ATLANTA – A study by Criminal Defense reveals Georgia’s most frequently sentenced federal crimes during the fiscal year 2022.

Release:

The most sentenced federal crimes in Georgia

• In Georgia, federal sentences for Drug Trafficking are given most frequently
• Firearms ranks second
• Fraud/ Theft/ Embezzlement comes third

Defense attorneys Criminal Defense analyzed data from the United States Sentencing Commission for the fiscal year 2022 to determine the categories of crimes for which each state receives the most sentences.

The categories of crime that have the highest sentencing rates per 100,000 in Georgia are:

1. Drug Trafficking – comes in as the most sentenced crime with a rate of 5.14 federal sentences per 100,000. Drug trafficking crimes involve knowingly manufacturing, dispensing, or distributing controlled substances or counterfeit controlled substances meant to be passed off as the real thing.
2. Firearms – is the second most sentenced crime with a rate of 2.86 federal sentences per 100,000. Firearms offenses are committed when a defendant illegally possesses or uses a firearm.
3. Fraud/ Theft/ Embezzlement – comes in third with a rate of 1.55 federal sentences per 100,000. Fraud is when any deception or misrepresentation is used to benefit someone, theft is the unlawful taking of someone else’s property, and embezzlement is theft while in a position of trust over the stolen funds or items.
4. Immigration – with a rate of 1.13 federal sentences per 100,000. Immigration crime relates to the illegal entry of the United States by a foreign national or committing a felony offense as an immigrant to the United States.  
5. Other – with a rate of 0.96 federal sentences per 100,000. This category of crime covers sentences for any federal crimes that are not included in other categories.

Speaking on behalf of Criminal Defense, a spokesperson commented on the study’s findings: “It is interesting to see which categories of crime receive the most federal sentences in each state, and it is even more fascinating to see some states having the highest rates in multiple categories. At a state level, it is vital that the right resources are utilized to discover how each state can be supported in improving how frequently they have to hand out these sentences.”

Criminal Defense are defense lawyers specializing in providing legal defense in criminal cases exclusively through experienced attorneys, many of whom have previous experience in senior roles in the Department of Justice.

Table showing the top 3 crime categories with the highest sentencing rates per 100,000 in each state. Sexual crimes omitted