U.S. Attorney’s Office Recovers More Than $868,000 for Fraud Victims in Long-Running Case
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming has recovered more than $868,000 in restitution for victims of mail and wire fraud in U.S. v. Lattin et al., more than a decade after the original sentencing. The recovery was achieved through the office’s Financial Litigation Program, which enforces criminal monetary penalties under the Federal Debt Collection Procedures Act (FDCPA).
According to the Department of Justice, the funds were obtained through the identification and sale of assets belonging to defendant Brett Lattin, including a residence and personal property. The proceeds will be distributed to victims of the fraud scheme.
Lattin pleaded guilty in 2010 to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and was sentenced in the U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming. The court ordered him to pay $2.45 million in restitution and imposed a term of incarceration. At sentencing, a criminal judgment lien attached to his property rights, enabling federal authorities to pursue collection efforts over time.
The underlying case stems from conduct dating back to 2006, when Lattin falsely represented himself as a civil engineer to secure a position with Marathon Oil Company. In that role, he was responsible for overseeing reservoir repairs required by the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality. Prosecutors said Lattin and a co-defendant engaged in a scheme involving kickbacks, falsified receipts, and failure to complete required remediation work.
The Financial Litigation Program continued to pursue restitution in the years following sentencing, although earlier efforts yielded limited results. More recent enforcement actions led to the successful identification and liquidation of Lattin’s assets, generating the latest recovery.
U.S. Attorney Darin Smith said the program is designed to support long-term restitution efforts.
“Through the FLP, our office diligently seeks to collect restitution for up to twenty years after the conviction or time served,” Smith said. “This includes locating debtors and hidden assets, then initiating post-judgment remedies, including, when appropriate, selling defendants’ real and personal property.”
Smith also credited Assistant U.S. Attorney Jasmine Peters for leading the enforcement effort that resulted in the recovery.
The case highlights the extended time horizon available for federal restitution enforcement and the continued use of post-judgment remedies to locate and liquidate assets. For professionals in the receivables and legal collections space, it reflects how judgment liens and statutory enforcement tools can remain active long after initial court proceedings conclude.
