Fraud and Asset Recovery Division

Dan Schiffer, Chief

Sean Tepe, Deputy Chief

The Fraud and Asset Recovery Division’s primary mission is to investigate and pursue civil claims for damages against individuals and entities that commit fraud or misconduct against the government.  Dedicated exclusively to affirmative civil litigation (U.S. as a plaintiff), the Division focuses primarily on cases brought under the False Claims Act (FCA). The Division works closely with the Justice Department’s Civil Fraud Section, federal investigative agencies, and whistleblowers known as relators. 

The District of Columbia is a viable venue for nearly all FCA matters—including healthcare, procurement, defense contracting, and cyber fraud—and the office consistently ranks among the nation’s highest for qui tam lawsuits.  The office has successfully recovered billions of dollars under the FCA, which provides for recovery of triple the amount of damages plus inflation-adjusted penalties.  Most FCA cases result from qui tam lawsuits brought by relators, who can receive a percentage of the government’s recoveries. 

Beyond the FCA, the Division also handles civil enforcement matters under other federal statutes and common law, including cases under the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act (FIRREA), civil collections on behalf of federal agencies, enforcement of agency and Inspector General subpoenas, and civil asset forfeiture actions.  

The Financial Litigation United (FLU) of the U.S. Attorney’s Office is also part of the Fraud and Asset Recovery Division.  The FLU collects special assessments, fines, and restitution debts imposed in criminal cases, and civil debts owed to the United States and Federal agencies such as civil judgments and settlements in affirmative cases, and student loan debts owed to the Department of Education.

To report fraud and abuse against the federal government, please contact us: 
Fraud and Asset Recovery Division 
U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia 
601 D. St., NW 
Washington, DC 20579
USADC.FraudDC@usdoj.gov 
202-252-1746

To serve sealed qui tam complaints:

As directed in 31 U.S.C. § 3730(b)(2), the qui tam “complaint and written disclosure of substantially all material evidence and information the person possesses shall be served on the Government pursuant to Rule 4(i) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.” 

When serving the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia for cases filed in the District Court for the District of Columbia, hand delivery or email service as outlined below are the preferred means for service.  Due to safety and security procedures, all mail sent to the U.S. Attorney’s Office is initially routed through a central mail room at the Department of Justice, which can occasionally result in the delay or mis-delivery of that mail.  Service on the U.S. Attorney’s Office will not be deemed perfected until actual receipt by a Civil Process Clerk at the U.S. Attorney’s Office. 

The U.S. Attorney’s Office is not authorized to accept service on behalf of the Attorney General or other federal agencies, corporations, officers, or employees.  Thus, if an applicable rule requires any such entities and persons to be served, they must be served separately and in addition to service upon the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Further, copies of qui tam complaints must contain the case number and judge assigned to the matter.

Hand Delivery and Certified / Registered Mail Service

Service of process on the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia of civil summonses and complaints under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 4(i)(1)(A) may be made by (i) hand delivery or (ii) registered or certified mail at the following:

Civil Process Clerk
U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C.
601 D Street, NW
Washington, DC 20530

For hand delivery, the entrance to the U.S. Attorney’s Office is on D Street, NW, between Sixth and Seventh Streets, NW.  

Email Service

In addition to the means of service provided under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 4(i)(1)(A), the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia may also be served by email according to the following terms and conditions, which must be strictly adhered to if email service is attempted.  If service on the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia is performed consistent with the following provisions, the Government will not argue under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(5) that service on the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia has not been accomplished.
   •    Service may be made at FraudDC@usdoj.gov and no other email address.  
   •    The subject of the email must contain the caption of the suit with the court assigned docket number—e.g., “USA ex rel John v. Doe, 20-9999”.  
   •    Service packages exceeding 20 megabytes must be broken into PDF files of no more than 20 megabytes and sent using separate emails with a notation in the subject that it is multi-part service—e.g., “USA ex rel John v. Doe, 20-9999 (Email 1 of 2)”.