PORTLAND, Ore. – In a shocking case of financial exploitation, Oregon US Attorney Billy J. Williams announced today that the District of Oregon collected $19.1 million in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2016.
Of this amount, $7.5 million was collected in criminal actions and $11.5 million was collected in civil actions. Additionally, the District of Oregon worked with other US Attorney’s Offices and components of the government to collect an additional $306,163 in cases pursued jointly.
The District of Oregon, working with partner agencies and divisions, collected $2.39 million in asset forfeiture actions. Forfeited assets deposited into the Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.
Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch announced on December 14, 2016 that the Justice Department collected nearly $15.4 billion in civil and criminal actions in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2016. These collections represent more than five times the appropriated $2.93 billion budget for the 94 US Attorneys’ offices and the main litigating divisions of the government combined in that same period.
“Every day, the men and women of the government work tirelessly to enforce our laws, ensuring that taxpayer dollars are used properly and that the American people are protected from exploitation and abuse,” said Attorney General Lynch. “Today’s announcement is a testament to that work, and it makes clear that our actions deliver a significant return on public investment. I want to thank the prosecutors and trial attorneys who made this year’s collections possible, and I want to emphasize that the government remains committed to the well-being of our people and our nation.”
The District of Oregon’s Asset Recovery and Money Laundering Division is dedicated to holding accountable those who seek to profit from illegal activities across the state and beyond. Civil and criminal collections demonstrate the significant return on investment that federal law enforcement programs deliver. In fact, our 2016 collections are nearly twice that of our annual operating budget.
“The District of Oregon’s Financial Litigation Unit’s efforts to collect restitution for victims of crimes involves regular review of a defendant’s changing financial circumstances and ability to pay. When defendants resist efforts to set up a voluntary and reasonable payment schedule, the unit pursues wage garnishment, bank accounts, and retirement accounts; depositions; and the seizure and sale of real estate that can be applied to the defendant’s debt,” said U.S. Attorney Williams.
In the case of U.S.v. Carol Landesman, a Gresham, Oregon psychologist who created false invoices to send to a Catholic diocese for counseling services she did not actually provide, the defendant was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $113,770, all of which was paid in full at sentencing.
Related Federal Cases
- Diana Petrovic, Drug Trafficking, D. Oregon, 2023 · Idaho
- Peter Igwacho, Federal Drug Trafficking, Oregon, 2022 · Oregon
- Dimitrius Nicholai Pryce, Drug Trafficking, Oregon, 2022 · Oregon
- Kimberly Aralene Wells, Drug Distribution and Conspiracy, Oregon, 2021 · Illinois
- Daniel James Junk, Federal Charges, Oregon 2023 · Washington
Key Facts
- State: Oregon
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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