U.S. Attorney Takes $99M In Debts In 2010

CHICAGO (STMW) -- The U.S. Attorney's office in Chicago collected about $99 million from criminal and civil debts in 2010.

The collection of more than $72.5 million in debts, coupled with an additional $26.4 million collected through asset forfeiture, means that the office's total collections this past fiscal year amounted to more than three times its annual budget of approximately $32 million, a U.S. Attorney's office release said.

During 2010, the office collected $21.5 million in criminal actions, including more than $6.5 million in criminal fines; more than $4.7 million in restitution owed to the federal government and more than $9.9 million in non-federal restitution owed to victims.

In civil actions, the office collected $51 million, including more than $23.3 million from affirmative enforcement actions, with more than $22.1 million of that amount resulting from health care fraud cases, the release said.

The office's Financial Litigation Unit, which pursues post-judgment recoveries, collected more than $27.5 million during the fiscal year, the release said.

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2010. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)