Other · National · FY2015–FY2025
Food and Drug
Average imposed sentence 19.5 mo in FY2025 - shorter-third average (≤ 21 mo) among 30 offense types.
- 19.5
- Avg months FY2025
- well below the national average
- 44
- Federal cases
- 18%
- Within guidelines
- low guideline adherence
- 95%
- Guilty plea
The verdict
According to the U.S. Sentencing Commission FY2025 Individual Offender Datafiles, Food and Drug ranks #29 of 30 by caseload (44 cases) and #21 of 30 by average sentence (19.5 months).
- #29
- Caseload of 30
- #21
- Avg sentence of 30
- 19.5 months
- This offense avg FY2025
- 44
- 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.
Food and Drug FY2024→FY2025: +1 mo
| Year | Cases | Avg (mo) | GL Min | GL Max | Within GL | Above GL | Below GL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | 44 | 19.5 | 44.9 | 22.1 | 18% | 0% | 82% |
| FY2024 | 35 | 18.5 | 43.3 | 21.0 | 13% | 13% | 75% |
| FY2023 | 55 | 23.1 | 49.8 | 30.3 | 19% | 0% | 81% |
| FY2022 | 39 | 17.0 | 47.2 | 29.7 | 48% | 4% | 48% |
| FY2021 | 47 | 19.7 | 48.6 | 26.7 | 30% | 5% | 65% |
| FY2020 | 32 | 40.5 | 46.4 | 35.8 | 8% | 17% | 75% |
| FY2019 | 48 | 31.5 | 42.1 | 21.6 | 23% | 8% | 69% |
| FY2018 | 43 | 28.1 | 53.8 | 22.6 | 25% | 8% | 67% |
Food and Drug · hardest district slice
Among districts with ≥5 FY2025 cases, Eastern Kentucky posts the longest average (60.0 mo, 1 cases , +207.7% vs national).
Where food and drug 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.
20 47th percentile longer than 47% 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
Food and Drug - Top District Disparities (FY2025)
District Comparison (FY2025)
Districts with ≥5 FY2025 Food and Drug cases. Averages still mix case factors (history, quantity, cooperation).
| District | Cases | Avg (mo) | vs. National |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Kentucky | 1 | 60.0 | +207.7% |
| Middle Florida | 4 | 31.5 | +61.6% |
| Southern Florida | 3 | 26.0 | +33.3% |
| Nebraska | 1 | 12.0 | -38.3% |
| Western Tennessee | 1 | 12.0 | -38.3% |
| Western Pennsylvania | 1 | 12.0 | -38.3% |
| Connecticut | 2 | 10.5 | -46.2% |
| Northern Texas | 1 | 5.7 | -70.8% |
| Massachusetts | 3 | 3.0 | -84.6% |
| Utah | 2 | | % |
| Colorado | 1 | | % |
| Eastern Washington | 1 | | % |
| Oregon | 1 | | % |
| Southern California | 3 | | % |
| Central Illinois | 1 | | % |
| Northern Illinois | 1 | | % |
| Northern Ohio | 1 | | % |
| Western Kentucky | 1 | | % |
| Southern Texas | 3 | | % |
| Southern Mississippi | 1 | | % |
Nationwide peers · caseload or average sentence
Similar FY caseload
Nearest by ABS(44 cases).
- Burglary/Trespass · 50 cases · Other
- Extortion/Racketeering · 57 cases · Violent Crime
- Antitrust · 18 cases · Fraud/Financial
- Arson · 77 cases · Violent Crime
Similar average sentence
Nearest nationwide offense types by ABS(19.5 mo here; ≥50-case types).
- Obscenity/Other Sex Offenses · 21.4 mo avg · Sex Offenses
- Administration of Justice Offenses · 17.3 mo avg · Other
- Forgery/Counterfeiting/Copyright · 22.2 mo avg · Fraud/Financial
- Tax · 22.4 mo avg · Fraud/Financial
Same-category peers · Other
Source: United States Sentencing Commission (USSC), Individual Offender Datafiles, FY2015–FY2025 · Methodology
What the Food and Drug data shows
In FY2025, 44 federal defendants were sentenced for food and drug, with an average sentence of 19.5 months -- 32.4 months below the national average across all offenses.
- 18% of food and drug sentences in FY2025 fell within the guideline range, with 82% 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 food and drug in FY2025 was Eastern Kentucky, averaging 60.0 months -- 40.5 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. Eastern Kentucky data
- The average sentence for food and drug has fallen 8.6 months since FY2018 (FY2018: 28.1 mo; FY2025: 19.5 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.