N Car, E 1 7 More
N Mexico 1 7 More
Ohio, N 1 7 More
Ohio, S 1 7 More
Okla, W 1 7 More
Penn, E 1 7 More
S Car 1 7 More
Texas, N 1 7 More
Wash, W 1 7 More
Table 3. Top 10 Districts

  • The Eastern District of Tennessee (Knoxville) — with 5 prosecutions — was the most active during April 2018.

  • The Eastern District of Missouri (St. Louis) ranked 2nd.

  • Northern District of Alabama (Birmingham) and Northern District of Illinois (Chicago) are 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 April 2018 are shown in Table 4.

Judge Count Rank  
Varlan, Thomas A. Tenn, E 4 1 More
Valdez, Maria Ill, N 3 2 More
Coogler, L. Scott Ala, N 2 3 More
Kallon, Abdul Karim Ala, N 1 4 More
Marshall, Denzil Price, Jr. Ark, E 1 4 More
Fitzgerald, Michael Walter Cal, C 1 4 More
Curiel, Gonzalo Paul Cal, S 1 4 More
Davis, Brian Jordan Fla, M 1 4 More
Rodgers, Margaret Catharine Fla, N 1 4 More
Bloom, Beth Francine Fla, S 1 4 More
Baverman, Alan Ga, N 1 4 More
Springmann, Theresa Lazar Ind, N 1 4 More
Drell, Dee D. La, W 1 4 More
Jonker, Robert James Mich, W 1 4 More
Brisbois, Leo I. Minnesota 1 4 More
Sippel, Rodney W. Mo, E 1 4 More
Webber, E. Richard Mo, E 1 4 More
Baker, Nannette A. Mo, E 1 4 More
Ross, John Andrew Mo, E 1 4 More
Pearson, Benita Yalonda Ohio, N 1 4 More
Watson, Michael H. Ohio, S 1 4 More
Miles-LaGrange, Vicki Okla, W 1 4 More
Beetlestone, Wendy Penn, E 1 4 More
McDonough, Travis Randall Tenn, E 1 4 More
Cummings, Samuel Ray Texas, N 1 4 More
Leighton, Ronald B. Wash, W 1 4 More
Table 4. Top Ten Judges

All 26 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 26 judges in the "top ten" rankings.)

  • Judge Thomas A. Varlan in the Eastern District of Tennessee (Knoxville) ranked 1st with 4 defendants in cases.

  • Judge Maria Valdez in the Northern District of Illinois (Chicago) ranked 2nd with 3 defendants in cases.

  • Judge L. Scott Coogler in the Northern District of Alabama (Birmingham) ranked 3rd with 2 defendants in cases.

Report Generated: May 23, 2018
TRAC Copyright
Copyright 2018, TRAC Reports, Inc.

TRAC RSS Feed for this page Email Feed for this page Email this page