United States Attorney Stephen R. Wigginton announced that the Southern District of Illinois collected just over $8.3 million in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2013. Of this amount, $2 million was collected in criminal actions and $6.2 million was collected in civil actions.  This combined figure is well in excess of the total yearly operating budget for the Office of the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois.  Additionally, the Southern District of Illinois worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $341.7 million in cases pursued jointly with these offices.  Of this amount, $1,072.23 was collected in criminal actions and $341.7 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 to state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.  Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s office in the Southern District of Illinois, working with partner agencies and divisions, collected $689,598 in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2013.  Forfeited assets are deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund and are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.