Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy has announced a major financial recovery for Fiscal Year 2023, with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts securing over $90 million for crime victims and the federal government, reported the Department of Justice. The total includes more than $42 million from criminal actions and over $25 million from civil actions. Another $22 million was recovered through criminal and civil forfeiture proceedings.
The Massachusetts office, working with other U.S. Attorney's Offices and the Department of Justice, brought in an additional $918 million, mainly from civil actions. Levy stated, "Our Office is committed to restoring funds to victims of crime and depriving criminals of their ill-gotten gains. Our civil and criminal prosecutors work in close coordination from the outset of an investigation to identify, trace, and seize assets to accomplish those important goals. In addition, we have a long history of success in recovering taxpayer dollars in False Claims Act cases. These cases protect the public and root out fraud against the United States in health care, government contracting, grants and other government expenditures. We will continue to make these important collection efforts a very high priority,” according to the justice.gov press release.
Furthermore, the Asset Recovery Unit was instrumental in collecting over $41 million in restitution for those victimized by criminals. The Unit's actions didn't just involve financial recoveries—they also returned culturally significant items, including a stolen 1527 manuscript signed by Hernando Cortez to the Mexican National Archives and marksmanship medals to the Springfield Armory.
The Office's Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit struck settlements amounting to roughly $30 million, with offenders like Johnson & Johnson and Injured Workers Pharmacy paying millions to resolve claims related to kickbacks and improper practices. The Civil Rights Unit has been no less diligent, recovering $425,000 for victims of sexual harassment in housing. The money flows back into the system, supporting federal and state victim compensation and assistance initiatives, providing a lifeline of justice running through the veins of the government's pursuit of fairness and accountability.
