Fraud/Financial · National · FY2015–FY2025
Money Laundering
70% of classifiable Money Laundering sentences landed below the guideline range - common below-guideline share (> 66%).
- 68.4
- Avg months FY2025
- above the national average
- 1,368
- Federal cases
- 27%
- Within guidelines
- low guideline adherence
- 83%
- Guilty plea
Departure profile · Money Laundering FY2025
70% of classifiable Money Laundering outcomes landed below guidelines (common below-guideline share (> 66%)). Case-level mean OL 1.8 · mean CH 0.65 across 1,368 USSC rows, the departure share is the sheet signature.
The verdict
According to the U.S. Sentencing Commission FY2025 Individual Offender Datafiles, Money Laundering ranks #8 of 30 by caseload (1,368 cases) and #11 of 30 by average sentence (68.4 months).
- #8
- Caseload of 30
- #11
- Avg sentence of 30
- 68.4 months
- This offense avg FY2025
- 1,368
- 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.
Money Laundering FY2024→FY2025: +7.6 mo
| Year | Cases | Avg (mo) | GL Min | GL Max | Within GL | Above GL | Below GL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | 1,368 | 68.4 | 344.8 | 108.5 | 27% | 3% | 70% |
| FY2024 | 1,288 | 60.8 | 306.3 | 107.6 | 23% | 3% | 74% |
| FY2023 | 1,310 | 70.7 | 390.1 | 121.6 | 24% | 2% | 73% |
| FY2022 | 1,190 | 69.4 | 409.4 | 100.5 | 25% | 4% | 71% |
| FY2021 | 1,028 | 66.6 | 297.1 | 117.7 | 22% | 3% | 75% |
| FY2020 | 880 | 65.7 | 269.9 | 107.3 | 24% | 3% | 74% |
| FY2019 | 1,177 | 68.1 | 347.6 | 118.2 | 24% | 1% | 75% |
| FY2018 | 1,296 | 67.0 | 259.9 | 113.9 | 26% | 2% | 72% |
Money Laundering · hardest district slice
Among districts with ≥5 FY2025 cases, South Dakota posts the longest average (204.9 mo, 9 cases , +199.5% vs national).
Where money laundering 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.
68 75th percentile longer than 75% 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
Money Laundering - Top District Disparities (FY2025)
District Comparison (FY2025)
Districts with ≥5 FY2025 Money Laundering cases. Averages still mix case factors (history, quantity, cooperation).
| District | Cases | Avg (mo) | vs. National |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Dakota | 9 | 204.9 | +199.5% |
| Middle North Carolina | 6 | 195.7 | +186.1% |
| North Dakota | 8 | 180.3 | +163.5% |
| Southern Mississippi | 5 | 167.0 | +144.2% |
| Southern Illinois | 10 | 154.7 | +126.2% |
| Southern Indiana | 10 | 151.3 | +121.2% |
| Eastern Texas | 58 | 144.0 | +110.6% |
| Montana | 2 | 126.0 | +84.2% |
| Western Kentucky | 9 | 124.7 | +82.3% |
| Eastern Arkansas | 8 | 124.4 | +81.9% |
| Middle Florida | 41 | 124.2 | +81.5% |
| Northern Iowa | 8 | 123.1 | +80.0% |
| Northern Texas | 10 | 122.4 | +78.9% |
| South Carolina | 18 | 120.9 | +76.8% |
| Guam | 2 | 120.0 | +75.4% |
| Eastern Tennessee | 18 | 116.4 | +70.2% |
| Southern Georgia | 2 | 115.0 | +68.1% |
| Northern Georgia | 25 | 103.4 | +51.2% |
| Western Arkansas | 6 | 103.2 | +50.9% |
| Eastern California | 9 | 96.4 | +41.0% |
Nationwide peers · caseload or average sentence
Similar FY caseload
Nearest by ABS(1,368 cases).
- Sexual Abuse · 1,403 cases · Sex Offenses
- Child Pornography · 1,416 cases · Sex Offenses
- Robbery · 1,242 cases · Violent Crime
- Other Offenses · 1,665 cases · Other
Similar average sentence
Nearest nationwide offense types by ABS(68.4 mo here; ≥50-case types).
- Arson · 71.9 mo avg · Violent Crime
- Individual Rights · 74.2 mo avg · Other
- Extortion/Racketeering · 60.3 mo avg · Violent Crime
- Assault · 82.3 mo avg · Violent Crime
Same-category peers · Fraud/Financial
Source: United States Sentencing Commission (USSC), Individual Offender Datafiles, FY2015–FY2025 · Methodology
What the Money Laundering data shows
In FY2025, 1,368 federal defendants were sentenced for money laundering, with an average sentence of 68.4 months -- 16.5 months above the national average across all offenses.
- 27% of money laundering sentences in FY2025 fell within the guideline range, with 70% 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 money laundering in FY2025 was South Dakota, averaging 204.9 months -- 136.5 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. South Dakota data
- The average sentence for money laundering has risen 1.4 months since FY2018 (FY2018: 67.0 mo; FY2025: 68.4 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.