Fraud/Financial · National · FY2015–FY2025
Forgery/Counterfeiting/Copyright
83 federal cases in FY2025 - lower-third caseload (≤ 146 cases).
- 22.2
- Avg months FY2025
- well below the national average
- 83
- Federal cases
- 42%
- Within guidelines
- typical guideline adherence
- 82%
- Guilty plea
Forgery caseload fingerprint · FY2025
Forgery/Counterfeiting/Copyright is in the lower third by caseload (83 cases in FY2025). Sparse counts make each district with ≥5 cases a larger share of the story. YoY volume -11 vs FY2024. Mean OL 4.7 (OL≥6 35%) on 83 rows.
- Mean CH
- 0.72
- Avg sentence
- 22.2 mo
- No prior
- 27%
- Below GL
- 48%
The verdict
According to the U.S. Sentencing Commission FY2025 Individual Offender Datafiles, Forgery/Counterfeiting/Copyright ranks #25 of 30 by caseload (83 cases) and #19 of 30 by average sentence (22.2 months).
- #25
- Caseload of 30
- #19
- Avg sentence of 30
- 22.2 months
- This offense avg FY2025
- 83
- 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.
Forgery FY2024→FY2025: +3.1 mo
| Year | Cases | Avg (mo) | GL Min | GL Max | Within GL | Above GL | Below GL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | 83 | 22.2 | 27.6 | 31.2 | 42% | 10% | 48% |
| FY2024 | 94 | 19.1 | 26.3 | 33.0 | 35% | 5% | 60% |
| FY2023 | 111 | 23.4 | 30.2 | 37.0 | 45% | 1% | 54% |
| FY2022 | 110 | 19.6 | 22.3 | 28.4 | 48% | 5% | 47% |
| FY2021 | 137 | 19.3 | 23.1 | 28.2 | 50% | 3% | 48% |
| FY2020 | 196 | 19.3 | 23.6 | 29.7 | 53% | 4% | 43% |
| FY2019 | 276 | 17.9 | 20.1 | 26.0 | 51% | 4% | 44% |
| FY2018 | 298 | 18.0 | 23.4 | 28.4 | 53% | 0% | 47% |
Forgery · hardest district slice
Among districts with ≥5 FY2025 cases, Idaho posts the longest average (107.0 mo, 1 cases , +382.0% vs national).
Where forgery/counterfeiting/copyright 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.
22 50th percentile longer than 50% 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
Forgery/Counterfeiting/Copyright - Top District Disparities (FY2025)
District Comparison (FY2025)
Districts with ≥5 FY2025 Forgery/Counterfeiting/Copyright cases. Averages still mix case factors (history, quantity, cooperation).
| District | Cases | Avg (mo) | vs. National |
|---|---|---|---|
| Idaho | 1 | 107.0 | +382.0% |
| Northern Illinois | 3 | 51.0 | +129.8% |
| Central Illinois | 1 | 48.0 | +116.2% |
| Eastern New York | 3 | 42.0 | +89.2% |
| Western Kentucky | 1 | 33.0 | +48.6% |
| Western Wisconsin | 2 | 31.0 | +39.6% |
| Southern Mississippi | 3 | 30.5 | +37.4% |
| Western Washington | 2 | 30.0 | +35.1% |
| Middle Florida | 5 | 29.5 | +32.9% |
| Northern Ohio | 5 | 28.2 | +27.1% |
| South Carolina | 2 | 26.0 | +17.1% |
| Eastern Michigan | 3 | 24.7 | +11.2% |
| Middle Pennsylvania | 3 | 24.0 | +8.1% |
| Eastern Pennsylvania | 3 | 24.0 | +8.2% |
| Western New York | 1 | 24.0 | +8.1% |
| Southern New York | 2 | 24.0 | +8.1% |
| Northern West Virginia | 1 | 21.0 | -5.4% |
| Eastern Virginia | 1 | 21.0 | -5.4% |
| Middle Georgia | 1 | 18.0 | -18.9% |
| Western Tennessee | 3 | 15.0 | -32.4% |
Nationwide peers · caseload or average sentence
Similar FY caseload
Nearest by ABS(83 cases).
- Commercialized Vice · 88 cases · Other
- Arson · 77 cases · Violent Crime
- Manslaughter · 94 cases · Violent Crime
- Individual Rights · 100 cases · Other
Similar average sentence
Nearest nationwide offense types by ABS(22.2 mo here; ≥50-case types).
- Tax · 22.4 mo avg · Fraud/Financial
- Obscenity/Other Sex Offenses · 21.4 mo avg · Sex Offenses
- Bribery/Corruption · 25.6 mo avg · Fraud/Financial
- Administration of Justice Offenses · 17.3 mo avg · Other
Same-category peers · Fraud/Financial
Source: United States Sentencing Commission (USSC), Individual Offender Datafiles, FY2015–FY2025 · Methodology
What the Forgery/Counterfeiting/Copyright data shows
In FY2025, 83 federal defendants were sentenced for forgery/counterfeiting/copyright, with an average sentence of 22.2 months -- 29.7 months below the national average across all offenses.
- 42% of forgery/counterfeiting/copyright sentences in FY2025 fell within the guideline range, with 48% 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 forgery/counterfeiting/copyright in FY2025 was Idaho, averaging 107.0 months -- 84.8 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. Idaho data
- The average sentence for forgery/counterfeiting/copyright has risen 4.2 months since FY2018 (FY2018: 18.0 mo; FY2025: 22.2 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.