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Audit Reports

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Jul
03
2019
Report Number:
OV-AR-19-002
Report Type:
Audit Reports
Category: Finance

U.S. Postal Inspection Service Asset Forfeiture Fund

Objective

Our objective was to determine whether deposits and expenditures for the Postal Inspection Service Asset Forfeiture Fund (AFF) complied with Postal Inspection Service policies and procedures.

The Postal Inspection Service is a participating agency of the Department of Justice (DOJ) Asset Forfeiture (AF) Program. The intent of the DOJ AF Program is to allow the DOJ’s participating agencies to receive proceeds and use them to pay the costs associated with forfeitures, including the cost of managing and disposing of property, satisfying valid liens, and other claims.

While other DOJ participating agencies must follow DOJ asset forfeiture policy when submitting requests for expenditures, the Postal Inspection Service is not required to because it administers its own AFF.

The Postal Inspection Service has the congressional authority to manage and maintain its AFF. According to Postal Inspection Service policies, the use of asset forfeiture funds must meet these criteria - law enforcement purposes including crime prevention, security, forfeiture-related training or other related uses designated by the Chief Postal Inspector; national in scope; the cost exceeds $10,000; and funds are not available through the normal operating budget process.

As of September 30, 2018, the Postal Inspection Service AFF balance was $139 million. Between fiscal years 2017 and 2018, the Postal Inspection Service received an average of $28 million in proceeds and expended an average of $25 million on items such as consulting and professional services, supplies, and training.

What the OIG Found

We found that deposits and expenditures for the Postal Inspection Service AFF generally complied with Postal Inspection Service policies and procedures.

What the OIG Recommended

Based on the audit results, we did not make any recommendations.