COLUMBUS, Ohio - United States Attorney Carter M. Stewart, 46, of Gahanna, Ohio, has announced his resignation effective midnight on March 11, 2016. After his resignation, he plans on joining a non-profit/foundation in the Columbus area.
“Not just serving as U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of Ohio, but serving under this president and these Attorneys General Holder and Lynch, has been the highest honor of my professional career," U.S. Attorney Stewart said. “I could not be prouder to call myself a member of this U.S. Attorney’s Office. There are no more dedicated public servants than the men and women in this office who push themselves every day to pursue our core mission: protecting and serving the citizens of the Southern District of Ohio through the ethical, vigorous, impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States."
Entering office in 2009 during the height of the national financial crises and the collapse of the housing market, U.S. Attorney Stewart established White Collar crime with a focus on mortgage fraud as a top priority for the district, in addition to National Security and Violent Crime. More recently, as the opioid epidemic has grown, he has increased resources for prosecuting pill mills, preventing opioid/heroin abuse and treating addiction.
Emphasizing prevention, Stewart created a robust outreach program in the District, establishing the position of Outreach Coordinator to better understand community needs. He made efforts to be a consistent and accessible resource for the community and also encouraged greater involvement in reentry efforts. Stewart prioritized building trust between community and law enforcement.
“Since 2009, U.S. Attorney Carter Stewart has served the people of the Southern District of Ohio - and all Americans - with fidelity and distinction," said Attorney General Loretta Lynch. “Throughout his tenure, he has brought his collaborative approach to a wide range of issues, convening important summits on civil rights, cybercrime, juvenile justice, and opioid abuse. He helped to strengthen our global partnerships by representing the U.S. Attorneys community abroad. And as a member of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee, he spearheaded vital efforts to promote racial equality and to protect children throughout the United States. In these and in many other undertakings, Carter distinguished himself through his hard work, his dedication, and his integrity. I want to thank him for his outstanding contributions, and I wish him the best as he continues his public service career in the nonprofit sector."
Stewart brought together a diverse group of stakeholders through the creation of the Columbus Community Engagement Council, which included community leaders who represent the city’s diversity in terms of ethnicity, race, faith and sexual orientation.
Under his leadership, the office convened education professionals, medical personnel, faith leaders, advocates and the business community to raise awareness about various issues including civil rights for new Americans, cybersecurity, child exploitation, human trafficking, the school-to-prison pipeline and violent extremism.
Stewart, a graduate of Stanford University, Columbia University and Harvard Law School, previously worked as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in San Jose, Calif., where he prosecuted a variety of cases including drug and gun crimes, environmental crimes, and the illegal distribution of steroids to professional athletes. During his tenure as U.S. Attorney, he served on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee and chaired the Attorney General’s Child Exploitation Working Group and the Racial Disparities Working Group.
Among the cases prosecuted under Stewart:
U.S. v. William M. and Connie M. Apostelos is a pending case which charges the couple, who oversaw multiple companies in the Dayton, Ohio area, with orchestrating an alleged $70 million Ponzi scheme.
U.S. v. Keith A. Arrick, Sr. and Keith A. Arrick, Jr. is a case in which a father and son have both been sentenced for running a sex trafficking operation. Arrick Sr. was sentenced to 13 years in prison and Arrick Jr. was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
U.S. v. Mark M. Beatty is the first criminal enforcement of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act in the Southern District of Ohio. It involves a Jackson County man who has pleaded guilty to illegally purchasing Native American human remains. Beatty has not been sentenced yet.
U.S. v. Columbus Steel Castings Company, Inc. resulted in the company paying $825,000 for violating the Clean Air Act. Part of that money funded a Conservation Classroom Program in ten schools in South Columbus within the Columbus Public Schools.
U.S. v. Christopher Lee Cornell involves a 21-year-old Cincinnati-area man charged with attempting to provide material support to ISIL and other related offenses. He allegedly plotted, planned and attempted to attack the U.S. Capitol and kill government officials.
U.S. v. Shane K. Floyd et al. resulted in a jury trial at which school officials charged with a bribe and kickback scheme were found guilty of a $500,000 public corruption scheme. Four defendants were sentenced for their roles in connection with the crimes at the Arise Academy in Dayton, Ohio. School officials solicited and accepted bribes in exchange for a lucrative, unbid consulting contract.
U.S. v. Glen Galemmo involves an investment company owner who was sentenced to 188 months in prison for operating a Ponzi scheme that defrauded investors of more than $87 million. Galemmo used the money as his personal bank, paying country club fees, taking luxurious vacations and buying real estate, clothing and jewelry.
United States ex rel. Fry v. Health Alliance of Greater Cincinnati, Inc (HAGC).-In 2010, HAGC and The Christ Hospital paid $110 million for violating the anti-kickback statute and False Claims Act by paying physicians for referring cardiac patients to The Christ Hospital.
U.S. v. Robert Ledbetter et al. (Short North Posse) is the largest federal murder indictment in Ohio’s history. The racketeering case involves 20 defendants and 13 previously unsolved murders. A trial is set for April 2016.
U.S. v. Charles M. McBeath and Antonio J. Spiva includes charges against two Dayton, Ohio men for distributing heroin and fentanyl that resulted in overdose deaths. Distribution resulting in death is a crime that is punishable by a mandatory minimum of 20 years up to lifetime imprisonment.
U.S. v. Abdirahman Mohamud involves a 23-year-old Columbus, Ohio resident and naturalized citizen who is charged with providing material support to terrorists (al-Nusrah). He allegedly traveled to Syria to obtain terrorist training and was instructed to return to the United States and commit an act of terrorism.
U.S. v. James O. Napier involves a Cincinnati man that was sentenced to serve 240 years in prison for producing child pornography involving an 11-month old infant and an approximately nine-year-old child.
U.S. v. Robert Frank Poandl involves a priest that was sentenced to 90 months in prison for illicit interstate transportation of a minor. A jury convicted Poandl on Sept. 20, 2013. Testimony presented during the trial showed that, in August 1991, Poandl transported a 10-year- old boy from Cincinnati to West Virginia where he sexually assaulted the child. The crime was not disclosed until the victim came forward in 2009.
U.S. v. John P. Raphael is a pending case in which Raphael, a Columbus lobbyist, has pleaded guilty to extortion in relation to contracts with a red light photo enforcement company. Raphael repeatedly pressured and induced the company to make campaign contributions to the campaigns of various elected officials. He communicated to the company that it would lose its contracts and suffer an economic loss if it did not make the payments. Thus, Raphael obtained and attempted to obtain the funds by the wrongful use of fear of economic harm.
U.S. v. Paul H. Volkman resulted in four life sentences for a physician who was the largest physician dispenser of Oxycodone in the U.S. from 2003 to 2005 and whose illegal distribution of the pills led to the deaths of four people.
The Southern District of Ohio covers 48 counties in the state, and includes offices in the cities of Cincinnati, Columbus and Dayton. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has 52 attorneys and is responsible for conducting all criminal and civil litigation involving the United States government in Southern Ohio.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
