U.S. Attorney’s Office Collects Over $9.3 Million in Civil and Criminal Actions in Fiscal Year 2021

United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that the District of South Dakota collected $9,315,964.19 in criminal and civil actions in FY 2021.  Of this amount, $4,224,092.52 was collected in criminal actions and $5,091,871.67 was collected in civil actions. 

The District of South Dakota periodically works with the Civil Division in Washington D.C.  In FY 2021, South Dakota shared in the collection of $10,499,321.88 in Health Care Fraud matters, resulting in a shared total amount of $15,591,193.55.

Of the total collections in criminal actions, $3,933,092.26 was recovered for the victims of crime.  The remaining amount, $291,000.26, was sent to the Crime Victims Fund.  This fund distributes money collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.

Additionally, the District of South Dakota, working with partner law enforcement agencies and divisions, collected $44,629 in asset forfeiture in FY 2021.  These funds are used, in part, to restore funds to crime victims.

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.