Crystal Huang, Securities Fraud, Utah 2023

In a major win for federal authorities, Crystal Huang, a Utah resident, has been convicted of a $5M securities fraud scheme. The crime was committed in Salt Lake City, Utah and was uncovered in September 2023. Huang was found guilty of violating federal law and was subsequently ordered to pay $300,000 in restitution as part of her sentence.

The U.S. Attorney's Office, led by Trina A. Higgins, worked tirelessly to bring Huang to justice. The office's efforts were part of a larger effort to enforce and collect 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 Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs. In this case, Huang's $300,000 restitution payment will be used to support these programs.

The U.S. Attorney's Office in the District of Utah also collected $6,191,974 in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2023. Forfeited assets deposited into the Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.

The District of Utah collected $8,945,364.56 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2023. Of this amount, $6,624,427.09 was collected in criminal actions and $2,320,937.47 was collected in civil actions. Additionally, the District worked with other U.S. Attorney's Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $30,645,096.14 in cases pursued jointly by these offices.

In total, the U.S. Attorney's Office in the District of Utah has made significant strides in holding criminals accountable and recovering funds for victims. As the office continues to work towards justice, it's clear that their efforts are making a real difference in the lives of those affected by crime.

The U.S. Attorney's Office in the District of Utah is committed to enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. Their work is crucial in ensuring that those who have been victimized by crime receive the support and resources they need to rebuild their lives.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ut/pr/us-attorneys-office-collects-over-89m-civil-and-criminal-actions-fiscal-year-2023