Offence typesFY2018–FY2025
Food and Drug
Primary offence type · Commission code 14 · 0.1% 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 6–36 months; mean 24. 0 cases at the 470-month cap (life or longer).
§ 2Summary
Food and Drug was the primary offence type in 345 federal cases sentenced across 8 fiscal years (FY2018–FY2025), 0.1% of all cases reported to the Commission, with 44 in FY2025.
The national median prison term for food and drug offences was 18 months (1 yr 6 mo), against 24 months for all cases; 36% of cases carried a prison term and the middle half of terms fell between 6 and 36 months.
64% of sentences were within the guideline range, 13% below it on a government motion, 20% below it for other reasons and — above it.
The districts with the most food and drug offences were the Central District of California (33), the District of Massachusetts (22) and the Middle District of Florida (15).
Caseload in FY2025 was about the same as in FY2018. The median prison term in FY2025 (12 months) was shorter than in FY2018 (24 months).
§ 3Position relative to the guideline range
Within guideline range 64%Above range <10Below range, government sponsored 13%Below range, other 20%Not determinable <10
| Measure | Food and Drug | All offence types |
|---|---|---|
| Median prison months | 18 | 24 |
| Mean prison months | 24 | 51 |
| Cases with a prison term | 36% | 92% |
| Within guideline range | 64% | 47% |
| Above range | — | 3% |
| Below range, government sponsored | 13% | 29% |
| Below range, other | 20% | 21% |
| Median final offence level | 4 | 17 |
| Criminal history category I | 89% | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central District of California C.D. Cal. | 33 | — | — | 84% | — | — |
| District of Massachusetts D. Mass. | 22 | — | 20 | — | — | — |
| Middle District of Florida M.D. Fla. | 15 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Western District of Virginia W.D. Va. | 14 | — | 24 | — | — | — |
| District of Puerto Rico D.P.R. | 13 | 0% | — | 92% | — | 0% |
| Southern District of Florida S.D. Fla. | 12 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Northern District of Georgia N.D. Ga. | 12 | 0% | — | — | — | — |
| District of Colorado D. Colo. | 10 | — | — | — | — | — |
| District of Utah D. Utah | 10 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Western District of Washington W.D. Wash. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Northern District of Texas N.D. Tex. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Western District of Missouri W.D. Mo. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Eastern District of New York E.D.N.Y. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Northern District of Ohio N.D. Ohio | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Eastern District of Kentucky E.D. Ky. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Western District of Kentucky W.D. Ky. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Southern District of California S.D. Cal. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| District of Connecticut D. Conn. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| District of New Jersey D.N.J. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Western District of Michigan W.D. Mich. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Northern District of Illinois N.D. Ill. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Northern District of Iowa N.D. Iowa | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Northern District of California N.D. Cal. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| District of Oregon D. Or. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Northern District of Alabama N.D. Ala. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| District of New Hampshire D.N.H. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Western District of New York W.D.N.Y. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Western District of Pennsylvania W.D. Pa. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Southern District of Texas S.D. Tex. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Eastern District of Michigan E.D. Mich. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Southern District of Iowa S.D. Iowa | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Northern District of New York N.D.N.Y. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Middle District of Pennsylvania M.D. Pa. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Eastern District of North Carolina E.D.N.C. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Eastern District of Virginia E.D. Va. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Southern District of Mississippi S.D. Miss. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Eastern District of Texas E.D. Tex. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Eastern District of Tennessee E.D. Tenn. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Central District of Illinois C.D. Ill. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Eastern District of Washington E.D. Wash. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| District of Kansas D. Kan. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| District of Maine D. Me. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| District of Rhode Island D.R.I. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Southern District of New York S.D.N.Y. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Eastern District of Pennsylvania E.D. Pa. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Southern District of West Virginia S.D.W. Va. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Eastern District of Louisiana E.D. La. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Western District of Louisiana W.D. La. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Northern District of Mississippi N.D. Miss. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Western District of Texas W.D. Tex. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Western District of Tennessee W.D. Tenn. | <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 | ||||
| District of Minnesota D. Minn. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| District of Arizona D. Ariz. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| District of Montana D. Mont. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Northern District of Oklahoma N.D. Okla. | <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 | ||||
| Western District of North Carolina W.D.N.C. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| District of South Carolina D.S.C. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Northern District of West Virginia N.D.W. Va. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Southern District of Ohio S.D. Ohio | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Middle District of Tennessee M.D. Tenn. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Southern District of Illinois S.D. Ill. | <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 | ||||
| Western District of Wisconsin W.D. Wis. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Eastern District of Missouri E.D. Mo. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| District of Nebraska D. Neb. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Eastern District of California E.D. Cal. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| District of New Mexico D.N.M. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Eastern District of Oklahoma E.D. Okla. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Western District of Oklahoma W.D. Okla. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| District of Wyoming D. Wyo. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Southern District of Alabama S.D. Ala. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Northern District of Florida N.D. Fla. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| Southern District of Georgia S.D. Ga. | <10 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
§ 5Circuits compared
| Circuit | Cases | Prison | Median months | Within range | Below, gov. | Below, other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia Circuit | 0 | fewer than 10 cases | ||||
| First Circuit | 43 | 42% | 24 | 54% | 28% | — |
| Second Circuit | 22 | — | — | 77% | — | — |
| Third Circuit | 14 | — | — | 86% | — | — |
| Fourth Circuit | 26 | 62% | 35 | 50% | — | — |
| Fifth Circuit | 26 | — | — | 65% | — | — |
| Sixth Circuit | 35 | 29% | 18 | 69% | — | — |
| Seventh Circuit | 14 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Eighth Circuit | 23 | 52% | 27 | 46% | — | 46% |
| Ninth Circuit | 66 | 21% | 4 | 80% | — | — |
| Tenth Circuit | 29 | 45% | 14 | 50% | — | — |
| Eleventh Circuit | 47 | 28% | 12 | 64% | — | — |
§ 6Trend by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Cases | Prison | Median months | Within range | Below, gov. | Below, other | Above |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2018 | 43 | 28% | 24 | 69% | — | — | — |
| FY2019 | 48 | 27% | 24 | 71% | — | — | — |
| FY2020 | 33 | 39% | 44 | 52% | — | — | — |
| FY2021 | 47 | 43% | 14 | 62% | — | 22% | — |
| FY2022 | 40 | 60% | 10 | 61% | — | — | — |
| FY2023 | 55 | 40% | 21 | 55% | 21% | 23% | — |
| FY2024 | 35 | — | — | 69% | — | — | — |
| FY2025 | 44 | 25% | 12 | 73% | — | — | 0% |
§ 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| §2N2.1 | Violations of statutes and regulations dealing with food, drugs, cosmetics and devices | 193 | 55.9% |
| §2N1.1 | 104 | 30.1% | |
| §2N1.3 | <10 | — | |
| §2N3.1 | <10 | — |
§ 9Questions and answers
What is the average federal sentence for food and drug offences?
The median prison term over FY2018–FY2025 was 18 months (1 yr 6 mo) and the mean was 24 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 food and drug offences vary by district?
Too few districts with enough cases to compare.
How often are food and drug offences sentenced outside the guideline range?
36% of sentences were outside the range: 13% below it on a government motion, 20% below it for other reasons and — above it.
Which guidelines apply to food and drug offences?
The most common primary guidelines are §2N2.1, §2N1.1, §2N1.3 and §2N3.1. 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 14. Counts below 10 are hidden or pooled. Errors in this site's processing are corrected at the next build; see corrections. Methodology.