LawFuel – Legal Announcements – United States Attorney MICHAEL J. GARCIA announced
today that $549.2 million was collected on behalf of the United
States in the Southern District of New York during the fiscal
year ending September 30, 2008. The funds collected included
payments on criminal fines and restitutions, property forfeited
in criminal prosecutions and civil forfeiture actions, civil
debts, and asset distributions from bankruptcy cases in which the
Government was a claimant. Civil debts were collected on behalf
of several agencies, including the Health Care Financing
Administration, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Department
of Health and Human Services.
The $549.2 million total consisted of $54.3 million as
a result of civil judgments, $153.5 million in criminal fines,
restitution and bail bond forfeitures, and $341.7 million
obtained through civil and criminal forfeiture actions.
Various components of the U.S. Attorney’s Office play a
role in collection efforts, including the Financial Litigation
Unit, the Asset Forfeiture Unit, and attorneys participating in
the Office’s Affirmative Civil Enforcement program. The
Affirmative Civil Enforcement program is responsible for
prosecuting civil actions under the federal False Claims Act,
under which the Government may recover up to triple the amount of
actual damages plus penalties. The Financial Litigation Unit is
responsible for collection of civil debts and criminal fines.
The Asset Forfeiture Unit prosecutes civil and criminal
forfeiture actions.
Mr. GARCIA praised the work of the many federal, state,
and local law enforcement agencies who contributed substantially
to the forfeiture effort through criminal investigations and
seizures of the proceeds of crime and property used in
furtherance of crime, and the United States Marshals Service,
which administers the Assets Forfeiture Fund, and the Department
of Treasury, which administers the Treasury Asset Forfeiture
Fund.
08-278 ###
