Federal investigations curtailed amid coronavirus
WASHINGTON _ Federal prosecutors and agents have delayed executing some search warrants, interviewing witnesses and serving subpoenas in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing restrictions.
The result, Justice Department officials said, has been a massive drop in the number of people charged with federal crimes, like wire fraud and tax evasion. Indictments dropped about 75% last month. In March, they were down about 25%.
"We have had to be very careful about cases we are going to proceed on," said Justin Herdman, the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, who is part of Attorney General William Barr's leadership team focusing on responding to the coronavirus.
Justice Department officials declined to provide the number of indictments, saying the statistics were preliminary. But based on previous years, the decrease would represent at least several thousand fewer defendants being charged with crimes, a sign the pandemic has altered the way the government performs one of its most essential functions.
A major reason for the decrease is straightforward: Grand juries, which issue indictments, have not been regularly convening in order to adhere to social distancing rules.
_Bloomberg News
