Treasury Executive Office of Asset Forfeiture awards the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office $460,560.00
Dallas, Texas – Through its partnership with federal law enforcement agencies, the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office was awarded close to a half million dollars to further their pursuit of justice in Dallas County.
In 2017, the Department of Homeland Security’s Financial Crimes Task Force, or FCTF, seized over $8,000,000 in illegally-obtained revenue from Frank Cacopardo. Cacopardo had been the target of a lengthy investigation regarding active bookmaking in Dallas by the FCTF mentioned above. In fact, the funds seized from Cacopardo’s accounts represented illegal proceeds in violation of 18 USC Sections 1084, 1955, 1956 and 1957. These funds, due to their origination in illegal activities were forfeited to the government for equitable distribution among the agencies that worked so hard to bring Mr. Cacopardo to justice.
The Dallas County District Attorney’s Office has been a member of the federal taskforce since 2016 and has played a significant role in the investigation and subsequent 2018 prosecution of Frank Cacopardo, along with other taskforce members such as the IRS and the Collin County District Attorney’s Office. Therefore, on October 8, 2019, the Treasury Executive Office of Asset Forfeiture awarded the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office $460,560.00 to use for law enforcement purposes.
Criminal District Attorney John Creuzot considers this award a testament to the hard work his staff puts in each day to keep our community safe. “I am proud to lead an office with such a dedicated staff. Public service can be a thankless job at times and unless they have had interaction with the DA’s office, the average person would never know how much blood, sweat and tears our prosecutors and in this case, investigators, put into the public safety of Dallas County”, Creuzot said.
By law, the money awarded must be used for law enforcement purposes only. This includes, but is not limited to funding training for staff, purchasing needed equipment, promoting crime prevention, expanding diversion opportunities and providing resources to those impacted by crime. District Attorney Creuzot says the funds are always needed when running a government organization. “In my efforts to seek justice, one of the focal points of my administration has been to wisely spend tax dollars. These awarded funds will certainly help my office have the resources we need to continue to seek justice for all through innovation and reform.”
