US attorneys’ offices had a record-setting year collecting money for damages from civil and criminal cases in 2012 taking in a total $13.1 billion in criminal and civil actions according to a recently released report. Last year the offices confiscated $6.5 billion not even half as much. The US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York which covers Manhattan alone reported a haul of $2.98 billion in forfeitures the largest amount since the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund launched in 1984. Plus the office acquired $526.7 million from civil actions and $76.8 million in restitution fines ...