Often times when someone is charged with a crime, that person may have a chance to significantly reduce their sentence by sharing relevant information with the Department of Justice about other criminal activity previously unknown to the department. Many defendants are glad to help and “snitch” on others, if it means they will get a reduced sentence.
The DOJ now wants people who have not been charged with crimes to come forward with information in white collar (typically financial) crimes, and in exchange, they will get a piece of the action in the form of a payment. The rules will be finalized over the next 90 days, and come with some caveats, such as the potential requirement of testifying against the accused and waiting an average of five years from the time of the tip to the receipt of any award funds, based on former experience in other programs.
Stay tuned for future updates!
