U.S. Attorney’s Office collected more than $33M in fiscal year 2022

U.S. Attorney Carla B. Freedman announced recently that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York (NDNY) collected $33,885,629.97 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2022. Of this amount, $3,205,538.53 was collected in criminal actions and $30,680,091.44 was collected in civil actions.

Additionally, NDNY worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $199,895.85 in cases pursued jointly by these offices. Of this amount, $42,147.15 was collected in criminal actions and $157,748.70 was collected in civil actions.

“The Northern District of New York is fully committed to the critical work of collecting money to make crime victims whole, forfeiting property used to commit crimes, and recovering money for the Federal Treasury. My office will continue to use all of its resources to make sure people and companies are held financially accountable when they commit crimes and violate the False Claims Act,” United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman said in a news release.

Notable collections and recoveries in Fiscal Year 2022 include:

In April, NDNY collected $199,942.57 in restitution from Martin Kimber. Kimber was sentenced to 168 months in prison for using mercury, a toxic chemical, and tampering with consumer products at the Albany Medical Center. Kimber admitted that on four separate occasions in 2011 and 2012, he spread mercury, a potentially fatal neurotoxin, throughout various areas of the Albany Medical Center in ways that could lead to inhalation or absorption of the mercury. Kimber also admitted that he spread mercury to retaliate for what he thought were unfair hospital bills. The victim, Albany Medical Center, has received this money.

In May, NDNY recovered more than $24 million as part of a $48.5 million settlement NDNY and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington reached with Trimark USA, LLC to resolve allegations that two of Trimark USA’S subsidiaries manipulated federal small business set-aside contracts. In addition to this recovery, during the fiscal year 2022, NDNY recovered more than $6 million in civil cases involving fraud, false claims, and prescription drug diversion.

The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the Department of Justice’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, NDNY, working with partner agencies and divisions, collected $6,910,180 in asset forfeiture actions in Fiscal Year 2022. 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 Northern District of New York is fully committed to the critical work of collecting money to make crime victims whole, forfeiting property used to commit crimes, and recovering money for the Federal Treasury.” — United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman said in a news release