The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina has reported the collection of over $20 million in criminal and civil actions during Fiscal Year 2024. Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Bubar made the announcement, detailing that more than $14 million was collected from criminal actions and over $6 million from civil actions.
In collaboration with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and Department of Justice components, an additional $27,680.71 was collected in joint cases.
Among the successful efforts were the recovery of over $800,000 from Shephard Spruill, a criminal defendant involved in fraudulent Medicaid billings by misusing patient information. Another notable recovery included over $500,000 from Michael Robinson for fraudulently obtained funds from U.S. Department of Agriculture farm assistance programs.
The office is tasked with enforcing and collecting debts owed to the U.S., including restitution to victims who have suffered physical injury or financial loss due to federal crimes. Criminal fines contribute to the Crime Victims Fund, which supports victim compensation and assistance programs at both federal and state levels.
Additionally, aggressive pursuit of asset forfeiture remedies resulted in collections exceeding two million dollars in FY 2024. These assets are used to compensate crime victims and support law enforcement activities through the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund.
A significant seizure involved nearly $5 million in Tether (USDT) cryptocurrency linked to confidence investment schemes. This type of fraud involves deceiving victims into investing money through fake apps that mimic legitimate cryptocurrency exchanges but instead direct funds to fraudsters' wallets. The office anticipates larger seizures as efforts continue against this form of crime.
