Record Number Of Federal Defendants Charged In 2019 In Alabama

BIRMINGHAM, AL — More defendants were charged and sentenced for federal crimes in the Northern District of Alabama in the 2019 fiscal year than ever before, according to U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town.

The data provided by the Department of Justice shows that the 97 percent of NDAL defendants pleaded guilty, which Town said is largely a result of robust investigations and prosecutorial efforts. The 706 defendants prosecuted by NDAL’s Criminal Division is the single largest number of defendants ever prosecuted by this office, up 22.8 percent over FY-2018’s 575, which was previously the largest number of defendants prosecuted in a single year since FY-2007.

The 706 defendants in FY-2019 is also a 73 percent increase over the 408 defendants prosecuted just three years ago in FY-2016. The 1281 defendants prosecuted by the Criminal Division in the past two fiscal years, and the 1821 defendants prosecuted by the Criminal Division in the past three fiscal years, accounts for the largest collective number of defendants prosecuted in consecutive years ever recorded in the district.

"The priorities of the Department of Justice to reduce violent crime, aggressively address the opioid crisis, and protect the public were all successfully executed by our office in 2019," Town said in a statement Wednesday. "I believe that our numbers are a reflection of effort by not only my office, but by all of the federal law enforcement agencies and our local and state partners who continue to investigate and refer more cases than ever before."

Town added, "More of our worst offenders are going to federal prison, and for longer. The Criminal, Civil, and Appellate Divisions are coordinating with the others in a true phalanx and, as a result, the office was more productive than ever before. This continues to build on the improvements made in 2018. Not only are prosecutions up, but we have increased our crime prevention efforts dramatically as well and the citizens of the Northern District of Alabama are safer as a result of these efforts."

According to the data provided by the Department of Justice, the Northern District of Alabama received more cases from investigative agencies in 2019 than has ever been recorded. The 800 matters received by NDAL topped the previous record of 786 from 2018.