U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Kentucky Collects Over $13 Million in Civil and Criminal Actions in Fiscal Year 2022

Louisville, KY – U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett announced today that the Western District of Kentucky collected $13,202,835.42 in criminal and civil actions in fiscal year 2022. This total consists of $5,915,754.66 collected in criminal actions and $7,287,080.76 collected in civil actions. 

Additionally, the District worked with other U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $413,509.07 in cases pursued jointly by these offices. Of this amount, $38,306.27 was collected in criminal actions and $375,202.80 was collected in civil actions.         

“The United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky prioritizes restitution recovery, and we pursue all available means for the collection of criminal restitution and civil penalties to provide justice to victims, including individuals, businesses, and other federal agencies,” said U.S. Attorney Bennett.

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 United States 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.

Notable criminal restitution recoveries within the Western District of Kentucky include $875,339.99 as part of a plea agreement in United States v. Nitesh Patel, Case No. 3:19-cr-58, and $394,927.72 from the voluntary liquidation of real property in United States v. Steve Turner, Case No. 4:19-cr-26. Noteworthy civil recoveries include $220,000 paid to victims sexually harassed by their landlord in United States v. Chester Whitescarver, Case No. 1:20-cv-00054, and an initial $1.3 million payment in an $8 million False Claims Act settlement in United States, ex rel. v. Agendia, Inc., Case No. 5:15-cv-50. The United States received another $6 million payment in Agendia at the beginning of the 2023 Fiscal Year.

Working with partner agencies and divisions, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky also collected $5,966,650 in asset forfeiture actions in Fiscal Year 2022. This includes $2,256,665 forfeited to the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund, which will be used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.

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