U.S. Attorney's collections top $23 million last year

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Illinois announced that it collected a total of $23,036,885.18 in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30.

Of that amount, $19,999,166.83 came from criminal collections and $3,037,718.35 from civil collections.

The amount was far in excess of the office operating budget, and allowed the U.S. Attorney's office to operate at a profit for the fiscal year, according to a press release issued Wednesday.

The criminal collections consisted of restitution to crime victims as well as fines and special assessments, the release stated. The civil collections consisted of restitution in civil fraud cases, mortgage foreclosures, defaulted student loans, bankruptcy and other debts due the United States.

"No one would dispute that economic times are tough. Despite this, I am very pleased that through hard work my office was able to make crime pay the United States of America and its victims in Southern Illinois," said U.S. Attorney Stephen Wigginton.

Collections in criminal cases other than restitution are turned over to the Crime Victim's Fund which is administered by the U.S. Department of Justice for the benefit of victims of crime. Restitution is paid directly to crime victims to compensate them for their losses.

The amount of restitution collected on behalf of victims of crime was $3,070,208.26.