Source: United States Department of Justice News
BOISE – U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today that the office’s Financial Litigation Program, which is part of the Asset Recovery Division, collected more than $5.6 million in criminal restitution, fines, and assessments and in civil debts for the fiscal year that ended September 30, 2022. In some cases, the U.S. Attorney’s Office worked in conjunction with litigating components of the U.S. Department of Justice. Of the total collected, approximately $3.4 million were criminal restitution, fines, and/or assessments, and approximately $2.17 million were civil debts. In addition, the Asset Forfeiture Unit, the other part of the Asset Recovery Division, deposited to the Asset Forfeiture Fund approximately $1.73 million in proceeds and instruments of crime in criminal and civil forfeiture actions.
“This year’s results show that our Asset Recovery Division is extremely effective at recovering money for victims and recouping the ill-gotten gains of those convicted of federal crimes in Idaho,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “As taxpayers, we should all be proud of the outstanding work these dedicated public servants have done over the past year.”
In fiscal year 2022, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, through the Financial Litigation Program, collected over $3.2 million in criminal restitution that was or will be distributed to victims of crime. Other criminal collections such as fines go into the Crime Victims Fund. From there, funds are distributed to the Idaho Crime Victims Compensation Program, the Idaho Council on Domestic Violence and Victim Assistance, and similar programs across the country. Money recovered from the illegal proceeds of criminal activity through forfeiture is returned to victims, used to offset the costs of operating federal prisons, and shared with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to help fight crime. Other recoveries go back to agency creditors.
Some notable criminal restitution collections include approximately $480,000 from a defendant who pled guilty to making a false statement to the United States, almost $384,000 from a defendant who committed a tax fraud offense, approximately $309,000 from a defendant that committed health care fraud and identify theft offenses, and almost $450,000 from defendants that committed fraud offenses.
Forfeitures valued at approximately $1,733,860, included currency, vehicles, and other property related to trafficking in controlled substances, fraud, child exploitation, and other serious crimes. These include $110,000 from a defendant who distributed drugs; $260,000 from a defendant who committed social security fraud; $90,000 from an embezzlement case; $96,688 from a case involving theft of government property; over $790,000 from a health care fraud case; over $90,000 from a COVID loan fraud case; and over $123,000 from a defendant convicted of drug distribution. In some cases, the United States shared, or will share, seized money and property with local investigating agencies. In victim cases, the U.S. Attorney’s Office works to direct proceeds of forfeiture to crime victims.
As for civil debts and penalties, the Financial Litigation Program collects civil penalties for violations of regulations involving, among other things, controlled substances, environmental protection, damage to federal property, and procurement fraud. It also collects civil debts for defaulted loans.
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