U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall announced that the Middle District of Louisiana collected $1,392,488.86 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2025. Of this amount, $1,240,255.48 was collected in criminal actions, and $152,233.38 was collected in civil actions. Additionally, the Middle District of Louisiana worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the U.S. to collect a further $2,065,487.31 in cases pursued jointly by these offices. Of this amount, $11,350.00 was collected in criminal actions, and $2,054,137.31 was collected in civil actions.
U.S. Attorney Wall stated, “Our mission in representing the United States is to hold everyone accountable who violates our laws, whether it is criminal or civil. We will use every tool available to obtain justice. Sometimes that might result in prison, or the enforcement of monetary judgments, or even the execution of asset forfeitures. Criminals and fraudsters can be certain that we will aggressively pursue all available options.”
In August 2025, the Middle District of Louisiana recovered $189,490 as part of a forfeiture in United States v. $189,490.00 in U.S. Currency, Case No. 23-CV-665-BAJ-SDJ. During a traffic stop on Interstate 12 near the Millerville Road exit in Baton Rouge, the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration seized $189,490 in cash hidden in the vehicle that were the proceeds of drug trafficking activity. This cash was rubber-banded in seven bundles and hidden in the liners of two suitcases in the vehicle. The United States initiated a civil forfeiture action against these funds, and on August 25, 2025, U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson ordered them forfeited to the United States.
In May 2024, Adolphus Obioha pled guilty in the Middle District of Louisiana to theft of government funds for a scheme involving Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) proceeds. As part of his sentence, he was ordered to pay $472,191.60 in restitution to the Small Business Administration. During Fiscal Year 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office collected $249,909.09 on this debt, including $136,000 seized through asset forfeiture and an additional $107,234.09 lump-sum payment. United States v. Adolphus A. Obioha, Case No. 23-CR-00025-BAJ-SDJ.
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the 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 Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Middle District of Louisiana, working with partner agencies and divisions, collected $1,916,630 in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2025. Forfeited assets deposited into the Asset Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.
Related Federal Cases
- Thera Ellison, Theft of Government Funds, LA, 2023 · Louisiana
- Gary Blake Williamson, Theft of Government Property, Louisiana 2024 · Louisiana
- Developer Sentenced for $236K Government Funds Theft · Louisiana
- Sarah Johnson, HUD Funds Embezzlement, Louisiana 2023 · Texas
- Terrence Thompson, Mail Theft, Louisiana 2021 · Louisiana
Key Facts
- State: Louisiana
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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