An exception to the policy of returning cases to the referring agency arises for certain bankruptcy cases under chapters 11, 12 and 13 of title 11, in which the Bankruptcy Court has entered an order confirming a plan which provides for payment to the government. After 14 days following entry of the order confirming the plan, See Fed. R. Bankr. P. 8002, the case shall be returned to the agency for monitoring and collection.

Another exception to the policy of returning cases to the referring agency arises when the United States Attorney’s office has reason to believe that there has been fraud or conversion of government property in a bankruptcy case. The case should then be referred to the civil division of the United States Attorney’s office for screening, in order to determine whether measures may be taken that would provide for additional civil collections, or if it should be forwarded to the criminal division of the United States Attorney’s office for possible prosecution.

[added May 2018]