You have opened the door to an interesting legal issue. Where do victims of a criminal act stand when there is a just conviction of a defendant? I was involved in a case several years ago in which the defendant was convicted in a 24 count indictment...of which there were allegations of wire fraud (Use of telephone lines) and mail fraud. The defendant was convicted.

After the conviction and under certain state and/or federal crime victims recovery statutes the victims in the case legally stood in the same position in which they would have found themselves had they sued in a civil case and won. They recorded judgment liens on whatever property of the defendant's they could find. The problem would seem to be locating any remaining property upon which to file a lien.