WEDNESDAY, JULY 30, 2003 WWW.USDOJ.GOV |
AG (202) 514-2007 TDD (202) 514-1888 |
ATTORNEY GENERAL JOHN ASHCROFT HONORS EMPLOYEES AND OTHERS AT THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE’S ANNUAL AWARDS CEREMONY
WASHINGTON, D.C.– More than 140 Justice Department employees, along with 21 other federal employees and law enforcement officers, were honored today at the Department’s 51st Annual Awards Ceremony at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C.
Attorney General John Ashcroft presented the Department’s highest award, The Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Service, to the members of the Buffalo Joint Terrorism Task Force for their exemplary performance in the dismantlement of the Lackawanna, New York terrorist cell. These 18 investigators and analysts employed sophisticated investigative techniques in the investigation, plus demonstrated outstanding talent and dedication in neutralizing an Al-Qaeda link.
"The united work of every person in every component of this Department allows us to focus on our top priority: to prevent another horrific day such as September 11th. I commend all of you for your contribution to this end. You are the doers. You are the achievers. You are the extraordinary men and women on the ground and in the trenches advancing the mission of the entire Department of Justice," said Ashcroft.
The recipients of the Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Service include:
Federal Bureau of Investigation, Buffalo Division--Edward J. Needham, David M. Britten, Andrew J. Goralski, Steven J. Naum, Special Agents; Pedro D. Cordero, Supervisory Special Agent; Stanley J. Borgia, Assistant Special Agent in Charge; Adrienne J. Leary, Mary Beth R. VanLew, Intelligence Research Specialists; Karen V. Lawrence, Intelligence Operations Specialist; Francis J. Christiano, Jr. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives--New York Division, Special Agent; William J. Hochul, Assistant U.S. Attorney, Western District of New York; Ranganath Manthripragada, Trial Attorney, Counterterrorism Section, Criminal Division; Kim Baglio, Special Agent, Buffalo Office, U.S. Secret Service; James J. Higgins, Jr., Senior Special Agent; Lawrence D. Krug, Special Agent, Buffalo Office, Former Immigration & Naturalization Service; Felix T. Cwynar, Border Patrol Agent, Buffalo Office, U.S. Border Patrol; Michael J. Szrama, Special Agent, Buffalo Office., U.S. Customs Service, U.S. Department of Homeland Security; and Thomas Michalski, Special Agent, Buffalo Division, Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Department of the Treasury.
The Department’s second highest award is the Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service. The Department presented 13 Service Awards this year.
Among the various recipients, this award was given to the Judicial Nominations Team, for facilitating the efforts of the Administration and the Department to nominate and confirm federal judges. As a result of their hard work and service, the Department has been able to assist the President in nominating 150 judicial candidates and facilitate the confirmations of no fewer than 117 Federal judges. These individuals, from the Office of Legal Policy, are: Adam H. Charnes, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Brian A. Benczkowski, Staff Director and Senior Counsel, Kristi L. Remington Senior Counsel; Lizette D. Benedi, Counsel; Nathan A. Sales, Counsel; William A. Hall, Jr., Counsel; and Sheila C. Joy, Professional Staff.
This award was also given to the team that investigated and prosecuted former Congressman James Traficant, Jr. These recipients are: Richard Mark Denholm, II, Special Agent, Criminal Investigative Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation; Michael S. Pikunas, Special Agent, Cleveland Field Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation; Assistant U.S. Attorneys--Northern District of Ohio, Craig S. Morford, Bernard A. Smith, and Matthew B. Kall.
T. Micheal Earp, Chief of Investigative Operations at the U.S. Marshals Service, was also awarded the Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service. Under his leadership, the USMS has experienced unprecedented successes in the apprehension of dangerous fugitives throughout the world. Patricia Campbell Glenn received the award for her outstanding performance in reducing and resolving major urban conflict, and has demonstrated exemplary skills in contingency planning to prevent disorder and provided leadership in the resolution of racial disputes.
This award was also granted to the law enforcement team that enhanced judicial security in Colombia. Their dedication and teamwork, despite exposure to high levels of personal danger, resulted in a comprehensive judicial security plan which included protective training for Colombian law enforcement officers. This team included the following individuals from the U.S. Marshals Service: Judicial Security Division--Rudolf J. Friederich, Chief Inspector; Richard Iannucci, Senior Inspector; Manuel R. Varela, Deputy, U.S. Marshal, District of Puerto Rico; and Christopher A. Barfield, Deputy U.S. Marshal, District of Indiana, U.S. Marshals Service.
Michael R. Grabowski and Stephen T. Will, both special agents with the Buffalo Resident Office, New York Division of the Drug Enforcement Agency, were honored for their investigation into web-based drug sales.
The following individuals from the Office of Legal Policy received awards--Kevin R. Jones, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, and Senior CounselsRobert Hinchman, Eric T. Gormsen, and Leland E. Beck. They were nominated for their sustained efforts in facilitating the Department’s response to terrorist attacks. Because of their work, the Department has been able to develop and obtain regulatory actions in an extremely expedited basis.
Awards of this same category were also given to the team members that investigated and prosecuted Kil Soo Lee and his accomplices, individuals guilty of enslaving and brutalizing hundreds of Vietnamese and Chinese garment workers. This was the largest human trafficking case in U.S. history. The team included: U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Hawaii--Mark J. Kappelhoff, Deputy Chief; David L. Allred, Lou E. de Baca, Special Litigation Counsels; Susan L. French, Robert J. Moossy, Trial Attorneys; Lorna L. Grenadier, Victim/Witness Specialist, Criminal Section, Civil Rights Division; Mei Wine, Victim/Witness Coordinator; Charles E. Beckwith, William S. Denson, Special Agents Honolulu Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Rebecca L. Story, Associate General Counsel, Former Immigration and Naturalization Service.
Rebecca Meiklejohn, Douglas M. Tween, and Elizabeth B. Pruitt, Trial Attorneys with the New York Field Office of the Antitrust Division, received awards for Distinguished Service for their exemplary efforts in the record-breaking prosecution of bid-rigging and related offenses in the New York food brokers and graphics investigations, in which multiple New York area public and non-profit entities were defrauded. Melanie Ann Putsay, the Deputy Director of the Office of Information and Privacy, received an award for the excellent legal advice she provides the Department’s senior leadership offices on record-disclosure issues. John M. Vanyur, Senior Deputy Assistant Director, Correctional Programs Division, Bureau of Prisons, received an award for his exceptional contributions to counterterrorism efforts by gathering intelligence information.
Clifford J. White, III, Deputy Director, Executive Office, U.S. Trustees, received an award for Distinguished Service for his extraordinary leadership of the U.S. Trustee Program’s fraud fighting efforts and his superior management of program activities. Valerie M. Willis, Assistant Director, Personnel Staff, Justice Management Division, received an award for her leadership in managing the Executive Resources Program for the Department.
The Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Furthering the Interests of U.S. National Security was received by Jeffrey A. Breinholt, Trial Attorney, Counterterrorism Section, Criminal Division, for his outstanding work on the terrorism prosecutions in Seattle, Detroit, Buffalo, Houston, San Diego, Portland, Oregon, Dallas, Chicago, Syracuse, New York, Boise, Idaho, and Tampa, Florida. Paul D. Clement, Principal Deputy Solicitor General, and Gregory G. Garre, David B. Salmons, and Sri Srinivason, Trial Attorneys, Office of the Solicitor General, received awards for their work on litigation involving challenges to the decisions of the President and the U.S. Armed Forces to detain enemy combatants as part of the ongoing war on terror.
David J. Karp, Senior Counsel, Office of Legal Policy, was named for his active and sustained efforts to improve Department policies relating to counterterrorism and counterintelligence investigations. Leslie S. Smith, Special Investigative Agent, and Todd J. Carpenter, Special Investigative Specialist, U.S. Penitentiary in Florence, Colorado, Federal Bureau of Prisons, received awards for their gathering of intelligence from inmates convicted of international terrorism or espionage. The following individuals received awards for their outstanding investigation and analysis of the former Immigration and Naturalization Service contacts with two September 11th terrorists: Office of the Inspector General--Patricia A. Sumner, Paul Yanowitch, Investigative Counsel, Office of Oversight and Review; Robert A. Bourban, Carmine L. Marino, Steve W. Hunter, Special Agents; Michael L Akin, Investigative Research Analyst, Investigations Division; Eileen L. Owen, Judy A. Sutrich, Program Analysts; Anne M. Sheppard, Assistant Director, Evaluations and Inspections Division; Stephen H. Fallowfield, Attorney-Advisor, Office of General Counsel,
John D. Arterberry, Deputy Chief, Fraud Section, Criminal Division, received the Attorney General’s Award for Fraud Prevention for his contributions to the Department’s enforcement programs targeting fraud, identity theft, and prime bank investment fraud. M. Elise Chawaga, Special Agent, Investigations Division, Office of the Inspector General, received an award for her management of the identification of fraud allegations connected with claims to the September 11th Victims Compensation Fund.
The Attorney General awarded the members of the Emergency Law Enforcement Services Forum with the Attorney General’s Award for Outstanding Contributions to Community Partnerships for Public Safety for their successful survey of law enforcement officers, the creation of Critical Infrastructure Protection Plan for the Emergency Law Enforcement Services Sector and the accompanying Guide for State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies. The members of Emergency Law Enforcement Services Forum are: David Christler, Deputy Superintendent, New York State Police; William M. Casey, Deputy Superintendent, Boston Police Department; J. Scott Finlayson, Chief, Springville Police Department; Russell Laine, Chief, Algonquin Police Department; Luise Armstrong, Sergeant, North Little Rock Police Department; Patrick Devlin, Assistant Chief of Police, New York City Police Department;J. Robert Hamrick, Chief Deputy, Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office; William J. Roberts, Sergeant, Charleston Police Department; and Dennis Holley, Supervisory Special Agent, Office of Congressional Affairs.
Thomas P. Coty, Senior Program Manager, National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, also received this award for his innovative and outstanding leadership in creating and managing the National Task Force on Interoperability.
The Attorney General presented the Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Law Enforcement, which recognizes outstanding professional achievements by law enforcement officers, to Joel G. Mercer, Special Agent, Buffalo Field Office, and to Michael A. Osborn, Special Agent, New York Field Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, for their exceptional efforts in the two and a half year long investigation and international manhunt for James Charles Kopp, the man responsible for killing Dr. Barnet Slepian, a provider of women’s reproductive health.
The Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Heroism was received by Mark J. Demas, Special Agent, Kansas City Field Division, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, for his leading role in an investigation which eventually dismantled the largest heroin trafficking organization in the St. Louis metropolitan area. Ralph Narramore, Senior Officer Specialist, U.S. Penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas, Bureau of Prisons, was also awarded this honor for his courageous actions when responding to a critical emergency in the recreation yard at the Fort Leavenworth Penitentiary Facility.
VaNessa P. Adams, Warden, Federal Prison Camp, Alderson, West Virginia, was given The Mary C. Lawton Lifetime Service Award, an award that recognizes employees who have served at least 20 years in the Department and have demonstrated high standards of excellence. David A. Johnston, Gregory T, Spayth, and Martin K. Sigsworth, Detectives with the Aurora, Illinois Police Department, were awarded The William French Smith Award for Outstanding Contributions to Cooperative Law Enforcement, an award that recognizes those in the state and local law enforcement communities who have made significant contributions to cooperative law enforcement goals.
A number of other awards were also presented:
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN MANAGEMENT
W. Benjamin Fisherow
Deputy Chief
Environmental Enforcement Section
Environment & Natural Resources Division
Bruce G. Ohr
Chief
Organized Crime and Racketeering Section
Criminal Division
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY
Eleanor A. Carpenter
Deputy Director
Rena J. Cervoni
Deana M.C. Willis
Assistant Directors
Office of Attorney Recruitment & Management
Karen L. Humes-Dancy
Human Resources Specialist
Personnel Staff
Justice Management Division
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S AWARD FOR EQUAL EMPLOYMENT
OPPORTUNITY
Fernando Gaspar De Alba
Fabric Worker Supervisor
Dwight C. Greene
Human Resource Manager
Thomas P. Lemieux
Special Education Teacher
Teresa D. Lewis
Human Resource Specialist
Gina B. Pierce
Budget Analyst
U.S. Penitentiary
Pollock, Louisiana
Federal Bureau of Prisons
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN LEGAL SUPPORT
PARALEGAL CATEGORY
Karen P. Dixon
Ashley R. Rohde
Paralegal Specialists
U.S. Attorney’s Office
Eastern District of Louisiana
LEGAL SECRETARY CATEGORY
Marsha A. Pfunder
Legal Assistant
Environmental Enforcement Section
Environment & Natural Resources Division
Martha J. Watson
Legal Clerk
U.S. Trustee’s Office
Norfolk, Virginia
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN ADMINISTRATIVE
SUPPORT
ADMINISTRATIVE CATEGORY
Mary Jane Coyne
Intelligence Research Specialist
Buffalo Field Office
Federal Bureau of Investigation
SECRETARIAL CATEGORY
Doris L. McMurray
Senior Lead Secretary
Commercial Litigation Branch
Civil Division
Angel R. Paulson
Confidential Assistant to the Director
Office of Public Affairs
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING SERVICE IN
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT ADMINISTRATION
Kathy M. Harris
Senior Paralegal Specialist
Mid-Atlantic Regional Office
Federal Bureau of Prisons
THE CUBBY DORSEY AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS BY A
WAGE GRADE SYSTEM EMPLOYEE
Phillip G. Jackson
Materials Handler Supervisor
Criminal Justice Information Services Division
Federal Bureau of Investigation
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS BY
A NEW EMPLOYEE
David L. Calone
Trial Attorney
Antitrust Division
Kim A. Herd
Assistant U.S. Attorney
District of Columbia
THE JOHN MARSHALL AWARD
TRIAL OF LITIGATION
James Letten, Acting U.S. Attorney
Fred P. Harper, Jr.
Peter G. Strasser
Michael W. Magner
Stephen A. Higginson
Assistant U.S. Attorneys
Eastern District of Louisiana
Todd L. Greenberg
Assistant U.S. Attorney
Western District of Washington
Jennifer C. Ihlo
Special Litigation Counsel for Criminal Tax Matters
Melissa E. Schraibman
Amanda Boog Cruser
Trial Attorneys
Criminal Enforcement Section
Tax Division
Martha E. Rubio
Trial Attorney
Counterterrorism Section
Criminal Division
Kenneth D. Bell
First Assistant U.S. Attorney
D. Scott Broyles
Assistant U.S. Attorney
Western District of North Carolina
PARTICIPATION IN LITIGATION
Kevin R. Feldis
Assistant U.S. Attorney
Elisa P. Holland
Lieutenant Commander, U.S. Coast Guard &
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney
District of Alaska
Joseph A. Poux
Richard A. Udell
Trial Attorneys
Environmental Crimes Section
Environment & Natural Resources Division
Lawrence G. McDade, Deputy Director
Barbara J. Alkalay
Former Staff Attorney
Office of Consumer Litigation
Civil Division
SUPPORT OF LITIGATION
Amy Chang Lee
Assistant Chief
Robert C. Dalton
Melissa Marquez Oliver
David J. Stander
Catherine M. Weinstock
Trial Attorneys
Mervyn Hamburg
Supervisory Trial Attorney
Organized Crime and Racketeering Section
Criminal Division
HANDLING OF APPEALS
Frank P. Cihlar
Trial Attorney
Appellate Section
Tax Division
Kent L. Jones
Tax Assistant to the Solicitor General
Office of the Solicitor General
Michael S. Raab
Special Counsel
Appellate Staff
Civil Division
PROVIDING LEGAL ADVICE
Richard C. Owens
Trial Attorney
Office of International Affairs
Criminal Division
PREPARATION AND HANDLING OF LEGISLATION
Roger R. Martella
Assistant Section Chief
Indian Resources Section
Patricia L. Weiss
Assistant Section Chief
R. Anthony Rogers
Senior Trial Attorney
General Litigation Section
Environment & Natural Resources Division
ASSET FORFEITURE
Gary L. Stein
Marc A. Weinstein
Barbara A. Ward
Assistant U.S. Attorneys
Southern District of New York
ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION
Catherine B. Banerjee Rojko
Senior Counsel
Drenaye L. Houston
Anna C. Thode
Patrick M. Casey
Senior Attorneys
Amy R. Gillespie
Scott D. Bauer
Christy L. King
Trial Attorneys
Environmental Enforcement Section
Cynthia S. Huber
Senior Attorney
General Litigation Section
Environment & Natural Resources Division
INTERAGENCY COOPERATION IN SUPPORT OF LITIGATION
John K. Webb
Assistant Counsel, Office of the Inspector General
Social Service Administration
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