ALEXANDRIA, Va. - U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber announced today that the Eastern District of Virginia (EDVA) collected $48,454,99.23 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2021. Of this amount, $24,547,719.25 was collected in criminal actions and $23,907,277.98 was collected in civil actions.
Additionally, EDVA worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $15,868,371.49 in cases pursued jointly by these offices. Of this amount, $29,835.95 was collected in criminal actions and $15,838,535.54 was collected in civil actions.
“EDVA prioritizes monetary collections, whether it’s to pay restitution to victims or return money to the public fisc for taxpayers," said U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber. “I am grateful for the efforts of our attorneys and support staff in the Asset Recovery Unit and Civil Division to maximize these recoveries."
In June, EDVA obtained $12,772,843 as part of the settlement with Level 3 Communications, LLC (Level 3), a multinational telecommunications and Internet service provider company. Level 3 agreed to settle allegations involving kickbacks paid to former Level 3 officials in return for favorable treatment to subcontractors in connection with government contracts; improperly obtaining competitive bid information; and misstating compliance with woman-owned small business subcontracting requirements.
In September, after securing jury verdicts against Daryl Bank for masterminding a $25 million investment fraud, EDVA obtained a restitution order for $25,608,156.83. This will require Bank and his codefendants to pay back the more than 350 victims of his crime. In the interim, EDVA is forfeiting Bank’s property, including real estate in Florida and North Carolina; luxury jewelry, to include a 5+ carat diamond ring; high-end clothing and handbags, to include an Hermes belt; over $625,000 seized from bank accounts; and over $75,000 in seized cash in order to request that the Money Laundering Asset Recovery Section of the Department of Justice permit those liquidated funds to be returned to 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.
Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s office in EDVA, working with Department of Justice partner agencies and divisions, collected $29,013,457 in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2021. Of that sum, $9,583,825 collected through asset forfeiture was returned to victims of crime through restoration and remission. This amount does not include forfeitures in partnership with Department of Treasury law enforcement agencies. 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.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
