NCJ Number
127740
Date Published
1990
Length
13 pages
Annotation
In response to a Congressional mandate, the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO), General Government Division, conducted an evaluation of a newly created regional office of the Justice Department's Fraud Section (Criminal Division).
Abstract
Establishment of the regional office in northern Texas was mandated by Congress in August 1989 under Section 965 of the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act (FIRREA) in response to an increased need to prosecute financial institution fraud. The GAO determined that the Justice Department is opposed to the concept of establishing Fraud Section regional offices. While a regional office was established in Dallas, Texas per the Congressional mandate, the Justice Department took no further steps to promote its functioning. For example, it established no separate functions for the newly designated regional office. Of the 16 attorneys who staff the office, 11 commute from Washington, D.C. and only 5 reside in Dallas. The Assistant Attorney General for the Fraud Division stated that establishment of regional offices fails to adequately recognize the U.S. Attorney's role as the chief Federal law enforcement official in the 94 judicial districts. He further stated that establishment of such regional offices would lead to friction between the Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorneys. The GAO found that the Fraud Section's regional office had no observable impact on Justice's prosecution of financial institution fraud. Thus, no recommendation can be made as to whether regional offices of the Fraud Section should be established in other parts of the country. 1 note