Posted Sunday, December 9, 2012 --- 1:51 p.m.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- The U.S. attorney in Madison says his office has collected nearly $4 million in criminal and civil actions over the last fiscal year.

U.S. Attorney John Vaudreuil says his office collected $3.9 million, including almost $700,000 in criminal actions and more than $3.2 million in civil actions.

U.S. attorneys collect civil and criminal debts owed to the United States and federal crime victims. They collected a total of $3 billion in criminal restitution, fines and felony assessments as well as $10.1 billion in civil actions over the fiscal year. Most of the money was generated through recoveries in fraud cases and fines imposed on people or corporations for violating federal health, safety, civil rights or environmental laws.

The attorneys also collected $4.3 billion in forfeited assets.

Copyright 2012. The Associated Press.