The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois had a hefty haul in criminal and civil actions in the last fiscal year, totaling over $5 million. Acting U.S. Attorney Gregory M. Gilmore announced that the office collected $5,236,030.66 in Fiscal Year 2025, with $4,016,049.76 stemming from criminal actions and $1,219,980.90 from civil actions, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of Illinois. This effort is part of the broader Department of Justice commitment to collecting debts owed to both the U.S. government and to victims of federal crimes.
In collaboration with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and Department of Justice divisions, the Central District of Illinois also collected an additional $391,543.94. According to the statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of Illinois, this includes $22,712.78 in criminal actions and $368,831.16 in civil actions. The interagency cooperation is vital in securing funds that range from fines to restitution for victims.
Furthermore, the office reported significant earnings from asset forfeiture actions, totaling $9,326,268.00 in FY 2025. These assets, when forfeited, feed into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund, which in turn allocates money to various law enforcement initiatives and restitution to crime victims. High-profile cases such as those of Aaron J. Rossi and Lori Zeitler were among the sources of these recovery efforts, with Rossi ordered to pay over $3 million in assessments, fines, and restitution, and Zeitler sentenced to pay $600,000.00 in restitution, as per the U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of Illinois.
Notably, in February, the Central District of Illinois managed to recoup $1,620,641.18 towards the judgment in the Aaron J. Rossi case, as detailed by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of Illinois. Rossi, who stood guilty of committing mail fraud and false tax returns, faced a substantial monetary penalty. Similarly, in the March period, $308,163.71 was recovered in the Lori Zeitler case; Zeitler herself pled guilty to wire fraud charges.
