4th Circuit · Virginia · FY2015–FY2025
Western Virginia District
70% of classifiable Western Virginia sentences landed below the guideline range - common below-guideline share (> 64%).
- 71.0
- Avg months FY2025
- above the national average
- 248
- Federal cases
- 27%
- Within guidelines
- low guideline adherence
- -16.1%
- Disparity vs natl
Below-guideline book · Western FY2025
70% of classifiable outcomes landed below the guideline range (common below-guideline share (> 64%)). Case-level mean CH 0.91 (9% no prior) ; defendants 80% male / 20% female / 14% non-citizen. Mean OL 6.1 on 248 rows, departure share is the signature, not volume.
The verdict
According to the U.S. Sentencing Commission FY2025 Individual Offender Datafiles, Western Virginia District ranks #74 of 93 by caseload (248 cases) and #54 of 88 districts with at least 100 cases by average sentence (71.0 months).
- #74
- Caseload of 93
- #54
- Avg sentence of 88
- 71.0 months
- This district avg FY2025
- 248
- This district cases FY2025
Caseload rank covers every district with at least one FY case. Average-sentence rank covers districts with at least 100 cases so a thin docket cannot top the list. Offense ranks cover the 30 published guideline types. Averages follow offense mix, not court character.
Western USSC docket plate
FY2025: 248 cases at 71.0 mo average · #55/88 harshest-rank · mix-adjusted -16.1% (DISP-SHORT). Nearest ABS peer: South (0.0 mo).
Avg-sentence neighbourhood · Western
Harsh/lenient poles plus ABS(avg_sentence) peers (≥100 FY2025 cases) - not a full 93-district reprint.
- Arizona 17.4
Arizona · lenient pole
17.4 mo avg
- Western
Western · this district
71 mo avg
- South · near
South · near
71 mo avg
- Southern · near
Southern · near
71.3 mo avg
- Northern · near
Northern · near
71.5 mo avg
- Southern
Southern · harsh pole
129.3 mo avg
For educational and research purposes only. This page summarizes historical USSC sentencing statistics, not a prediction for any individual case, sentencing depends on many case-specific factors. Consult a licensed criminal defense attorney for guidance on a specific matter.
Source: U.S. Sentencing Commission Individual Offender Datafiles, FY2015–FY2025. · Methodology and data dictionary.
Western FY2024→FY2025: -6 mo avg
| Year | Cases | Avg (mo) | Within GL | Above GL | Below GL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | 248 | 71.0 | 27% | 3% | 70% |
| FY2024 | 196 | 77.0 | 29% | 6% | 64% |
| FY2023 | 210 | 91.0 | 28% | 9% | 64% |
| FY2022 | 279 | 87.9 | 31% | 8% | 61% |
| FY2021 | 239 | 67.0 | 41% | 7% | 52% |
| FY2020 | 287 | 88.6 | 34% | 5% | 60% |
| FY2019 | 243 | 64.8 | 45% | 4% | 51% |
| FY2018 | 238 | 82.1 | 43% | 8% | 49% |
| FY2017 | 276 | 93.9 | 43% | 7% | 50% |
| FY2016 | 313 | 85.1 | 43% | 5% | 51% |
| FY2015 | 376 | 68.8 | 40% | 5% | 55% |
Top Offenses (FY2025)
Sentencing Disparity
Most Common Offenses - Western Virginia (FY2025)
Federal cases sentenced in this district by offense category
- Drug Trafficking
Drug Trafficking
114 cases
- Fraud/Theft/Embezzlement 42
Fraud/Theft/Embezzlement
42 cases
- Firearms 29
Firearms
29 cases
- Immigration 20
Immigration
20 cases
- Sexual Abuse 6
Sexual Abuse
6 cases
- Administration of 6
Administration of Justice Offenses
6 cases
- Robbery 5
Robbery
5 cases
- Tax 4
Tax
4 cases
- Bribery/Corruption 4
Bribery/Corruption
4 cases
- Child Pornography 3
Child Pornography
3 cases
What this shows Drug Trafficking was the most common offense in this district, accounting for 114 of the cases sentenced in FY2025.
Nationwide districts with similar caseload or average sentence
Sparse-book Western peer sets: FY2025 caseload nearest-neighbors and ABS(average sentence) peers - volume matches matter more when the local book is thin.
Similar FY caseload
Nearest nationwide districts by ABS(248 cases here).
- Western Michigan · 242 cases · 6th Circuit
- Southern Illinois · 240 cases · 7th Circuit
- Eastern Oklahoma · 259 cases · 10th Circuit
- Connecticut · 260 cases · 2nd Circuit
Similar average sentence
Nearest nationwide districts by ABS(71.0 mo here; ≥100-case books).
- South Carolina · 71.0 mo avg · 591 cases
- Southern Ohio · 71.3 mo avg · 560 cases
- Northern Alabama · 71.5 mo avg · 516 cases
- Wyoming · 71.8 mo avg · 181 cases
Read with Western
ABS(avg_sentence) peers first, then a stamp-branched guide - not a fixed three-guide strip. This sheet stamps BOOK-LIGHT · SENT-MID · DISP-SHORT · WITHIN-LOOSE · RANK-MID · PHOTO-NEAR · CIR-4TH.
ABS(avg_sentence) peer at 71.0 mo (Δ 0.0 mo harsher vs Western); 591 FY2025 cases · same USSC book axis as this sheet.
ABS(avg_sentence) peer at 71.3 mo (Δ 0.3 mo harsher vs Western); 560 FY2025 cases · same USSC book axis as this sheet.
ABS(avg_sentence) peer at 71.5 mo (Δ 0.5 mo harsher vs Western); 516 FY2025 cases · same USSC book axis as this sheet.
ABS(avg_sentence) peer at 71.8 mo (Δ 0.8 mo harsher vs Western); 181 FY2025 cases · same USSC book axis as this sheet.
Western stamps BOOK-LIGHT · SENT-MID · DISP-SHORT · WITHIN-LOOSE · RANK-MID · PHOTO-NEAR · CIR-4TH - the reading guide shows how to interpret USSC averages without conflating mix and severity.
Drug Trafficking led Western at 114 cases (46% of the FY2025 book) - offense-specific averages differ from the district headline.
Source: U.S. Sentencing Commission Individual Offender Datafiles, FY2015–FY2025.
Source: USSC public-use extracts rendered by PlainSentencing; methodology at /methodology/.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified. One-line guide: reading sentencing data. Report a data issue on this page.