DOJ Hosts Fifth Annual Economic Crimes Summit in Raleigh; Fraud Enforcement Division in Focus
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina hosted the fifth annual Economic Crimes Summit in Raleigh on Monday, October 5, according to a Department of Justice press release issued October 13. Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department's National Fraud Enforcement Division (NFED) delivered the keynote, joining U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle in focusing on previously overlooked nationwide mass fraud schemes at the national and local levels.
The release said international governments and gangs, local and national criminal groups and individual offenders continue to exploit government programs, financial systems and vulnerable people, driving rising financial losses for Americans; the summit let partner agencies share information, receive specialized training and get guidance on priorities. More than 175 primary agency partners attended, including the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, HHS, the VA Office of Inspector General, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), the State Highway Patrol (SHP), the USDA and the state Department of Insurance.
"Our fraud mission is national in scope but local in execution," McDonald said, crediting the collaborative efforts of the partners at the summit. Boyle said fraudsters steal taxpayer dollars, undermine trust in public programs and target some of the most vulnerable citizens in Eastern North Carolina, adding: "if you steal taxpayer dollars in the EDNC, we will find you, we will prosecute you." The release closed with his line: "One diverted penny is too much."
The release noted the NFED was created by the Justice Department in early 2026, with President Donald J. Trump announcing its formation in January 2026 and giving it a broad mandate to enforce federal criminal and civil laws against fraud targeting federal programs, federally funded benefits, businesses, nonprofits and private citizens; its mission includes investigating and prosecuting fraud against taxpayer funds and programs, coordinating with benefits-administering agencies, partnering with federal, tribal, state, territorial and local law enforcement, and developing systems and processes for efficient fraud detection.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：位于华盛顿的美国司法部总部大楼。摄影：Gunnar Klack，CC BY-SA 4.0，来源：Wikimedia Commons
