Rebecca C. Lutzko United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Ohio honored employees for their outstanding work during the 2025 calendar year, according to an April 28 announcement. The awards were presented at the office’s annual USAO Awards ceremony held on April 17.
The recognition highlights the importance of dedicated service in supporting public safety and upholding federal law enforcement responsibilities across northern Ohio. The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio is responsible for promoting community safety and protecting residents through outreach and victim services across its jurisdiction, according to the official website.
United States Attorney David M. Toepfer said, “Each year, we recognize a special group of employees for their exceptional achievements. The contributions of these men and women—whether behind the scenes or in the courtroom—are critical in executing our mission to protect the public by aggressively enforcing the law.” Toepfer also said, “These recognitions signify our deep appreciation for their hard work and dedication to serving our office, and to the people of Northern Ohio.”
Awards were given across administrative, criminal, and civil divisions. Recipients included Assistant United States Attorneys Robert Corts (Career Achievement Award), Joseph Czerwien (Attorney of the Year), Elliot Morrison (Supervisor of the Year), as well as paralegal specialist Karen Vesely (Support Staff Career Achievement Award). Other staff recognized included Andrew Hejl (Excellence in Administrative Support), Tina Tennant (Excellence in Civil Support), Ekaterina Marceta and Kristen Eder (Excellence in Criminal Support). Teams were also recognized: a Project Safe Childhood prosecution team received honors for Excellence in Criminal Advocacy; a litigation team was awarded Excellence in Civil Advocacy; while another group received a Merit Award related to a complex cryptocurrency/cybercrime case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office serves as chief federal law enforcement within its district under the Department of Justice according to its official website. Its duties include enforcing federal criminal laws related to national security and public corruption while defending civil suits against the United States according to its official website. The office covers forty northern counties with locations in Cleveland, Toledo, Akron, and Youngstown according to its official website.
In addition to prosecuting cases involving national security or civil rights violations, it works closely with schools and local law enforcement agencies on community engagement initiatives according to its official website. As part of federal law enforcement efforts throughout northern Ohio according to its official website, these employee recognitions reflect ongoing commitments both inside courtrooms and through broader outreach programs.
