U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert has announced his resignation, effective at midnight on January 11, 2025. He served as the Presidentially appointed U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California for two and a half years.

“It has been the honor of my lifetime to serve as the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of California, the district where I served as a federal prosecutor for two decades,” Talbert stated. He expressed gratitude towards President Biden and other officials who supported his appointment and commended his colleagues in law enforcement.

The role of U.S. Attorney involves prosecuting federal criminal cases and representing the United States in civil litigation across 34 counties within the Central Valley and Sierras. The office employs almost 100 attorneys and non-attorney staff with locations in Sacramento, Fresno, and Bakersfield.

Following Talbert's departure, Michele M. Beckwith will assume duties as Acting U.S. Attorney under the Vacancies Reform Act. Beckwith is experienced in this field, having previously served as First Assistant U.S. Attorney to Talbert.

Talbert's career spans over three decades with significant contributions to justice administration in California's Eastern District through various leadership roles since 2011. His national involvement includes work on subcommittees related to civil rights and controlled substances.

Before joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Talbert held positions within the Department of Justice in Washington D.C., worked at Stoel Rives LLP in Seattle, and served as a law clerk for Circuit Judge David R. Thompson.

Talbert holds degrees from Harvard University, University of Sydney, Australia (on a Rotary Foundation Scholarship), and UCLA School of Law where he was Chief Articles Editor for UCLA Law Review.

During his tenure, notable criminal cases included fraud prosecutions against Bitwise Industries' executives; violent crime investigations involving MS-13; firearm trafficking schemes; child exploitation cases; drug trafficking operations; pandemic relief fund frauds; environmental violations; bank robbery rings; law enforcement misconduct prosecutions; Yosemite National Park crimes; DMV corruption cases.

Civilly, under Talbert’s leadership there were healthcare fraud settlements including Health Net Federal Services’ $97 million payment to Veterans Administration among others, forest fire damage recoveries like PG&E’s $117 million Camp Fire settlement, COVID relief program fraud settlements, emissions control circumvention case settlements totaling $3.1 million.

He also initiated community outreach programs focusing on interfaith connections and hate crime awareness while promoting diversity through initiatives such as Sacramento Region Diversity Career Fair which connected diverse legal professionals with employers annually for three years.