The Criminal Division

Fraud & Corruption

The Fraud & Public Corruption Unit focuses on complex fraud, public corruption, and financial crimes that the federal government is uniquely qualified to handle. Several financial analysts in the unit provide prosecutors with invaluable assistance to investigate and prosecute these cases. Cases include mortgage fraud, bank fraud, securities fraud, health care fraud, civil rights cases and many others. The unit also prosecutes organized crime, focusing on criminal enterprises.

Special Victims Unit

The Special Victims Unit prosecutes a broad range of computer-related crimes, from cases involving the sexual exploitation of children and Internet child pornography to computer intrusions, copyright and trademark violations, theft of trade secrets, identity theft, and Internet fraud. The unit also prosecutes human trafficking crimes through the Human Trafficking Rescue Project.

Violent Crime and Drug Trafficking

The Violent Crime and Drug Trafficking Unit focuses on prosecuting violent crimes (such as bank robberies), firearms crimes, gang-related crimes and violations of the Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act, which sets out federal criminal offenses involving unlawful importation, possession, distribution, and manufacture of controlled substances. The Act also has rules concerning civil and criminal forfeiture of contraband, facilities used to further unlawful drug trafficking, and the proceeds of unlawful drug trafficking.

Appellate Unit

The Appellate Unit coordinates the office’s criminal cases in the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, the federal appellate court that reviews cases in Missouri, Arkansas, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota. Additionally, the Appellate Unit, in consultation with the Department of Justice, decides when to seek appellate review of trial level rulings adverse to the United States.

Monetary Penalties Unit

The Monetary Penalties Unit prosecutes criminal and civil forfeiture cases and enforces and collects criminal and civil debts, including restitution for victims in criminal cases. In addition to litigating civil forfeiture cases, the section provides support to Assistant U. S. Attorneys in the criminal division on all criminal forfeiture issues. Forfeiture attorneys work with federal law enforcement agencies, assisting their criminal investigations by identifying assets subject to forfeiture and developing evidence for seizure and forfeiture. The unit also collects criminal debts, such as fines and restitution orders, and civil debt to federal agencies, such as student loans and federally-guaranteed mortgages.