U.S. Attorney’s Office discovers undisclosed assets and collects over $535,000 for wire fraud victims

The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming operates a Financial Litigation Program (FLP) which enforces fines and restitution resulting from criminal convictions in federal court. Recent developments in a case from 2002 led to the collection of over $535,000 in victim restitution.

“Through the FLP, our office seeks to collect fines and restitution efficiently and diligently,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas Vassallo. “This includes locating debtors and hidden assets in this country and abroad, establishing repayment agreements, and initiating post-judgment remedies like wage garnishments.”

The FLP initiated collection efforts under the Federal Debt Collection Procedure Act for a wire fraud case involving defendant Matthew T. Bullis. As part of his sentence, Bullis was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $647,112.50 to victims of his fraud.

The FLP first obtained a garnishment order against Bullis’s employer to withhold and pay to the Clerk of District Court 25% of Bullis’s salary. In early 2022, the FLP determined that the employer had failed to withhold the correct amount owed under the garnishment and that Bullis had not accurately described his financial situation. Further enforcement activity by the FLP resulted in Bullis paying his outstanding restitution balance of $535,761.25.

“We are focused on securing restitution for crime victims, recovering taxpayer money obtained by fraud, and depriving criminals of their illegal gains,” said Vassallo. “We recovered hundreds of thousands of dollars in this case because of the tenacity and hard work of our attorneys and staff.”

Payment is being distributed by the Clerk of District Court to the victims. Assistant United States Attorney Jasmine Peters handled this enforcement matter. For more information about the FLP, visit: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wy/civil-division.