Largest Increase in AUSAs in Decades Allocates [3] Prosecutors to the Middle District of Pennsylvania to Focus on Violent Crime, Civil Enforcement, and Immigration Crimes
HARRISBURG - Attorney General Jeff Sessions and U.S. Attorney David J. Freed for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announce that the Department of Justice is taking a dramatic step to increase resources to combat violent crime, enforce our immigration laws, and help roll back the devastating opioid crisis.
In the largest increase in decades, the Department of Justice is allocating 311 new Assistant United States Attorneys to assist in priority areas. Those allocations are as follows: 190 violent crime prosecutors, 86 civil enforcement prosecutors, and 35 additional immigration prosecutors. Many of the civil enforcement AUSA’s will support the newly created Prescription Interdiction & Litigation Task Force which targets the opioid crisis at every level of the distribution system.
"Under President Trump's strong leadership, the Department of Justice is going on offense against violent crime, illegal immigration, and the opioid crisis-and today we are sending in reinforcements," said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. "We have a saying in my office that a new federal prosecutor is 'the coin of the realm.' When we can eliminate wasteful spending, one of my first questions to my staff is if we can deploy more prosecutors to where they are needed. I have personally worked to re-purpose existing funds to support this critical mission, and as a former federal prosecutor myself, my expectations could not be higher. These exceptional and talented prosecutors are key leaders in our crime fighting partnership. This addition of new Assistant U.S. Attorney positions represents the largest increase in decades."
In the Middle District of Pennsylvania, one of these AUSAs will focus on violent crime, one on affirmative civil enforcement, and one on litigation involving illegal immigrants challenging their detention status.
“In the Middle District of Pennsylvania we are excited and energized that Attorney General Sessions and his team have recognized that our hard work in these focus areas merits additional resources," said United States Attorney Freed. “We are laser focused on working with all of our federal, state and local partners in the fight to reduce violent crime. We are taking a strong stand against fraud stemming from the opioid crisis including overprescribing and treatment scams, consistent with the Attorney General’s mandate to reduce opioid related deaths, and working hard to uphold the integrity of our borders by focusing on recidivist illegal immigrants. We are looking forward to welcoming new members to our team."
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
