And an appellate decision in February denied the government the chance to seize any ill-gotten profits from the tobacco industry's past practices and imposed a "forward-looking" model on any penalties.

These documents provide the first evidence of ill-gotten profits from slavery, which profits in part capitalized insurers whose successors remain in existence today.

But there is apparently nothing that can be done to force them to disgorge their ill-gotten profits or punish them for past mendacities.

The tribes are becoming a nation of croupiers, in league with national gambling interests, while pretending ill-gotten profits are used primarily to educate their children.

The Government is also seeking any ill-gotten profits made through fraud and misrepresentations.

Brenlow's eagerness to share in ill-gotten profits showed how easily new customers would come into the fold.

Supporters of the legislation accused the Web companies of willfully lying about the legislation's flaws, stirring fear to protect ill-gotten profits from illegal Web sites.

Four months later, Mr. Salinas Pliego reaped more than $109 million in suspected ill-gotten profits by selling the Unefon debt back, at full price, to TV Azteca.

The exact figure, which was not disclosed, covers their ill-gotten profits from the improper trading plus a 20 percent penalty and interest, the I.R.S. said.

The law provided for penalties of up to 20 years in jail, $25,000 in fines and forfeiture of ill-gotten profits.