Federal prosecutors in Houston say crime did not pay quite as well last year. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas announced Monday that it recovered nearly $148.15 million in 2025, money that officials say is on its way back to crime victims and the American taxpayer. The haul came from a mix of court-ordered restitution, civil enforcement actions and asset forfeiture across the district.
How The Recovered Millions Stack Up
Prosecutors report that $148,149,674.47 was collected in combined criminal, civil and asset forfeiture actions in calendar year 2025, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Texas. The total includes $21,572,847.34 in restitution ordered for crime victims, $85,932,764.13 recovered through civil enforcement on behalf of taxpayers and $40,644,063 brought in through asset forfeiture. The office notes that forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice’s Asset Forfeiture Fund are used to restore money to victims and to support law enforcement purposes.
Health Care Fraud Cases Behind The Big Numbers
A sizable share of that money traces back to health care fraud prosecutions paired with civil actions. In national case summaries, the Department of Justice’s Health Care Fraud Unit highlights matters such as the Emylee Thai lab investigation, in which prosecutors say the lab billed Medicare about $142 million for medically unnecessary genetic testing, and a Spring-area clinic that is alleged to have billed roughly $90 million for skin-substitute products. According to the DOJ case summaries, those prosecutions and related civil forfeiture efforts have generated property seizures, as well as cash and cryptocurrency restraints, while the cases move through court.
Cartel-Linked Oil Shipments And Massive Forfeiture Push
The U.S. Attorney’s Office also points to large-scale, cross-border investigations that have produced major forfeiture results and potential money judgments. In one South Texas case, prosecutors say alleged illicit crude oil shipments, money laundering and related conduct have led to substantial seizures and civil actions that seek an estimated $300 million judgment and forfeiture of vessels, vehicles and real property, according to the office’s announcement. The long-running criminal and civil proceedings are offered as an example of how SDTX pairs indictments with civil remedies to chase suspected criminal proceeds.
Where The Money Goes
Court-ordered restitution is paid directly to victims. Criminal fines and felony assessments are routed into the federal Crime Victims Fund and then distributed to state and local victim-assistance programs, according to a Congressional Research Service review. Asset forfeiture proceeds can also be used to compensate victims or reimburse investigative costs, so the recovered dollars are generally steered toward people harmed by crime and the programs meant to assist them.
What Prosecutors Say Comes Next
U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei has framed the 2025 figures as the product of an aggressive enforcement strategy that aims to make crime less profitable while returning money to those who lost it. Prosecutors in the Southern District say they plan to keep coupling criminal charges with civil enforcement as several major matters continue to work their way through the courts this year.
