Attorney General Josh Stein has released the North Carolina Department of Justice's annual report, highlighting consumer complaints and updates on CODIS DNA hits. The report details over 19,000 consumer complaints received in 2024 and nearly $84 million recovered for consumers.
Stein stated, "Over the past eight years, I’ve had the honor of working with my colleagues at the North Carolina Department of Justice to protect the people of North Carolina. We have safeguarded people’s hard-earned money, defended their rights, and kept them safe in their homes and neighborhoods. This annual report is a glimpse into the many ways we’ve fought – and won – for North Carolinians. I’m so grateful for the hardworking public servants at the Department of Justice and the work they do to serve our state."
The Consumer Protection Division secured more than $81 million through court judgments and settlements in 2024, including funds from drug companies linked to the opioid crisis. Since 2017, over $3 billion has been won for consumers in North Carolina. Additionally, Stein's Medicaid Investigations Division (MID) has surpassed $1.1 billion in criminal restitution and civil recoveries since its inception in 1979. In 2024 alone, MID recovered over $19 million related to Medicaid fraud cases.
In November 2024, the State Crime Lab uploaded 1,086 samples to CODIS, resulting in 34 database hits involving individuals arrested or convicted of offenses requiring DNA collection. Since implementing CODIS, there have been more than 11,806 hits aiding over 9,467 law enforcement investigations. These efforts are contributing to arrests related to sexual assault cold cases following Stein's announcement that North Carolina ended its rape kit backlog earlier this year.
For ongoing updates about kit testing and CODIS results, visit www.ncdoj.gov/testthekits.