Source: United States Department of Justice News
(PROVIDENCE) – U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Cunha announced today that the District of Rhode Island collected $3,769,390.83 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2021, an approximately thirty-six percent increase over fiscal year 2020. Of this amount, $2,715,990.83 was collected in criminal cases and $1,053,400 was collected in civil actions.
Additionally, the District of Rhode Island worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect a further $6,998,789 in cases pursued jointly with these offices. Of this amount, $4,957.79 was collected in criminal cases and $6,993,831.56 was collected in civil actions.
These figures primarily represent criminal restitution collections, criminal fines, and civil judgments. The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
Finally, the U.S. Attorney’s office in Rhode Island, working with partner agencies and divisions, collected $1,668,469 via asset forfeiture actions in FY 2021. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.
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