PROVIDENCE, R.I. - United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha announced today that the District of Rhode Island collected $3,149,153.03 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2014. Of this amount, $1,331.295.68 was collected in criminal actions and $1,817,857.35was collected in civil actions
Additionally, Rhode Island worked with other U.S. Attorneys’ offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $718,652.67 in cases pursued jointly with these offices.
Attorney General Eric Holder announced on Wednesday that the Justice Department collected $24.7 billionin civil and criminal actions in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2014. The more than $24 billion in collections in FY 2014 represents nearly eight and a half times the appropriated $2.91 billion budget for the 94 U.S. Attorney’s offices and the main litigating divisions in that same period.
“Every day, the Justice Department’s federal prosecutors and trial attorneys work hard to protect our citizens, to safeguard precious taxpayer resources, and to provide a valuable return on investment to the American people," said Attorney General Holder. “Their diligent efforts are enabling us to achieve justice and recoup losses in virtually every sector of the U.S. economy. And this result shows the fruits of the Justice Department’s tireless work in enforcing federal laws; in protecting the American people from violent crime, national security threats, discrimination, exploitation, and abuse; and in holding financial institutions accountable for their roles in causing the 2008 financial crisis."
United States Attorney Peter Neronha commented, “Working with our local, state and federal partners, the outstanding Assistant United States Attorneys of this Office continue to bring the kinds of civil and criminal cases that have a real impact on the safety, well-being and quality of life of all Rhode Islanders. Those who engage in financial fraud, taking advantage of victims or the public generally, will continue to receive the full attention of both this Office’s Civil and Criminal Divisions, as will those who pose a threat to national security, who violate the public trust, who commit crimes of violence, or who engage in sex trafficking, particularly of minors."
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 to state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
The largest civil collections were from affirmative civil enforcement cases, in which the United States recovered government money lost to fraud or other misconduct or collected fines imposed on individuals and/or corporations for violations of federal health, safety, civil rights or environmental laws. In addition, civil debts were collected on behalf of several federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Health and Human Services, Internal Revenue Service, Small Business Administration and Department of Education.
Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s office in Rhode Island, working with partner agencies and divisions, collected $1,078,781.00 in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2014. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
