Acting U.S. Attorney Marc Silverman on Wednesday announced that the District of Connecticut collected $26,212,307 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2024. Of this amount, approximately $14,110,085 was collected in criminal actions and approximately $12,102,222 was collected in civil actions.
The Connecticut U.S. Attorney’s Office also worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $20,069 in cases pursued jointly by these offices.
“In the last fiscal year, our dedicated attorneys and staff have helped to recover more than $26 million,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Silverman in a release. “These funds are returned directly to crime victims, used to support victim services, and bolster federal, state, and local law enforcement efforts. Through our criminal prosecutions and civil enforcement actions, we remain steadfast in our commitment to seeking justice, removing illicit profits from wrongdoers, and safeguarding the integrity of crucial government programs.”
Significant criminal recoveries included more than a $1 million in restitution from multiple defendants involved in a bid rigging scheme related to insulation contracts, and the satisfaction of a restitution obligation from a Connecticut business owner who was required to pay more than $2 million in back taxes, interest, and penalties to the IRS. Large civil recoveries included approximately $4.5 million from a network of healthcare companies who are alleged to have submitted false claims to Medicare and Connecticut Medicaid for telehealth psychological care services, and more than $1 million from the operators of Connecticut dental practices who are alleged to have paid patient recruiters to steer Connecticut Medicaid patients to their practice, in violation of federal and state laws.
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.
Additionally, the Connecticut U.S. Attorney’s Office, working with partner agencies and divisions, collected $5,525,420 in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2024. 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.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is charged with enforcing federal criminal laws in Connecticut and representing the federal government in civil litigation. The Office is composed of approximately 68 Assistant U.S. Attorneys and 57 staff members at offices in New Haven, Bridgeport, and Hartford.