Fraud/Financial · National · FY2015–FY2025
Antitrust
Average imposed sentence 11.8 mo in FY2025 - shorter-third average (≤ 21 mo) among 30 offense types.
- 11.8
- Avg months FY2025
- well below the national average
- 18
- Federal cases
- 22%
- Within guidelines
- low guideline adherence
- 72%
- Guilty plea
Antitrust standing, low-caseload USSC third
Antitrust is in the lower third by caseload (18 cases in FY2025). Sparse counts make each district with ≥5 cases a larger share of the story. Average sentence is 11.8 mo (shorter-third average (≤ 21 mo)), short relative to most other USSC offense types. Below-guideline share is 78% (common below-guideline share (> 66%)) - departures and variances are a routine part of how this category resolves. Caseload rank #30 of 30; average-sentence rank #26 of 30. Methodology.
The verdict
According to the U.S. Sentencing Commission FY2025 Individual Offender Datafiles, Antitrust ranks #30 of 30 by caseload (18 cases) and #26 of 30 by average sentence (11.8 months).
- #30
- Caseload of 30
- #26
- Avg sentence of 30
- 11.8 months
- This offense avg FY2025
- 18
- This offense 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.
Antitrust FY2024→FY2025: +6.8 mo
| Year | Cases | Avg (mo) | GL Min | GL Max | Within GL | Above GL | Below GL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | 18 | 11.8 | 11.9 | 18.2 | 22% | 0% | 78% |
| FY2024 | 8 | 5.0 | 18.8 | 25.8 | 0% | 0% | 100% |
| FY2023 | 18 | 6.3 | 14.3 | 20.3 | 11% | 0% | 89% |
| FY2022 | 8 | 12.3 | 14.1 | 20.4 | 0% | 0% | 100% |
| FY2021 | 6 | 0.0 | 28.2 | 35.0 | 0% | 0% | 100% |
| FY2020 | 11 | 11.6 | 24.7 | 32.4 | 0% | 0% | 100% |
| FY2019 | 20 | 5.9 | 12.4 | 18.4 | 12% | 0% | 88% |
| FY2018 | 53 | 9.4 | 14.9 | 20.8 | 29% | 0% | 71% |
Antitrust · hardest district slice
Among districts with ≥5 FY2025 cases, Southern Georgia posts the longest average (33.5 mo, 2 cases , +183.9% vs national).
Where antitrust sentences sit among all federal sentences (FY2025)
Each bar counts imposed federal prison terms in that length band; the marker is this offense's average.
12 36th percentile longer than 36% of 61,431 federal sentences
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more federal sentences. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Sentencing Commission, Individual Offender Datafiles · FY2025
Antitrust - Top District Disparities (FY2025)
District Comparison (FY2025)
Districts with ≥5 FY2025 Antitrust cases. Averages still mix case factors (history, quantity, cooperation).
| District | Cases | Avg (mo) | vs. National |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Georgia | 2 | 33.5 | +183.9% |
| Idaho | 2 | 7.5 | -36.3% |
| Eastern Michigan | 6 | 6.0 | -49.2% |
| Southern New York | 2 | 3.0 | -74.4% |
| District of Columbia | 1 | | % |
| Southern Texas | 2 | | % |
| Middle Florida | 3 | | % |
Nationwide peers · caseload or average sentence
Similar FY caseload
Nearest by ABS(18 cases).
- Food and Drug · 44 cases · Other
- Burglary/Trespass · 50 cases · Other
- Extortion/Racketeering · 57 cases · Violent Crime
- Arson · 77 cases · Violent Crime
Similar average sentence
Nearest nationwide offense types by ABS(11.8 mo here; ≥50-case types).
- Prison Offenses · 13.1 mo avg · Other
- Commercialized Vice · 13.4 mo avg · Other
- Immigration · 10.2 mo avg · Immigration
- National Defense · 15.8 mo avg · Other
Same-category peers · Fraud/Financial
Source: United States Sentencing Commission (USSC), Individual Offender Datafiles, FY2015–FY2025 · Methodology
What the Antitrust data shows
In FY2025, 18 federal defendants were sentenced for antitrust, with an average sentence of 11.8 months -- 40.1 months below the national average across all offenses.
- 22% of antitrust sentences in FY2025 fell within the guideline range, with 78% below (downward departures or variances, often for cooperation). The below-range rate reflects how frequently prosecutors offer departure motions for substantial assistance. How the guidelines work
- The highest-average district for antitrust in FY2025 was Southern Georgia, averaging 33.5 months -- 21.7 months above the national average. Case-specific factors within this offense (criminal history, quantity or aggravating circumstances, cooperation) drive that gap as much as any district-level pattern; the comparison below shows the full spread. Southern Georgia data
- The average sentence for antitrust has risen 2.4 months since FY2018 (FY2018: 9.4 mo; FY2025: 11.8 mo). The trend chart above compares actual sentences against the guideline midpoint each year. Post-Booker sentencing trends
Descriptive USSC aggregates, not legal advice; individual sentences depend on case-specific facts.
PlainSentencing is rendered directly from the United States Sentencing Commission Individual Offender Datafiles, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified. Report a data issue on this page.