December 3, 2007

U.S. ATTORNEY’S OFFICE COLLECTED $3 MILLION IN FY07

United States Attorney Thomas D. Anderson stated today that during fiscal year 2007, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont collected a total of $3,382,099 in the State of Vermont. The amount collected represents $1,845,254 from civil judgments, $432,603 from forfeitures, and $1,104,243 from criminal fines, special assessments and restitution.

Criminal fines, special assessments and restitution are imposed when defendants are sentenced by the federal court and are then collected from the defendants by the U.S. Attorney's Office. Funds from criminal fines and special assessments, totaling approximately $127,807, were deposited into the Crime Victims Fund. These funds are distributed to the states for their victim assistance programs. The restitution funds, approximately $976,435, were paid directly to crime victims.

“I am proud of the efforts our office has made over the past year,” commented U.S. Attorney Anderson. “Even though we are a small state, our efforts have resulted in significant recoveries that will directly benefit numerous persons and entities, including those most directly impacted by criminal activities, the crime victims themselves,” stated Anderson.

The civil judgments resulted from civil fraud matters (including health care fraud investigations), student loan collections, and foreclosures by the Rural Housing Service.

The forfeitures resulted largely from seizures in drug cases and involved real estate, automobiles, and currency. Eighty percent of the funds derived from forfeitures were distributed to local and state law enforcement agencies in Vermont