The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana announced that it collected more than $8 million through civil and criminal actions, as well as asset forfeitures, during Fiscal Year 2025. The office reported $7,695,567 in collections from both criminal and civil cases and an additional $420,268 from asset forfeiture actions.
Of the total amount collected, $2,410,275 came from criminal actions while $5,285,291 was obtained from civil actions. Funds acquired through asset forfeiture are deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund. This fund is used to restore money to crime victims and supports various law enforcement activities.
The office also worked alongside other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and divisions within the Department of Justice to collect an extra $637,270 in joint cases. Of this sum, $2,946 was related to criminal matters and $634,323 came from civil actions.
“These collections demonstrate our Office’s commitment to holding individuals and entities accountable for violations of federal law and restoring lost funds to victims,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller. “Our Office remains focused on securing restitution for victims, protecting public funds, and working with our partners to promote public trust in the justice system.”
U.S. Attorneys’ Offices are tasked with enforcing and collecting debts owed to the United States or federal crime victims arising from both civil and criminal cases. According to federal law, defendants must pay restitution if their crimes have caused physical injury or financial loss to a victim. While restitution payments go directly to victims of certain federal offenses, fines and felony assessments are paid into the Crime Victims Fund managed by the Department of Justice; these funds support compensation programs for victims at both state and federal levels.
