Idaho’s US Attorney’s Office Pulled in Millions

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — U.S. Attorney for Idaho Wendy Olson says lawyers in her office collected more than $34 million in criminal fines and civil debts during the last fiscal year. Olson released the 2013 total Monday, saying it represents more than seven times her office's annual operational budget.

The bureau's Financial Litigation Unit is the biggest collector, bringing in $31 million alone on range of crimes from illegal drugs to environmental protection and procurement fraud cases. The biggest source of revenue is environmental cases dealing with the release of hazardous wastes.

During the year, the unit collected fines and penalties totally more than $27 million from companies and individuals. Lawyers in the unit also brought in more than $1 million in Medicaid and Medicare fraud cases.