Guidelines Manual, Chapter TwoFY2018–FY2025
§2A6.1
Threatening or harassing communications · 0.2% of federal cases · Guidelines Manual
The datafile contains cases reported to the Commission with sentencing documents. Sentence length statistics use the Commission's capped variable (sentences of 470 months or longer, including life, are recorded as 470 months) and exclude sentences of probation or a fine only. Figures are aggregates of past cases and are not a prediction for any case.
§ 1Length of prison terms
Interquartile range 10–33 months; mean 27. <10 cases at the 470-month cap.
§ 2Summary
§2A6.1 (threatening or harassing communications) was the primary guideline in 1,307 cases sentenced across 8 fiscal years (FY2018–FY2025), 0.2% of all cases, with 188 in FY2025. The Commission classes most of them as stalking/harassing.
The median prison term under §2A6.1 was 18 months (1 yr 6 mo) (all cases nationally: 24 months); 88% of cases carried a prison term.
48% of sentences were within the guideline range. Of the rest, 17% were below the range on a government motion, 25% below it for other reasons and 10% above it. The departure and variance table below uses the Commission's nine SENTRNGE categories.
FY2025 had more cases than FY2018 (188 against 146). The median prison term in FY2025 (20 months) was shorter than in FY2018 (24 months).
§ 3Departures and variances
Within guideline range 48%Above range 10%Below range, government sponsored 17%Below range, other 25%Not determinable <10
| Commission category (SENTRNGE) | Cases | Share | All cases |
|---|---|---|---|
| Within range | 630 | 48.3% | 47.4% |
| Upward departure | 21 | 1.6% | 0.5% |
| Above-range variance | 106 | 8.1% | 2.6% |
| §5K1.1 substantial assistance | 12 | 0.9% | 9.5% |
| §5K3.1 early disposition | <10 | — | 9.2% |
| Government-sponsored departure | 41 | 3.1% | 1.9% |
| Government-sponsored variance | 170 | 13.0% | 8.0% |
| Downward departure | 34 | 2.6% | 2.1% |
| Below-range variance | 290 | 22.2% | 18.8% |
| Missing or indeterminable | <10 | — | — |
Shares are of cases with a determinable range status. Departures cite a provision of the Guidelines Manual; variances rest on the statutory sentencing factors (18 U.S.C. §3553(a)) after United States v. Booker.
§ 4Cases by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Cases | Prison | Median months | Within range | Below, gov. | Below, other | Above |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2018 | 146 | 89% | 24 | 53% | 15% | 21% | 10% |
| FY2019 | 137 | 88% | 18 | 53% | 15% | 26% | — |
| FY2020 | 154 | 89% | 18 | 52% | 15% | 22% | 11% |
| FY2021 | 159 | 86% | 15 | 46% | 21% | 21% | 13% |
| FY2022 | 184 | 86% | 18 | 43% | 19% | 31% | 8% |
| FY2023 | 163 | 90% | 18 | 48% | 16% | 26% | 10% |
| FY2024 | 176 | 90% | 20 | 48% | 16% | 26% | 11% |
| FY2025 | 188 | 86% | 20 | 45% | 20% | 26% | 9% |
§ 5Offence types the Commission assigns
| Primary offence type | Cases | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Stalking/Harassing | 1,307 | 100.0% |
§ 6Districts with the most cases
| District | Cases | Prison | Median months | Within range | Below, gov. | Below, other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middle District of Florida M.D. Fla. | 50 | 78% | 24 | 44% | — | 30% |
| District of Arizona D. Ariz. | 48 | — | 17 | 46% | 27% | 23% |
| Southern District of Florida S.D. Fla. | 48 | — | 14 | 49% | — | 26% |
| Northern District of Texas N.D. Tex. | 38 | — | 27 | 55% | 0% | — |
| Northern District of Ohio N.D. Ohio | 38 | — | 18 | 53% | — | — |
| Southern District of New York S.D.N.Y. | 33 | — | 17 | 39% | — | 49% |
| Central District of California C.D. Cal. | 33 | — | 15 | 39% | — | 36% |
| District of New Mexico D.N.M. | 33 | — | 15 | 49% | — | — |
| Western District of Texas W.D. Tex. | 32 | — | 15 | 59% | — | — |
| Eastern District of Michigan E.D. Mich. | 31 | — | 11 | 48% | — | 39% |
| Middle District of Pennsylvania M.D. Pa. | 26 | — | 24 | 50% | — | — |
| District of Oregon D. Or. | 26 | — | 12 | — | 54% | — |
| Northern District of New York N.D.N.Y. | 23 | 100% | 16 | 78% | — | — |
| Eastern District of North Carolina E.D.N.C. | 23 | — | 16 | 48% | — | — |
| Eastern District of Virginia E.D. Va. | 23 | — | 33 | — | — | 44% |
| Eastern District of New York E.D.N.Y. | 21 | — | 18 | — | — | — |
| District of Nebraska D. Neb. | 21 | — | 15 | — | — | — |
| Western District of New York W.D.N.Y. | 20 | — | 23 | 55% | — | — |
| Southern District of Texas S.D. Tex. | 19 | — | 20 | — | 0% | — |
| District of Columbia D.D.C. | 18 | — | 15 | 56% | — | — |
By circuit
| Circuit | Cases | Prison | Median months | Within range | Below, gov. | Below, other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia Circuit | 18 | — | 15 | 56% | — | — |
| First Circuit | 42 | — | 18 | 45% | 26% | 24% |
| Second Circuit | 112 | — | 19 | 46% | 12% | 34% |
| Third Circuit | 69 | — | 18 | 51% | 16% | 25% |
| Fourth Circuit | 123 | 85% | 21 | 46% | 13% | 27% |
| Fifth Circuit | 142 | 91% | 21 | 56% | 9% | 20% |
| Sixth Circuit | 155 | 89% | 17 | 54% | 13% | 27% |
| Seventh Circuit | 62 | — | 30 | 45% | — | 31% |
| Eighth Circuit | 118 | 92% | 18 | 51% | 15% | 21% |
| Ninth Circuit | 203 | 84% | 18 | 41% | 31% | 22% |
| Tenth Circuit | 100 | 80% | 15 | 42% | 30% | 21% |
| Eleventh Circuit | 163 | 86% | 18 | 51% | 13% | 25% |
§ 7Questions and answers
What is §2A6.1?
Section 2A6.1 of the Guidelines Manual: threatening or harassing communications. On this site a case is counted under a guideline when the Commission records it as the primary guideline (GDLINEHI) applied at sentencing.
What is the typical sentence under §2A6.1?
The median prison term over FY2018–FY2025 was 18 months (1 yr 6 mo), with the middle half between 10 and 33 months.
How often do sentences under §2A6.1 depart or vary from the range?
52% of sentences were outside the guideline range. Substantial-assistance motions under §5K1.1 accounted for 1% and below-range variances for 22%.
Which districts see the most §2A6.1 cases?
the Middle District of Florida (50), the District of Arizona (48) and the Southern District of Florida (48).
§ 8Provenance
Source: United States Sentencing Commission, Individual Offender Datafiles, fiscal years 2018–2025 (US government works), aggregated by this site; the FY2025 file is dated 29 Apr 2026. Guideline is the Commission's GDLINEHI field (primary guideline applied). Counts below 10 are hidden or pooled. Errors in this site's processing are corrected at the next build; see corrections. Methodology.