The collection of criminal debts owed to victims of crime and the federal government is a shared responsibility among criminal AUSAs, the Financial Litigation/Asset Recovery Unit, Asset Forfeiture Unit, and victim-witness professionals. Effective prejudgment coordination and collaboration is essential to maximizing the United States Attorney’s office’s ability to seek restitution, conduct asset investigations, and collect criminal monetary penalties.

Each United States Attorney’s office should have policies and procedures in place to ensure that early, effective and coordinated asset investigations and recovery are a routine part of every case involving victims. Asset recovery coordination should begin prejudgment – ideally at the very beginning of an investigation – particularly in criminal cases where restitution is likely to be ordered.

[added May 2018]