Washington The latest available case-by-case records from the Department of Justice showed that federal prosecution of white-collar crime remained little changed. During fiscal year 2024 (October 2023-September 2024) a total of 4,332 persons were prosecuted, little different from the 4,196 prosecutions that were filed during fiscal year 2023. White-collar crimes cover all kinds of fraud offenses including consumer and health care fraud to banking, commodities frauds, anti-trust violations and identity theft.
Filings reported for FY 2024, however, amounted to less than half the level of annual white-collar crime prosecutions during the early years of the Obama administration. Prosecutions peaked at over 10,000 in FY 2011, before decreasing nearly every year until FY 2021. Numbers have remained at roughly this low level over the last five years.
With fewer cases, the number of convictions for white-collar offenses has also dropped. There were 8,567 convictions for white-collar crimes in FY 2011. There were only half as many (4,292) convictions in FY 2024.
More information on factors behind these trends can be found in TRAC’s January 2023 report. Detailed statistics on other types of federal criminal prosecutions by investigatory agency, lead charge, location, and more are available at a per report charge using TRAC’s interpreter tool, or by TRACFED subscription.
Other highlights from data updated through September 2024 in TRAC’s Quick Facts tools show that:
- Of the 2,106 white-collar defendant referrals disposed of by U.S. Attorneys in September 2024, 559 or 27% were convicted in U.S. district court, 1,461 were closed without prosecution, and 86 were not convicted after prosecution.
- In September 2024 U.S. Attorneys reported more individuals convicted of white-collar offenses relative to population size in the District of Columbia District Court than in any other federal district