The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming announced on Apr. 27 that its Financial Litigation Program (FLP) has collected more than $868,000 for victims in a mail and wire fraud case involving Brett Lattin. The funds were recovered as part of efforts under the Federal Debt Collection Procedure Act in the case U.S. v. Lattin et al., Docket No. 2:10-cr-00088-ABJ.
The restitution is significant because it addresses financial harm suffered by victims due to fraudulent activity, highlighting ongoing efforts to enforce court-ordered penalties even years after sentencing.
According to U.S. Attorney Darin Smith, “Through the FLP, our office diligently seeks to collect restitution for up to twenty years after the conviction or time-served. This includes locating debtors and hidden assets then initiating post-judgment remedies, including (when appropriate), selling defendants’ real and personal property.”
In this case, Brett Lattin falsely claimed he was a civil engineer to secure employment with Marathon Oil Company in 2006. Along with a co-defendant, he participated in a scheme involving kickbacks and false receipts while failing to complete required reservoir repairs for Marathon Oil Company as mandated by state regulators. After pleading guilty in June 2010 to conspiracy charges related to mail and wire fraud, Lattin was sentenced by the United States District Court for the District of Wyoming and ordered to pay $2,450,000 in restitution.
Efforts by the FLP since 2010 had only limited success until recently when authorities located and sold Lattin’s house along with his personal property left inside it—yielding over $868,000 now set aside for victim compensation.
Smith said: “We recovered almost a million dollars in this case simply because of the tenacity and hard work of Assistant United States Attorney Jasmine Peters who handled this enforcement matter.”
The U.S. Attorney for the District of Wyoming advances public safety by addressing emerging crime trends and training law enforcement according to its official website. The office operates locations in Cheyenne, Casper, Lander and Mammoth Hot Springs within Yellowstone National Park according to its official website. It functions under the United States Department of Justice according to its official website.
Serving all 23 counties across nearly 98,000 square miles with a population around 581,348 according to its official website, it prosecutes federal crimes—including those occurring on Wind River Indian Reservation or parts of Yellowstone National Park—and defends government interests in civil litigation according to its official website. The office also partners with various law enforcement agencies through initiatives such as its Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee established in July 1981 according to its official website.
For more information about these collection efforts or other programs run by this office visit: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wy/civil-division.
