DOJ Criminal Division Fraud Section, its FCPA Unit and U.S. Attorneys' Offices
- Parent body
- U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division 1
- Current name
- White Collar and Corporate Enforcement Section, formerly Fraud 1
- Rename reported
- 11 August 2026, as reported by Ben Penn of Bloomberg Law 5
- Litigating units in 2025
- FCPA Unit, Market, Government, and Consumer Fraud Unit, Health and Safety Unit, Health Care Fraud Unit 4
- FCPA statutes
- 15 U.S.C. 78dd-1, 78dd-2, 78dd-3 and 15 U.S.C. 78m(b) 3
- Resolution types used in 2025
- Guilty pleas, deferred prosecution agreements, non-prosecution agreements, declinations and corporate indictments 4
- 2025 totals
- 265 individuals charged, 235 convicted, 12 corporate resolutions and 3 corporate indictments 4
- Where cases are listed
- FCPA Unit Enforcement Actions page, by year and alphabetically 2
What the Section is
DOJ says the Section works on cases of "sophisticated economic crime" 1. It says it "investigates and prosecutes these complex cases throughout the country" 1. It assists prosecutors, regulators, law enforcement and the private sector 1.
The Section's 2025 Year in Review lists four litigating units. They are the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) Unit, the Market, Government, and Consumer Fraud Unit, the Health and Safety Unit and the Health Care Fraud Unit 4. Support units include the Corporate Enforcement and Compliance Unit 4.
The 2026 reorganisation
As reported by Ben Penn of Bloomberg Law on 11 August 2026, DOJ retitled the Section the "white collar and corporate enforcement section" 5. The report said a DOJ spokesperson described a portfolio focused on private fraud such as insider trading and securities fraud 5. It said several units moved to the new National Fraud Enforcement Division, which handles public benefits fraud and schemes involving taxpayer money 5.
The same report said the FCPA team stays in the renamed Section with a more limited mandate 5. The DOJ Section page now reads "White Collar and Corporate Enforcement Section" and says the Section was "formerly Fraud" 1. This site uses "Fraud Section" for cases resolved before the rename, as the original releases do 9,10.
The FCPA Unit and its powers
The Justice Manual at 9-47.110 says information about possible FCPA violations "should be brought immediately to the attention of the Fraud Section of the Criminal Division" 3. It says anti-bribery investigations and prosecutions "will be conducted by Trial Attorneys of the Fraud Section", except where the Assistant Attorney General agrees otherwise 3. The statutes cited are 15 U.S.C. 78dd-1, 78dd-2 and 78dd-3 for bribery and 15 U.S.C. 78m(b) for record keeping 3.
Under the Corporate Enforcement Policy at JM 9-47.120, a company that voluntarily self-discloses, fully cooperates and remediates gets "a presumption that the company will receive a declination absent aggravating" circumstances 3.
A memorandum from the Deputy Attorney General dated 9 June 2025 set new FCPA guidelines implementing Executive Order 14209 6. It said a primary consideration is whether misconduct is tied to cartels or transnational criminal organisations 6. It said all new FCPA investigations must be authorised by the Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division or a more senior official 6.
Resolution types and 2025 totals
The 2025 Year in Review, with a foreword dated January 2026, gives these figures for calendar year 2025 4. The FCPA Unit figures are a subset of the Section totals 4.
- Guilty plea: the company pleads guilty to a charge and is sentenced 4,9.
- Deferred prosecution agreement (DPA): charges are filed and deferred for a set term 4,10.
- Non-prosecution agreement (NPA): no charges are filed if the company meets its terms 4.
- Declination under the Corporate Enforcement Policy 3,4.
U.S. Attorneys' Offices
DOJ says "the 93 United States Attorneys work to enforce federal laws throughout the country" across 94 federal districts 7. Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands share one U.S. Attorney 7. Each U.S. Attorney is the chief federal law enforcement officer in the district and is involved in civil litigation where the United States is a party 7.
Fraud Section cases are often brought jointly with a U.S. Attorney's Office in the district where charges are filed 9,10. Some offices resolve cases alone. The Eastern District of Virginia announced a civil False Claims Act settlement on 21 October 2026 and said "The civil claims settled are allegations only" 8.
Case records on this site
| Case | Resolution | DOJ offices named |
|---|---|---|
| Gunvor S.A., 1 March 2024 9 | Guilty plea, over US$661 million 9 | Fraud Section, Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, Eastern District of New York 9 |
| McKinsey Africa, 5 December 2024 10 | Three-year DPA, US$122,850,000 penalty 10 | Fraud Section, Southern District of New York 10 |
| Securiport and Alex Stewart International, 21 October 2026 8 | Civil settlement, US$1,816,943 8 | Eastern District of Virginia 8 |
Common questions
Is the DOJ Fraud Section the same as the National Fraud Enforcement Division?
No. As reported by Bloomberg Law on 11 August 2026, the Fraud Section was renamed the White Collar and Corporate Enforcement Section and is separate from the new National Fraud Enforcement Division 5.
Who prosecutes FCPA cases at DOJ?
The Justice Manual says Trial Attorneys of the Fraud Section conduct FCPA anti-bribery investigations and prosecutions, except where the Assistant Attorney General agrees otherwise 3.
Where can I find DOJ FCPA cases?
The FCPA Unit's Enforcement Actions page lists cases by year from 1977 and alphabetically, with separate corporate and individual lists 2.
How many corporate resolutions did the Fraud Section reach in 2025?
The 2025 Year in Review reports 12 corporate resolutions and 3 corporate indictments 4.
Rules and fees change. Check the official site linked above before you apply or pay. Spotted an error? Email [email protected] with the official link.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division: White Collar and Corporate Enforcement Section (formerly Fraud)
- U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division, FCPA Unit: Enforcement Actions (updated 19 March 2026)
- U.S. Department of Justice: Justice Manual 9-47.000, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977
- U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division: Fraud Section Year in Review 2025 (foreword dated January 2026)
- Bloomberg Law, Ben Penn: DOJ Renames Fraud Section Following White House Driven Shakeup (11 August 2026)
- U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Deputy Attorney General: Guidelines for Investigations and Enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (9 June 2025)
- U.S. Department of Justice: About the Offices of the United States Attorneys
- U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Virginia: Affiliates settle Paycheck Protection Program false claims (21 October 2026)
- U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs: Commodities Trading Company Will Pay Over $661M to Resolve Foreign Bribery Case (1 March 2024)
- U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs: McKinsey and Company Africa to Pay Over $122M in Connection with Bribery of South African Government Officials (5 December 2024)
Related
- Gunvor FCPA guilty plea and Swiss conviction over Ecuador (2024)
Gunvor S.A. pleaded guilty in New York on 1 March 2024 over bribes to Petroecuador officials, and Swiss prosecutors convicted it the same day. The amounts.
- McKinsey Africa deferred prosecution agreement (2024)
McKinsey Africa entered a three-year US DPA on 5 December 2024 over bribery in South Africa. Amounts, admissions and the NPA resolution.
- Trafigura FCPA guilty plea over Petrobras bribery (2024)
Trafigura Beheer B.V. pleaded guilty on 28 March 2024 to conspiracy to violate the FCPA over bribes to Petrobras officials. Amounts and terms from DOJ.
- Boeing 737 MAX deferred prosecution agreement (2021) and later developments
Boeing's 2021 DPA, the 2024 breach finding, the rejected plea deal, the 2025 non-prosecution agreement, the dismissal and the Fifth Circuit rulings.
- Securiport and Alex Stewart International PPP False Claims Act settlement (2026)
Securiport and Alex Stewart International agreed to pay US$1,816,943 to settle False Claims Act allegations over PPP loans. No liability was determined.