U.S. Attorney’s Office Collected More Than $60 Million in Civil, Criminal, and Asset Forfeiture Actions in Fiscal Year 2023

CHICAGO - The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois collected more than $60 million in criminal, civil, and asset forfeiture actions in Fiscal Year 2023, Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, announced today.

The 2023 collections included approximately $22.3 million in criminal actions, $29.5 million in civil actions, and $8.9 million in asset forfeiture actions. Additionally, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois worked with other U.S. Attorney's Offices and Department of Justice components across the country to collect another $27.6 million in cases pursued jointly with those offices.

"Our attorneys and staff place a high priority on recovering funds for the federal treasury and victims of federal crimes," said Acting U.S. Attorney Pasqual. "Our office will continue to responsibly safeguard taxpayer resources while delivering a valuable return to the citizens of our district."

U.S. Attorneys' Offices, along with the Justice 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. Federal 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 of Justice's Crime Victims Fund, which then distributes the money to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.