HARRISBURG — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle), published as received.

HARRISBURG - U.S. Attorney John C. Gurganus announced today that the Middle District of Pennsylvania collected $12,218,096.76 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year (FY) 2021.  Of this amount, $8,037,586.68 was collected in criminal actions and $4,180,510.08 was collected in civil actions.

“Our office is committed to protecting the citizens of the Middle District of Pennsylvania by bringing to justice those that violate the law and, when doing so, stripping them of their ill-gotten gains,” said United States Attorney Gurganus.  “The office’s staff will continue to strive daily to obtain restitution for crime victims, and to recover funds pilfered through theft, fraud and false claims.” 

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.  The Middle District of Pennsylvania worked to collect from 2,247 criminal debtors and 127 civil debtors in FY 2021.

Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Middle District of Pennsylvania, working with partner agencies and divisions, obtained forfeiture judgments amounting to $10,213,652 in criminal and civil asset forfeiture actions in FY 2021, including both physical assets and forfeiture money judgments.  Generally, under federal law assets such as currency, real property, and personal property can be forfeited to the government when they constitute proceeds of illegal activity or were used to facilitate crime.  Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Asset Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.

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