Source: US FBI
LAS VEGAS – United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada announced today that, from October 1, 2024, to July 16, 2025, more than $37 million was forfeited through asset forfeiture actions and returned to victims of crime. Funds forfeited and deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund may be used to compensate victims and restore losses caused by criminal conduct.
A total of $37,236,606.37 was forfeited and of this amount:
- In December 2024, a victim received $3,443,286.03.
- In April 2025, the Small Business Administration received $531,308.46 of the fraudulently obtained Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans.
- In May 2025, the Small Business Administration received $1,068,123.94 of the fraudulently obtained PPP loans.
- In July 2025, a victim received $32,193,787.94.
“The Asset Forfeiture and Financial Litigation Units of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, in coordination with our law enforcement partners and the Department of Justice’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, worked diligently to forfeit these funds and return them to victims,” said U.S. Attorney Chattah. “Our office remains committed to holding offenders financially accountable and to restoring victims. I commend the exceptional efforts of our Asset Forfeiture Unit and professional staff in pursuing justice and upholding the rule of law.”
“The successful return of these funds is due to the coordinated efforts of the FBI, local law enforcement, and the US Attorney’s office,” said Special Agent in Charge Amir Ehsaei for the FBI Las Vegas Division. “This serves as an important reminder of our unwavering commitment to pursuing justice for victims and their families. Forfeiting ill-gotten gains removes financial resources from criminals and serves as a powerful tool to restore victims. It is highly recommended to report scams and frauds promptly.”
“IRS Criminal Investigation’s Phoenix Field Office is proud to see our special agents’ hard work result in the recovery of millions in stolen COVID relief funds and real, tangible justice for victims of other financial crimes,” said Special Agent in Charge Carissa Messick, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Phoenix Field Office. “Financial crime can be devastating to victims. That’s why it’s crucial for our agency to continue uncovering such crimes through the leveraging of our financial expertise and investigative techniques. IRS-CI exists to protect American taxpayers and ensure the integrity of our tax system, and these figures today are just a portion of the amazing results we are seeing throughout the nation.”
The PPP is one of two programs that was developed through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. PPP provides funding to businesses through loans for payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent and utilities. PPP allows the interest and principal on loans to be forgiven if the business spends proceeds on certain expense items within a designated time and uses a certain percentage of the loan on payroll expenses.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form.
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