SEATTLE — Federal prosecutors in Seattle say they collected $6.9 million in criminal and civil cases in the 2014 fiscal year. Among the largest penalties collected was a $500,000 payment from Alaska Airlines to settle a Federal Aviation Administration complaint over a maintenance issue that caused an electrical fire in a Boeing 737-400 while it was parked at the gate in Anchorage, Alaska.
Annette Hayes, the acting U.S. attorney for the Western District of Washington, says federal authorities took in an additional $12.2 million in forfeited assets related to criminal activity. She says the collections show the Justice Department’s commitment to protecting public safety and tax dollars.
Hayes also highlighted some environmental settlements, including $334,000 paid by Stowe Construction for permit violations that caused landslides on the West Valley Highway in Sumner, and $250,000 from a septic tank business that illegally dumped 2 million gallons of waste and pollutants into the Longview sewer system.
One of the biggest forfeiture actions involved the seizure of three crime-ridden motels in Tukwila. The value of the properties exceeds $3 million, and the city plans to redevelop the motels.
Forfeited assets are used to help recompense crime victims and for law enforcement purposes.
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