FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AG TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1994 (202) 616-2777 TDD (202) 514-1888 RECORD $3 BILLION COLLECTED FROM CRIMINAL AND CIVIL DEFENDANTS WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The government collected a record more than $3 billion from criminal and civil defendants during the 1994 fiscal year, the Department of Justice announced today. The figure, nearly double the previous high, included almost $2 billion in cash and more than $1 billion in property transfers and other non-cash payments. Nearly $200 million will be returned to victims through the Crime Victims Fund, another record amount. "This is money in hand, not judgments or promises of future payments," said Attorney General Janet Reno. "It reflects the priority we have given debt collection." In meetings and in memos the Attorney General had urged U.S. Attorneys, Justice Department litigating divisions, and the FBI and U.S. Marshals to step up collection efforts. The figures do not include civil or criminal asset forfeitures, which total another $500 million. On October 11, the Civil Division reported a record-breaking $1.09 billion in civil settlements and judgments in the last fiscal year. The collections announced today include receipts from some of those civil cases. The 1994 collection was $3.11 billion, compared to $1.5 billion in 1993 and $1.7 billion in 1992, the previous record high. Cash collections totalled $1.83 billion, the first time that category exceeded $1 billion. Comparable figures were $983 million in fiscal 1993 and $902 million in 1992. Non-cash collections also exceeded $1 billion for the first time. In fiscal 1994, they reached $1.283 billion. Collections totalled $468 million in fiscal 1993 and $831 million in 1992. Civil and criminal cash collections include fines, restitution, special assessments, court costs, loan recoveries, and False Claims Act recoveries. Non-cash collections include property transfers, payments made directly to courts or agencies other than the Justice Department, and offsets in which the government withheld money it otherwise would have paid. Collecting money owed to the government is time well spent," said the Attorney General. She noted that the Civil Division recovered six-and-a-half times the cost of operating the Division last year. U.S. Attorneys obtained more than two-and-a- half times the cost of operating their offices. # # # 94-631