The Eastern District of Louisiana U.S. Attorney’s Office has reported significant collections and asset forfeitures in the fiscal year 2024, totaling $879,562,972.18 from various civil and criminal actions. Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson detailed that the office secured $10,272,777.37 in criminal actions and an immense $869,292,194.81 from civil actions. Under the auspices of enforcing and collecting debts owed to the U.S. and federal crime victims, monies are distributed to compensate and assist these individuals through the Crime Victims Fund. This information was released in a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice.
Further demonstrating their commitment to seriously pursue justice, the U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO), joined by partner agencies, also pursued the forfeiture of assets linked to criminal undertakings. This effort resulted in the forfeiture of $2,070,396.92 in assets, which includes 133 firearms. The forfeited items contribute to the pool of resources earmarked for restoring crime victims and reinforcing law enforcement capabilities.
Notable among the USAO's collection efforts was the substantial retrieval of almost $869 million from BP Exploration & Production Inc., related to the environmental debacle of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Moreover, following a trial verdict, around $3.7 million was garnered from Shiva Akula, a hospice owner, for restitution to Medicare, tapping into the All Writs Act to maintain his assets. Similarly important, authorities employed the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act aggressively to append $1.2 million from the investment accounts of Robert Calloway, implicated in a bank fraud conspiracy.
In matters more environmental, the U.S. Attorney's Office was able to collect about $1.5 million in penalties for the aforementioned Crime Victims Fund from Prive Overseas Marine and Prive Shipping, following a guilty plea on counts of obstruction of justice for the illegal discharge of oil-wasted substances. Another case saw the forfeiture of $121,785 in cash, two firearms, and luxury transport, a 2020 Infiniti Q50, from Wayne Handy, consequent to a 2024 search warrant execution, following his guilty plea on drug and gun violations.
Lastly, the USAO took possession of approximately $34,570 from Michelle Andre, relating to her guilty plea for distributing misbranded injectable contraceptives. These various enforcement measures and successful prosecutions reflect the office's dedication to bringing financial closures to cases and directly benefiting those impacted by crime, as reported by the U.S. Department of Justice.
