9 New York State Counties That Made Most Money From Seized Assets

Busting drugs and other crimes was pretty profitable for these 9 counties in New York State. Each year, various agencies, including the NYS Attorney General, Sheriffs Offices, Special Drug Prosecutors, and District Attorneys report how much money law enforcement agencies under their purview have seized. These seizures could be from drug busts, companies involved in fraud, or other criminal activities. The money gets split among many, including the law enforcement agencies who actually seized the assets, the agents who made the seizures, the federal government, and others.

In most instances, forfeiture actions are initiated by claiming authorities. Upon conclusion of a case, asset forfeiture proceeds are distributed to claiming authorities, claiming agents and the state Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS). State law permits local officials to use forfeiture proceeds to fund investigations and prosecutions, reimburse agencies for the purchase of contraband during an investigation and pay restitution, among other expenses.

 

Agencies are not required to report their asset seizures, so not every agency was listed in the report. These 9 county District Attorneys' Offices brought in the most money in 2020 (the most up-to-date data) out of all of the reporting agencies:

9. Orange County DA - $79,399.30

8. Albany County DA - $95,465.00

7. Broome County DA - $121,349.25

6. Putnam County DA - $142,835.50

5. Oswego County DA - $175,714.55

4. Westchester County DA - $219,269.45

3. Nassau County DA - $979,376.90

2. Suffolk County DA - $1,194,138.38

1. Queens County DA - $3,140,168.51

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