PORTLAND, Ore. - Attorney General Loretta Lynch presented 279 Justice Department employees and 33 individuals, including 12 people in the District of Oregon, with Attorney General Awards at a ceremony today in Washington, DC. These annual awards recognize department employees and other individuals for their dedication to carrying out the Department of Justice’s mission.
“The individuals being honored today stand out within a department that holds all of its employees and partners to an extremely high standard of excellence," said Attorney General Lynch. “They have put in long hours, made immense sacrifices, and, in some cases, placed themselves in harm’s way. They have taken on issues that once seemed intractable, and made progress on problems that once seemed impossible. And their outstanding work is an inspiration to public servants everywhere."
The 12-person trial team in the matter of U. S. v. Mohamed Osman Mohamud was recognized for The Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Furthering the Interests of U.S. National Security. This award acknowledges a special act or service by a Department employee or group who has greatly contributed to protecting U.S. national security.
“This award recognizes the exemplary accomplishments of the Mohamud trial team as a significant milestone in protecting national security," said Acting U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams. “There were numerous unique legal challenges in this case: defining the scope of entrapment; protecting classified and sensitive information and techniques; and maintaining the secrecy of the classified true identities of the undercover agents. Throughout the litigation, the prosecutors met every challenge. Obtaining a guilty verdict in this case, therefore, did more than bring a dangerous extremist to justice. It affirmed the validity of terrorism sting investigations. Their dedication and work ethic greatly contributed to furthering the interests of national security."
The U.S. Attorney’s Office trial team, listed below, successfully investigated and prosecuted U.S. v. Mohamud for attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction, and was recognized today by receipt of this Attorney General’s Award.
* AUSA Ethan Knight was lead counsel on the investigation and prosecution.
* AUSA Pamala Holsinger joined the team post-indictment and co-chaired the trial.
* AUSA Jeffrey Sweet oversaw the investigation of the case through indictment.
* Trial Attorney Jolie Zimmerman was the Counter Terrorism Section liaison throughout the investigation and trial, handling much of the CIPA litigation.
* Susan Cooke performed automated litigation support duties for trial preparation and trial.
* Rena Rallis performed automated litigation support duties during the discovery phase.
* Lori McBryde provided all other support functions including trial preparation and handling of classified pleadings.
* Special Agent Ryan Dwyer was the lead case agent and testified at trial.
* Supervisory Special Agent Jared Garth supervised the discovery and trial preparation of the case, with particular responsibility for resolving issues involving classified information and sensitive law enforcement techniques.
* Special Agent Miltiadis Trousas managed the undercover operatives and testified at trial.
* Special Agent Elvis Chan managed the undercover operatives and testified at trial.
* Supervisory Special Agent Tom Ford was the FBI HQ liaison who supervised and obtained approvals for the undercover operation
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
