WASHINGTON – U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro today announced the creation of the Fraud and Asset Recovery Division, a specialized unit dedicated to investigating and pursuing fraud cases, with a particular focus on the False Claims Act. The new division marks a significant expansion of federal civil fraud enforcement capacity in the nation’s capital. Recent years have seen record setting False Claims Act recoveries and qui tam lawsuits. By creating a new division with AUSAs and support staff devoted to investigating and litigating cases involving all types of fraud against the government, this office will be a premier destination to fight rampant fraud in the epicenter of the federal government. "President Trump has prioritized the elimination of fraud, waste, and abuse involving federal agencies and programs,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “This new Fraud and Asset Recovery Division will reinforce and consolidate our resources to hold fraudsters accountable and recover taxpayer dollars. We are sending a clear message: those who cheat the federal government will face decisive, coordinated action." The U.S. Attorney’s Office will significantly increase and realign its resources from its existing Affirmative Civil Enforcement unit within the Civil Division to form the new division. The reorganization draws a clear line between affirmative civil enforcement and the important defensive workload of the Civil Division, centralizing experience and maximizing results. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has a long history of combatting fraud and recovering billions of dollars on behalf of American taxpayers under the False Claims Act. Working in partnership with the Justice Department’s Civil Fraud Section, federal investigative agencies, and whistleblowers, the office has successfully resolved major cases, including: A large government contractor for improperly billing commercial and international costs to government contracts;A software manufacturer for defrauding the government through false disclosures and intentional overbilling;A medical device manufacturer for misbranding and off-label marketing; andA pharmaceutical manufacturer for failing to comply with laws regulating medication. In recent years, the overwhelming demands of the office’s civil defensive docket have limited available resources for affirmative investigations and litigation. The creation of the Fraud and Asset Recovery Division ensures dedicated resources to establish a premier anti-fraud enforcement unit at the epicenter of the federal government in Washington, DC. The Division will be comprised of dedicated AUSAs, investigators, auditors, and support staff. In addition to False Claims Act cases, the Division will handle other affirmative civil enforcement matters, including civil collections on behalf of federal agencies, enforcement of agency and OIG subpoenas, and civil asset forfeiture actions. The Financial Litigation Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office will also be part of the Fraud and Asset Recovery Division. This unit collects special assessments, fines, and restitution debts imposed in criminal cases, and civil debts owed to the United States and Federal agencies such as civil judgments and settlements in affirmative cases, and student loan debts owed to the Department of Education.
Dan Schiffer will serve as Chief and Sean M. Tepe will serve as Deputy Chief overseeing the Division. ##Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTubeOr at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc