This is likely a criminal case: the government goes to court not you. You of course can (should!) sue as well, but you are looking for something different. For sure get a good lawyer, they will get you a nice sum of money after their fees, and do this all at no cost to you (other than time you have to spend in court - but in this case it is worth it just be punish them for their actions)
> aren’t the damages limited to the deposit amount?
No.
They might be. There may also be compensation for time, effort and distress. In some cases, statute provides double and treble damages, or allows for reïmbursement of legal costs.
More directly: the links I provided are more criminal than civil in nature. Damages are relevant in sentencing.
