NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced today that the Eastern District of Louisiana collected $879,562,972.18 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2024. Of this amount, $10,272,777.37 was collected in criminal actions and $869,292,194.81 was collected in civil actions.
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
In addition to those amounts, the MPRU or U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO), working with partner agencies and divisions, also separately forfeited $2,070,396.92 in assets, and 133 firearms connected to criminal activity, in FY 2024. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.
Representative examples of the MPRU’s collection and forfeiture efforts include:
- In April 2024, the MPRU recovered $868,965,517.00 from BP Exploration & Production Inc., imposed as a result of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
- Following a trial and guilty verdict, the MPRU collected approximately $3.7 million in restitution from hospice owner, Shiva Akula, by utilizing the All Writs Act to restrain and preserve his assets for restitution prejudgment . The MPRU subsequently filed a post-judgment motion to turn over the restrained assets, including hospice licenses, for restitution to Medicare.
- In July 2024, the MPRU collected approximately $1.2 million, by utilizing enforcement provisions of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) and issuing Writs of Garnishment for several investment accounts belonging to defendant Robert Calloway. Calloway previously pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Additionally, he admitted signing false statements and making material omissions on dozens of loan documents, in his capacity as Senior Vice President of First NBC bank, over the course of several years.
- In October 2024, the MPRU collected approximately $1.5 million in criminal penalties for the Crime Victims Fund. This collection stemmed from an environmental crimes case in which defendants, Prive Overseas Marine and Prive Shipping, pled guilty to obstruction of justice. Specifically, the defendants admitted to illegally discharging, and causing the discharge of oil contaminated waste, into U.S. waters.
- The USAO forfeited $121,785 in cash, two firearms, and a 2020 Infiniti Q50 that was seized during the execution of a June 2024 search warrant from defendant, Wayne Handy, who had previously pled guilty to federal drug and gun violations.
- The MPRU forfeited approximately $34,570 in proceeds from defendant, Michelle Andre, who had previously pled guilty to distributing misbranded versions of injectable contraceptives to patients, in August 2024.
“These statistics demonstrate our continued commitment and dedication to crime victims and to the citizens of the Eastern District of Louisiana through the aggressive collection of civil judgments and criminal fines and restitution,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson. “As such, our office’s Monetary Penalties and Recovery Unit (MPRU) will continue their duty to protect the public by holding accountable those who have profited from the crimes they committed in our District.”
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson thanks Asset Forfeiture Assistant United States Attorney Alexandra Giavotella, Financial Litigation Assistant United States Attorney Churita Hansell, as well as the Office’s outstanding support professionals, Jerrilyn A. Dufauchard, Laquana Bates, Christina Garcia, Danielle Smith-Graham, Megan Snow, David Vigier, and Monica Washington for their hard work and dedication to the pursuit of justice.
