Offence typesFY2018–FY2025
Bribery/Corruption
Primary offence type · Commission code 5 · 0.5% of federal cases
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, all districts
Interquartile range 8–33 months; mean 26. 0 cases at the 470-month cap (life or longer).
§ 2Summary
Bribery/Corruption was the primary offence type in 2,543 federal cases sentenced across 8 fiscal years (FY2018–FY2025), 0.5% of all cases reported to the Commission, with 310 in FY2025.
The national median prison term for bribery and corruption offences was 18 months (1 yr 6 mo), against 24 months for all cases; 74% of cases carried a prison term and the middle half of terms fell between 8 and 33 months.
20% of sentences were within the guideline range, 44% below it on a government motion, 35% below it for other reasons and 1% above it.
The districts with the most bribery and corruption offences were the Southern District of New York (230), the Southern District of Florida (194) and the Central District of California (149).
Caseload in FY2025 was about the same as in FY2018. The median prison term in FY2025 (15 months) was shorter than in FY2018 (18 months).
§ 3Position relative to the guideline range
Within guideline range 20%Above range 1%Below range, government sponsored 44%Below range, other 35%Not determinable <10
| Measure | Bribery/Corruption | All offence types |
|---|---|---|
| Median prison months | 18 | 24 |
| Mean prison months | 26 | 51 |
| Cases with a prison term | 74% | 92% |
| Within guideline range | 20% | 47% |
| Above range | 1% | 3% |
| Below range, government sponsored | 44% | 29% |
| Below range, other | 35% | 21% |
| Median final offence level | 19 | 17 |
| Criminal history category I | 90% | 46% |
§ 4Districts compared
Every district with at least one case, most cases first. Districts with at least 30 cases in 2021–2025 link to a district × offence page; others link to the district's overview. Rows under 10 cases show the count only.
| District | Cases | Prison | Median months | Within range | Below, gov. | Below, other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern District of New York S.D.N.Y. | 230 | 90% | 12 | 15% | 24% | 61% |
| Southern District of Florida S.D. Fla. | 194 | 80% | 20 | 31% | 25% | 42% |
| Central District of California C.D. Cal. | 149 | 63% | 18 | 16% | 56% | 28% |
| Southern District of Texas S.D. Tex. | 144 | 76% | 18 | 29% | 46% | 25% |
| Eastern District of New York E.D.N.Y. | 123 | 68% | 13 | — | 45% | 46% |
| District of New Jersey D.N.J. | 113 | 60% | 18 | 17% | 63% | 20% |
| Eastern District of Michigan E.D. Mich. | 96 | 90% | 12 | 10% | 46% | 44% |
| Northern District of Illinois N.D. Ill. | 93 | 62% | 18 | — | 32% | 59% |
| Eastern District of Pennsylvania E.D. Pa. | 87 | 68% | 21 | 22% | 54% | 24% |
| District of Columbia D.D.C. | 74 | 64% | 24 | 24% | 32% | 43% |
| Northern District of Texas N.D. Tex. | 74 | — | 24 | 18% | 53% | 27% |
| Eastern District of Virginia E.D. Va. | 72 | 71% | 24 | 21% | 29% | 50% |
| District of Puerto Rico D.P.R. | 53 | 74% | 30 | 38% | 40% | 23% |
| Middle District of Florida M.D. Fla. | 53 | 68% | 24 | — | 58% | 31% |
| Northern District of Georgia N.D. Ga. | 49 | 71% | 21 | 20% | 55% | 22% |
| Western District of Texas W.D. Tex. | 48 | 69% | 28 | 27% | 46% | 23% |
| Eastern District of Texas E.D. Tex. | 47 | 64% | 18 | — | 53% | 26% |
| District of Maryland D. Md. | 45 | — | 18 | — | 60% | 27% |
| Northern District of Ohio N.D. Ohio | 40 | 60% | 18 | — | 60% | 30% |
| District of Massachusetts D. Mass. | 39 | 67% | 12 | — | 51% | 36% |
| Northern District of California N.D. Cal. | 37 | 65% | 11 | — | 68% | 30% |
| Eastern District of California E.D. Cal. | 36 | — | 24 | — | 64% | — |
| District of South Carolina D.S.C. | 35 | 60% | 6 | — | 34% | 40% |
| Southern District of California S.D. Cal. | 35 | 69% | 18 | — | 63% | — |
| Southern District of Georgia S.D. Ga. | 35 | 51% | 6 | — | 63% | — |
| Eastern District of North Carolina E.D.N.C. | 31 | — | 18 | — | 45% | — |
| Eastern District of Louisiana E.D. La. | 29 | — | 48 | — | — | 45% |
| Eastern District of Arkansas E.D. Ark. | 29 | — | 24 | — | 52% | — |
| Southern District of Mississippi S.D. Miss. | 24 | — | 18 | — | — | 58% |
| Middle District of Pennsylvania M.D. Pa. | 20 | — | 21 | — | 50% | — |
| Eastern District of Missouri E.D. Mo. | 20 | — | 20 | — | 60% | — |
| District of Hawaii D. Haw. | 18 | — | 24 | — | — | — |
| Southern District of Ohio S.D. Ohio | 16 | — | 6 | — | — | — |
| Northern District of Alabama N.D. Ala. | 16 | — | 24 | — | — | — |
| Eastern District of Kentucky E.D. Ky. | 15 | — | 24 | — | — | — |
| District of Arizona D. Ariz. | 14 | — | 20 | — | — | — |
| District of Colorado D. Colo. | 14 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Western District of North Carolina W.D.N.C. | 13 | — | 32 | — | — | — |
| Western District of Oklahoma W.D. Okla. | 13 | — | — | — | — | — |
| District of Kansas D. Kan. | 12 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Northern District of Florida N.D. Fla. | 12 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Middle District of Georgia M.D. Ga. | 12 | — | 12 | — | — | — |
| Eastern District of Tennessee E.D. Tenn. | 11 | — | — | 0% | — | — |
| Western District of Washington W.D. Wash. | 11 | — | — | 0% | — | — |
| District of Connecticut D. Conn. | 10 | — | — | 0% | — | — |
| Western District of Virginia W.D. Va. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Middle District of Tennessee M.D. Tenn. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| District of Alaska D. Alaska | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| District of the Northern Mariana Islands D.N. Mar. I. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Northern District of Oklahoma N.D. Okla. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Western District of Pennsylvania W.D. Pa. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Western District of Louisiana W.D. La. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Northern District of Indiana N.D. Ind. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Southern District of Indiana S.D. Ind. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| District of Idaho D. Idaho | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Western District of New York W.D.N.Y. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| District of Delaware D. Del. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Eastern District of Wisconsin E.D. Wis. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Western District of Arkansas W.D. Ark. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Middle District of Louisiana M.D. La. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Western District of Kentucky W.D. Ky. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Western District of Tennessee W.D. Tenn. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Northern District of Iowa N.D. Iowa | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Western District of Missouri W.D. Mo. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| District of North Dakota D.N.D. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Northern District of New York N.D.N.Y. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Western District of Michigan W.D. Mich. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| District of Minnesota D. Minn. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| District of Nebraska D. Neb. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| District of South Dakota D.S.D. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| District of New Mexico D.N.M. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| District of Utah D. Utah | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Southern District of Alabama S.D. Ala. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| District of the Virgin Islands D.V.I. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Northern District of West Virginia N.D.W. Va. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Central District of Illinois C.D. Ill. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| District of Nevada D. Nev. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| District of Oregon D. Or. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Eastern District of Washington E.D. Wash. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| District of New Hampshire D.N.H. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| District of Vermont D. Vt. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Middle District of North Carolina M.D.N.C. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Southern District of Illinois S.D. Ill. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| District of Guam D. Guam | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| District of Montana D. Mont. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Middle District of Alabama M.D. Ala. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| District of Maine D. Me. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Northern District of Mississippi N.D. Miss. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Eastern District of Oklahoma E.D. Okla. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
§ 5Circuits compared
| Circuit | Cases | Prison | Median months | Within range | Below, gov. | Below, other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia Circuit | 74 | 64% | 24 | 24% | 32% | 43% |
| First Circuit | 95 | 71% | 24 | 27% | 43% | 28% |
| Second Circuit | 375 | 81% | 12 | 12% | 33% | 54% |
| Third Circuit | 237 | 65% | 18 | 20% | 57% | 22% |
| Fourth Circuit | 210 | 77% | 18 | 23% | 39% | 38% |
| Fifth Circuit | 379 | 77% | 23 | 24% | 45% | 30% |
| Sixth Circuit | 201 | 78% | 18 | 12% | 48% | 40% |
| Seventh Circuit | 118 | 64% | 18 | 13% | 31% | 55% |
| Eighth Circuit | 82 | 72% | 24 | 13% | 54% | 31% |
| Ninth Circuit | 338 | 71% | 15 | 18% | 57% | 25% |
| Tenth Circuit | 57 | 63% | 18 | 33% | 40% | 26% |
| Eleventh Circuit | 377 | 74% | 21 | 26% | 40% | 33% |
§ 6Trend by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Cases | Prison | Median months | Within range | Below, gov. | Below, other | Above |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2018 | 317 | 77% | 18 | 25% | 44% | 30% | — |
| FY2019 | 341 | 73% | 18 | 19% | 47% | 33% | — |
| FY2020 | 240 | 64% | 14 | 13% | 44% | 43% | — |
| FY2021 | 247 | 73% | 18 | 19% | 44% | 36% | — |
| FY2022 | 360 | 77% | 17 | 18% | 44% | 37% | — |
| FY2023 | 366 | 76% | 21 | 23% | 42% | 34% | — |
| FY2024 | 362 | 74% | 18 | 17% | 46% | 36% | — |
| FY2025 | 310 | 71% | 15 | 23% | 41% | 36% | — |
§ 7Criminal history
Share of cases at each final criminal history category; grey figure: all federal cases.
§ 8Guideline sections involved
| Primary guideline | Subject | Cases | Share of this offence type |
|---|---|---|---|
| §2C1.1 | Offering, giving, soliciting or receiving a bribe; extortion under color of official right | 1,593 | 62.6% |
| §2B4.1 | Bribery in procurement of bank loan and other commercial bribery | 793 | 31.2% |
| §2C1.2 | Offering, giving, soliciting or receiving a gratuity | 75 | 2.9% |
| §2C1.8 | 33 | 1.3% | |
| §2C1.3 | 30 | 1.2% | |
| §2X3.1 | Accessory after the fact | <10 | — |
| §2C1.7 | <10 | — |
§ 9Questions and answers
What is the average federal sentence for bribery and corruption offences?
The median prison term over FY2018–FY2025 was 18 months (1 yr 6 mo) and the mean was 26 months (life sentences counted as 470 months, the Commission's convention). Medians are used on this site because a few very long terms pull the mean upward.
How much does the sentence for bribery and corruption offences vary by district?
Among districts with at least 10 cases, medians ranged from 6 months (D.S.C.) to 48 months (E.D. La.). The mix of guidelines, statutory minimums and criminal history within the offence type explains much of the spread.
How often are bribery and corruption offences sentenced outside the guideline range?
80% of sentences were outside the range: 44% below it on a government motion, 35% below it for other reasons and 1% above it.
Which guidelines apply to bribery and corruption offences?
The most common primary guidelines are §2C1.1, §2B4.1, §2C1.2 and §2C1.8. The Commission assigns the offence type mainly from the primary guideline the court applied.
Where do these figures come from?
The US Sentencing Commission's individual offender datafiles, FY2018–FY2025, using the Commission's OFFGUIDE offence type, SENTRNGE range status and SENTTCAP capped prison months. Counts under 10 are hidden.
§ 10Provenance
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. Offence type is the Commission's OFFGUIDE code 5. Counts below 10 are hidden or pooled. Errors in this site's processing are corrected at the next build; see corrections. Methodology.