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Press Release
Memphis, TN – U.S. Attorney Kevin G. Ritz announced today that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee collected $2,959,254.54 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2023. Of this amount, $2,846,173.69 was collected in criminal actions and $113,080.85 was collected in civil actions.
Additionally, Tennessee’s Western District worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $70,742.42 in cases pursued jointly by these offices. Of this amount, $28,492.42 was collected in criminal actions and $42,250 was collected in civil actions.
“Protection of taxpayer resources in the United States Treasury is a core value and critical mission for this office and the Department of Justice,” said U.S. Attorney Kevin G. Ritz. “Equally important is the federal government’s responsibility to collect restitution for victims of crime so that offenders are held accountable, and victims can receive justice. I commend our Criminal Division, Civil Division, and Financial Litigation Unit for outstanding work in pursuing and collecting these funds on behalf of victims of crime and the United States.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Tennessee’s Western District, working with partner agencies and divisions, also collected $1,689,156 in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2023. 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.
Several cases generated significant collection efforts in fiscal year 2023:
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.
For more information, please contact Public Affairs Specialist Tiffany Thomas-Turner at (901) 544-4231 or Tiffany.Turner@usdoj.gov. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on Twitter at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.