U.S. Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
October 28, 2008
|
OPA
(202) 514-2007
TDD (202) 514-1888
www.usdoj.gov
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Attorney General Mukasey Recognizes Department Employees and Others for Their Service at Annual Awards Ceremony
Attorney
General Michael B. Mukasey recognized 250 Department employees
for their distinguished public service today at the 56th Annual
Attorney General Awards Ceremony. Twenty-two other individuals
outside of the Department also were honored for their work.
Held at Constitution Hall, this annual ceremony recognizes
both Department employees and others for their dedication
to carrying out the Justice Department’s mission.
Attorney General Mukasey and Deputy Attorney General Mark
R. Filip presented the Attorney General’s Award
for Exceptional Service to two prosecution teams
responsible for the prosecution of United States v. Padilla
and United States v. Seale. The Attorney General’s
Award for Exceptional Service is the Department’s
highest award.
“The achievements of the people we honor today span
the globe, and are as broad as the mission of the Department:
To enforce the law and defend the interests of the United
States according to the law,” said Attorney General
Mukasey. “We all serve that mission in different ways,
but what all of these award recipients have in common is that
they have reached the highest level of accomplishment in the
work that they do.”
The Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Service was presented to the team that investigated and prosecuted
Jose Padilla, Adham Hassoun and Kifah Jayyousi for supporting
Al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations engaged in murder,
kidnapping and maiming persons overseas. Their unprecedented
determination and courage in pursuing this unique and highly
complex prosecution for five years brought an end to the terrorist
activities of a network of Islamic extremists committed to
damaging the national security of the United States. This
trial team cemented a new prosecutorial model in terrorism
cases and set the standard for others to follow.
The recipients of the Attorney General’s Award for
Exceptional Service include, from the U.S. Attorney’s
Office for the Southern District of Florida, Assistant U.S.
Attorneys Russell R. Killinger, Brian
K. Frazier, John C.
Shipley Jr., Lisa Tobin Rubio, Anne
R. Schultz and Robert
K. Senior; Eileen C. Stafford, Legal Administrative Specialist;
Angel L. Martinez, Intelligence Specialist; and Hanif
K. Ali,
Computer Specialist; from the Office of the Deputy Attorney
General, Stephanie K. Pell, Counsel to the Deputy Attorney
General; from the FBI Miami Division, Special Agents Kent
T. Hukill and John T. Kavanaugh Jr.
The prosecution team that obtained a conviction in United
States v. Seale also received the Attorney General’s
Award for Exceptional Service. Evidence presented at trial
showed that on May 2, 1964, the defendant and his accomplices,
all members of the Klu Klux Klan, abducted two victims and
drove them into the Homochitto National Forest in Franklin
County, Miss., where they beat the victims and interrogated
them at gunpoint. Seale and the other Klansmen then bound
the two men, drove the victims to Parker’s Landing in
Warren County, Miss., and drowned them in the Old Mississippi
River.
The recipients of the Attorney General’s Award
for Exceptional Service from this team were, from
the Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division of the
Department of
Justice, Paige M. Fitzgerald, Special Litigation Counsel;
Eric L. Gibson, Trial Attorney; and Connie
Lee, Paralegal
Specialist; and from the FBI’s Jackson, Miss., Division,
William J. Stokes, Special Agent.
The Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Heroism is given to recognize an extraordinary act of courage and
voluntary risk of life during the performance of official
duties. This year, the award was presented to Capt. Ricardo
(Rick) Marques and Chris J. Jeansonne Jr., Cook Supervisor,
of the Federal Bureau of Prisons U.S. Penitentiary Pollock
in Louisiana.
Marques and Jeansonne were honored for their courageous response
and actions on April 20, 2007, at the U.S. penitentiary in
Pollock, La. Marques was the first responder to a volatile
confrontation among 250 inmates that occurred in the area
where Jeansonne was working. Marques contained the crowd while
being subjected to assaults by inmates. Jeansonne came to
Marques’ aid and together they defused the situation
by establishing locked barriers between two inmate factions
and calming the disturbance in the food service area. Due
to their leadership, courage, communication skills and effective
rapport with the inmate population, there were minimal inmate
injuries and no staff injuries.
The Edward H. Levi Award for Outstanding Professionalism
and Exemplary Integrity was presented to pay tribute to the
memory and achievements of former Attorney General Edward
H. Levi, whose career as an attorney, law professor and dean,
and public servant exemplified these qualities in the best
traditions of the Department. David Margolis, Associate Deputy
Attorney General for the Office of the Deputy Attorney General,
is presented the award this year.
Margolis has been a federal prosecutor for more than 40 years
and has brought his experience to a wide array of responsibilities
in the Office of the Deputy Attorney General. Margolis has
been called upon by the Department’s leadership to handle
some of the most sensitive criminal matters. The contributions
that Margolis has made are not simply characterized by his
length of service, but by his impact on the Department’s
policies and practices, his integrity and reliability, and
his dedication to the cause of justice.
The Mary C. Lawton Lifetime Service Award recognizes employees
who have served at least 20 years in the Department and have
demonstrated high standards of excellence and dedication throughout
their careers. This year’s award was presented to Douglas
C. Moore, Special Agent from the St. Paul, Minn., Division
for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
(ATF). Moore, a nationally recognized expert in the field
of fire and explosives investigations, has repeatedly been
called to duty during some of the nation’s most turbulent
times. In his 31-year career, Moore has conducted investigations
surrounding the 1992 Los Angeles riots, the 1995 bombing of
the Oklahoma City federal building, the 1996 Summer Olympics
bombing in Atlanta and the Unabomber attacks. He has been
the authority on determining the origin and cause of approximately
627 fire scenes, and others in his field seek to learn from
him.
The William French Smith Award for Outstanding Contributions
to Cooperative Law Enforcement is an honorary award granted
to recognize state and local law enforcement officials who
have made significant contributions to cooperative law enforcement
endeavors. This year’s award is presented to John
R. Chella, Commissioner Niagara Falls, N.Y. Police Department;
John C. Askey, Chief of Police Amherst, Mass. Police Department;
Timothy B. Howard, Sheriff Erie County, N.Y.; and Andrew
Cuomo,
Attorney General State of New York, for their formation and
implementation of the Western New York Regional Computer Forensic
Lab.
The Attorney General’s Award for Meritorious Public
Service is the top public service award granted by the Department,
and is designed to recognize the most significant contributions
of citizens and organizations that have assisted the Department
in the accomplishment of its mission and objectives. This
year’s award was presented to a team from America’s
Most Wanted. Recipients include John E. Walsh, Host; Lance
Heflin, Executive Producer; Stephen J. Katz, Supervising Producer;
Anthony B. Zanelotti, Director; Avery
D. Mann, Publicist;
and Gregory Ross Klein, Creative Producer.
The Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service is the Department’s second highest award for employee
performance. The recipients of this award exemplify the highest
commitment to the Department’s mission. Seventeen Distinguished
Service Awards were presented this year to individuals or
teams of people.
One award was presented to a team for their exceptional achievement
and exemplary efforts in the prosecution of four wildlife
smuggling rings—two based in Mexico and two in China—engaged
in illegal trafficking of endangered or otherwise protected
sea turtles and other protected species. Recipients were,
from the Environment and Natural Resources Division, Environmental
Crimes Section of the Department of Justice, Robert
S. Anderson,
Senior Trial Attorney; Colin L. Black, Trial Attorney; Stephen
J. Foster, Paralegal Specialist; and from the U.S. Attorney’s
Office for the District of Colorado, Linda A. McMahan, Assistant
U.S. Attorney. These prosecutions brought greater scrutiny
at home and abroad on the problem of transnational illegal
wildlife trade.
The Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service was also presented to a team in New York for their work during
the investigation and trial of Bonanno family acting boss
Vincent Basciano and the prosecution of the gangsters who
served him. Recipients were, from the U.S. Attorney’s
Office for the Eastern District of New York, Assistant U.S.
Attorneys Greg D. Andres, John D.
Buretta, Amy L. Busa and
Winston Y. Chan; Samantha E. Ward, Paralegal Specialist; and
Special Agents from the FBI New York Division, Michael
T. Breslin, Stacey G. Bowery, Eileen
O’Rourke and Jude
E. Tarasca. Basciano’s conviction was the product of
a lengthy investigation into the Bonanno family, which has
resulted in the incarceration of every major leader of this
violent criminal enterprise.
The Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service was presented to another group, honored for the exceptional
results they achieved in pursuing justice in the United Nations
Oil for Food scandal. Their commitment to pursuing justice
in this case resulted in the convictions of numerous high
profile businessmen, companies, United Nations officials and
diplomats; allowed the return of tens of millions of dollars
to the Iraqi people; and served as the catalyst for administrative
reforms at the United Nations. Members of the team were, from
the FBI New York Division, Supervisory Special Agent Benjamin
Berry; Special Agents Kathleen M. Diskin, Meghan
E. Miller,
Frank C. Manzi, Richard Kariewicz, Duane
Kuizema, and Nicolas
Panagako; Financial Analysts Pauline Tai and Herbert
M. Gastelu;
and Language Specialist Samira Y. Rizkalla; from the U.S.
Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York,
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward C. O’Callaghan and Michael
E. Farbiarz; and from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for
the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Assistant U.S. Attorney
Stephen A. Miller.
Another Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished
Service was presented to Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth
R. Chadwell and Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric
M. Straus,
both from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern
District of Michigan. Chadwell and Straus received the award
for their accomplishments in the prevention of terrorism and
promoting the national security of the United States. They
managed a three-year investigation and prosecution, which
resulted in the discovery and elimination of vulnerabilities
to the nation’s security within the intelligence community
and the U.S. military; uncovering numerous compromises in
classified national security investigations into the activities
of the designated foreign terrorist organization, Hezbollah;
and dismantling significant portions of Hezbollah’s
U.S. fundraising apparatus.
Nine individuals were awarded the Attorney General’s
Award for Distinguished Service for their work on the Military
Commissions Act and the Detainee Treatment Act. The group
worked tirelessly on these important cases, briefing and arguing
complex questions of constitutional and administrative law,
responding to motions filed by more than 100 detainees, and
closely coordinating with numerous client agencies and Department
components. Members of the group from the Civil Division of
the Department of Justice include, Jonathan F. Cohn, Deputy
Assistant Attorney General; Robert M. Loeb, Appellate Counsel; Matthew
M. Collette, Catherine Y. Hancock and August
E. Flentje,
Trial Attorneys; Jennifer A. Paisner, Senior Litigation Counsel
for the Office of Immigration Litigation; individuals from
the Office of the Solicitor General include, Gregory
G. Garre,
Solicitor General; Eric D. Miller and Nicole
A. Saharsky,
Assistants to the Solicitor General.
The group responsible for the prosecution of United States
v. Bartlett, et al. was awarded the Attorney
General’s
Award for Distinguished Service for their work on this high-profile
criminal civil rights prosecution in which seven Milwaukee
police officers were convicted of brutally assaulting two
young black men whom they had falsely accused of a crime.
Recipients were, from the Criminal Section of the Civil Rights
Division of the Department of Justice, Deputy Chief Stephen
J. Curran and Trial Attorney Edward G. Caspar; from the FBI
Milwaukee Division, Special Agents Mark A. Robel, George
R. Strong and Wayne E. Jackowski; from the U.S. Attorney’s
Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Assistant U.S.
Attorneys Mel S. Johnson and Carol
L. Kraft; and Paralegal
Specialist Theresa L. Kneser.
Another Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished
Service was presented to Trial Attorneys William
D. Dillon and Deana L.
Timberlake-Wiley from the Antitrust Division’s
Atlanta Field Office; Special Agents Thomas M. Mayhall and Barbee
A. Bryant, FBI White Collar Crime Squad. The team was
honored for the successful prosecution and conviction of 21
defendants—five corporations and 16 individuals—who
were charged with multiple counts of conspiracy to commit
bribery, honest services mail fraud, and obstruction of justice
in connection with a bribery and kickback scheme that subverted
the competitive bid process with respect to sewer rehabilitation
contracts in Jefferson County, Ala. In November 2007, the
sentencing of all 21 defendants was completed, resulting in
a total of $45,714,133 in criminal fines, 16,375 jail days
and $2,315,825 in restitution to Jefferson County.
Also awarded the Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished
Service was from the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), Gary
R. DiMartino, Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal, District of New Hampshire;
from the USMS Investigative Operations Division, Regional
Field Chief David M. Dimmitt, Chief Inspectors William
J. Sorukas Jr., John M. Cuff, Joseph
M. Parker and Andre J. LaBier;
Inspector Wayne S. Warren; Commander David
K. Robertson, Special
Operations Group, Technical Operations Division; Special Deputy
U.S. Marshal Jeffery M. May, Southeast Regional Task Force;
Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal W. S. Robertson Middle District
of Georgia; and from the Plainfield, N.H., Police Department,
Chief Gordon A. Gillens. The team is recognized for their
outstanding leadership and management of the investigation
and apprehension of dangerous fugitives Ed and Elaine Brown.
Due to the team’s professional management and careful
planning, the arrest of these armed fugitives was without
incident or injury.
Laura E. Duffy, Assistant U.S. Attorney from the U.S. Attorney’s
Office for the Southern District of California, was awarded
the Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service for her exceptional leadership, skill and tenacity, which
resulted in extraditions and successful prosecutions of the
leadership of the Arellano-Felix Organization (AFO) drug cartel.
Through 12 years of determination, Duffy provided the continuity
and focus necessary for a team of devoted agents and prosecutors
to dismantle the AFO. Duffy’s work represents a fine
example of commitment and dedication by an outstanding federal
prosecutor serving the people of the United States.
Another Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished
Service was awarded to Richard Farber, Senior Counsel for
Appellate Matters, Appellate Section of the Tax Division of
the Department of Justice. Farber was recognized for his distinguished
service in supervising the government’s appellate litigation
against abusive corporate tax shelters, resulting in landmark
appellate victories in the Black & Decker, Coltec, Dow
Chemical and Cemco cases. In all four cases, Farber demonstrated
his ability to make even the most complex facts and tax concepts
clear and understandable. Due in substantial part to his efforts,
the government prevailed on appeal in all four of these cases.
These victories turned the tide in the government’s
ongoing battle against abusive tax shelters, saved billions
of dollars in tax revenues and helped to restore public confidence
in the basic fairness of the nation’s tax system.
Carl Ghattas, Supervisory Special Agent, Counterterrorism
Division; Carolyn J. Murphy Special Agent, FBI Washington
Field Office; and Harry G. Temple were awarded the Attorney
General’s Award for Distinguished Service for their
work on a highly sensitive operation. This team displayed
exceptional professionalism and leadership in overcoming difficulties
and differences. Their efforts resulted in better relations
between agencies, and the operational plan they created jointly
fostered an atmosphere of unprecedented cooperation.
An additional Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished
Service was awarded to John R. Osterday, Deputy Assistant
Administrator, Office of Finance, Drug Enforcement Administration
(DEA), for financial management excellence. Under his leadership,
the DEA had no material weaknesses on the financial statements
for fiscal years 2005, 2006 and 2007.
Another Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished
Service was presented to Jason P. Salerno, Special Agent,
ATF Madison, Wisc., Office. On a voluntary detail in the Iraq,
Special Agent Salerno helped to relieve the suffering of children
and brought hope and humanity to more than a few young lives.
With his own life at constant risk, Salerno brought medical
care, supplies and assistance to several Iraqi children who
were physically deformed as a result of mortar fire from insurgents.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory W. Staples, Deirdre
Z. Eliot,
Craig H. Missakian and Douglas
F. McCormick from the U.S.
Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California;
from the FBI Los Angeles Division, Matthew S. Moon, Supervisory
Special Agent; Eric Velez-Villar, Special Agent in Charge;
James E. Gaylord and Rolando A. Tostado, Special Agents; from
the FBI Sacramento Division, Sheldon Fung, Special Agent;
and from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service Gunnar
Newquist, Supervisory Special Agent and Omar Lopez, Special Agent, were
presented with the Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished
Service for outstanding performance in the investigation and
prosecution of two critical national security cases: Chi Mak
and JIS. In each case, the federal agents demonstrated a singular
focus on bringing to justice those who would threaten our
nation’s security through espionage or acts of terror.
These investigations and prosecutions greatly furthered the
interests of U.S. national security and protected citizens
and the infrastructure from international and domestic threats.
Another Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished
Service was awarded to, from the U.S. Attorney’s Office
for the Central District of California, Assistant U.S. Attorneys
Mark A. Young, Peter A. Hernandez, David
P. Kowal and Michael
S. Lowe; Sareta Magee Taylor, Paralegal Specialist; from the
Los Angeles Police Department, Daniel T. Jenks, Detective
Sergeant; and David M. Torres, Detective; and from the Criminal
Investigation Division, Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Wilfred
Castro, Special Agent, for outstanding performance in the
investigation, prosecution and dismantling of the Vineland
Boys street gang. Their efforts resulted in the elimination
of a violent gang’s leadership, many of whom are now
serving mandatory life sentences for the murder of a police
officer and prosecution witness. The investigation and prosecution
of this violent gang became a template for future joint federal
and local investigations.
The Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service was also awarded to employees from the Fraud Section of the
Criminal Division of the Department of Justice, Deputy Chief J.
Kirk Ogrosky; Trial Attorneys John S. Darden and Harold
B. Walther; and Senior Program Analyst Steven
G. Shandy; from
the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District
of Florida, Assistant U.S. Attorney Randall D. Katz; former
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew I. Menchel; and Nurse Investigator
Edith M. Sposato; from the FBI Miami Division, Supervisory
Special Agents Randall C. Culp and Timothy
P. Donovan; Special
Agents Susan E. Devereaux, Scott
P. Neville, Shaun P. O’Neil and Brian
Waterman; and from the Office of the Inspector General,
Office of Investigations, Department of Health and Human Services,
Assistant Special Agent in Charge Bernardo Rodriguez; Special
Agents Manuel Hernandez, Julie Rivera and Ariel
Rodriguez.
The team received the award for their tireless efforts to
fight and deter Medicare fraud. During a seven-month period
from March through October of 2007, the team indicted 74 cases
and 120 defendants. Their efforts contributed to a drop in
Medicare Part B billing of $1.4 billion when compared to the
prior year. The tireless work, innovation and initiative of
these award recipients to fight Medicare fraud exemplify the
Department’s commitment to fraud prevention.
The team responsible for the implementation and pioneering
of the National Procurement Fraud Task Force was also awarded
the Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service.
Recipients were from the Fraud Section of the Criminal Division
of the Department of Justice, Steve A. Linick, Deputy Chief
of the National Procurement Fraud Task Force; Trial Attorneys James
J. Graham and Barbara A. Corprew; from the Antitrust
Division of the Department of Justice, Trial Attorney Bradford
L. Geyer; from General Services Administration, Brian
D. Miller,
Inspector General; and FBI Assistant Director Kenneth
W. Kaiser.
The Task Force was assembled in October 2006 to promote the
early detection, prevention and prosecution of procurement
and grant fraud associated with increasing contracting activity
for national security and other government programs. The Task
Force’s efforts have produced more effective resource
allocation in procurement fraud investigations, which has
led directly to the acceleration of investigations and prosecutions.
Since the creation of the Task Force, more than 300 fraud
cases have resulted in criminal charges, convictions, civil
actions or settlements.
The Award for Excellence in Law Enforcement recognizes outstanding
professional achievements by law enforcement officers of the
Department. Three Excellence in Law Enforcement Awards were
awarded this year.
The Award for Excellence in Law Enforcement was presented
to a team from DEA for their successful investigation and
prosecution of one of the most significant Afghan narco-terrorist
organizations. Recipients include, Paul K. Craine, Assistant
Special Agent in Charge, Special Operations Division; Michael
J. Ferguson Executive Assistant, Office of Enforcement Operations;
from the New York Division, James J. Hunt, Assistant Special
Agent in Charge; Special Agents Patrick J. Hamlette and Francis
X. Rau; from the Nassau County, N.Y., Office, Mark
Minelli,
Group Supervisor; and from the San Diego Division, William
R. Sherman, Assistant Special Agent in Charge. Their efforts
removed a significant source of funding for the Taliban, brought
two White House-designated foreign narcotics kingpins and
consolidated priority organization targets to justice, and
paved the way for a historic extradition relationship between
Afghanistan and the United States.
Another Award for Excellence in Law Enforcement was
presented to William P. Delaney, Special Agent, FBI Jackson,
Miss. Division
for his outstanding performance in the case of Operation
Benchmark,
in which a conspiracy of judicial bribery and honest services
wire fraud was uncovered and prosecuted.
From the FBI Los Angeles Division, Supervisory Special Agent
Ramyar Tabatabaian; Special Agents Jason
N. Smolanoff and
Todd Munoz; from FBI Beijing, China, Legal Attaché Steven
E. Hendershot and Assistant Legal Attaché Rodney
B. Osborne, were honored with the Award for
Excellence in Law Enforcement for the successful undercover and joint international
police investigation entitled Operation Summer Solstice. Their
efforts led to an unprecedented successful joint investigation
with the Ministry of Public Service in the People’s
Republic of China to enforce intellectual property laws. This
cooperative effort resulted in the arrest of 25 individuals,
the search of multiple businesses and residential locations,
asset seizures by the Chinese government worth more than $7
million, and the seizure of more than 290,000 counterfeit
software products in China with an estimated retail value
of $500 million.
The Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Management recognizes outstanding administrative or managerial achievements
that have significantly improved operations and productivity,
or reduced costs.
Irene S. Hernandez, was awarded the Attorney
General’s
Award for Excellence in Management for her stellar performance
while serving as the acting Director of the National Drug
Intelligence Center. Hernandez accepted the challenges and
responsibilities of overseeing the production of 37 major
drug reports, which provided a strategic overview of the illicit
drug situation and highlighted significant drug trends.
Another Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in
Management was presented to Chief Daire R.
McCabe and former
Chief Patricia Makely, Acquisitions Services, Library Staff,
Justice Management Division, for their management of the library
acquisitions program. Working as a team, they have managed
an $11 million acquisition program, acquiring library paper
and electronic resources for many Department components, including
all seven library locations and collections, the U.S. Attorneys’ offices
across the country and the 700 libraries of the Federal Bureau
of Prisons.
Linda G. Rudolph, Administrative Officer, USMS, Eastern District
of New York, also received the Attorney General’s Award
for Excellence in Management. Rudolph has served for more
than 30 years with the USMS and 37 years with the federal
government. Most recently, she rose to the challenge of developing
policy and procedures for the asset forfeiture program in
her district, managing $115 million in assets. Rudolph possesses
a leadership style distinguished by her professionalism, commitment
to others and devotion to service.
The Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Information
Technology recognizes outstanding achievements in applying
information technology to improve operations and productivity,
reduce or avoid costs and solve problems.
ATF employees W. Larry Bell, Deputy Assistant Director, Office
of Science and Technology; Hugo J. Barrera, Deputy Assistant
Director, Office of Strategic Intelligence and Information;
Larry D. Slaughter, Chief, Planning and Architecture Branch;
Kannatis B. Crawford, Telecommunications Manager, Office of
Science and Technology; Barbara A. Wright, Section Chief,
Resource Management Domain Section, were presented the Attorney
General’s Award for Excellence in Information Technology for the development of the Wireless Portal, which has revolutionized
the communication system of field agents at ATF.
An additional Attorney General’s Award for Excellence
in Information Technology was awarded to employees from the
Office of the Federal Detention Trustee, Claudia Hill-Bickham,
Assistant Trustee; Theodric Anderson, Senior Detention Facility
Program Manager; James J. Morgan, Detention Facility Program
Manager; Michael Thomas, Facilities Program Specialist; Brian
J. Coady, Project Manager; and Shannon B.
Brown, Chief Information
Officer, for implementing the Facility Review Management System.
The Attorney General’s Award for Excellence
in Furthering the Interests of U.S. National Security recognizes outstanding
achievements and contributions towards protecting U.S. national
security. Recipients were, from the FBI San Francisco Division, Charles
J. Esposito Jr., Supervisory Special Agent; Special
Agents Donaldo Wilson, Mark K. Hammell, Sang
T. Jung (deceased),
Scott Rakowitz, Elvis M. Chan, Y.J.M.
Mihara-Meer, Darrell
Aquin and David S. Parnell; Language Specialists Nadia
S. Nettleton and Marion L. Butros; Intelligence Analyst Dina
Badawy; from the FBI Salt Lake City, Utah, Division, Language
Specialist Assaad E. Chalhoub; and from the FBI Counterterrorism
Division, Special Agent Sanjay Virmani and Intelligence Analyst Sarah
E. Marconi.
This team was recognized for establishing one of the first
cyber-counterterrorism investigations of its kind in the FBI,
proactively addressing not only terrorist cyber threats, but
also their use of our Internet infrastructure to facilitate
their attacks. The team immersed itself in the terrorist cyber
realm, identifying and analyzing the terrorists’ use
of the Internet for command, control, and communication and
as an attack vector. The investigation uncovered hundreds
of cyber attacks against U.S.-based networks and identified
those responsible. Additionally, the intelligence gained has
lent vital support to the war on terrorism as it has led to
the arrest and neutralization of numerous known or suspected
terrorists.
An additional Attorney General’s Award for Excellence
in Furthering the Interests of U.S. National Security was
presented to a team from the National Security Division of
the Department of Justice, from the Office of Intelligence,
Deputy Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen; Associate
Counsels Tashina Gauhar, Gabriel
R. Sanz-Rexach, Robert P.
Boyer and Tara A. Hurley; Attorney Advisors Frank
P. Menna,
Stuart J. Evans, and Jonathan W.
Gannon; and Program Specialist
Colum J. Gatens; from the Office of Law and Policy, Deputy
Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers; former Counsel
for National Security Law and Policy George C. Bobb
III; and
former Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brett C.
Gerry.
The team received the award for their excellence in furthering
the interests of national security through their development
and handling of highly sensitive interagency initiatives involving
legal, technical and administrative issues related to the
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The team’s extraordinary
dedication and expert knowledge of intelligence and national
security was instrumental to the success of these vital initiatives.
The Attorney General’s Award for Equal Employment Opportunity is the Department’s highest award for performance in
support of the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Program.
This year’s recipient was Oliver C. Allen Jr., EEO Officer
for the DEA. Allen was recognized for his efforts in furthering
the goals of the program through effective leadership, imagination
and innovation. Since Allen became the agency’s EEO
officer, participation in EEO diversity and cultural programs
has increased two-fold.
The Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Legal
Support recognizes outstanding achievements in the field of
legal support to attorneys by paralegal specialists and other
legal assistants. The recipients were, from the Executive
Office for U.S. Trustees, Tina L. Oppelt, Paralegal Specialist,
Office of the U.S. Trustee, Newark, N.J.; from the USMS, John
A. Patterson, Torts Claims Administrator, Office of General
Counsel; from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District
of Oregon, Karen L. Klever, Forfeiture Paralegal Specialist
and Gerri L. Badden, Victim Witness Specialist; from FBI Portland,
Ore. Division, Cindy M. Dugan Forfeiture Paralegal Specialist;
from the Research and Publications Section, Office of the
Solicitor General, Candy P. Lubin, Technical Editor; Paralegal
Specialists Susan D. Ross, James
K. Davis and Michele M. Klatka.
The Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Administrative
Support recognizes outstanding performance in administrative
or managerial support by an administrative employee or secretary.
Recipients in the Administrative Category were, Mark
A. Jenkins,
Chief Procurement, Facilities and Administrative Services;
Procurement Liaison Specialist Carol S. Perry and Kathy
S. Thrift, Administrative Support Specialist, Executive Office,
National Security Division; Deputy Assistant Director Cathleen
C. McIntyre, Space Management Specialist Myriam
E. Skelly, Chau Huu Tran, General Engineer, Real Property Management
Services, Facilities and Administrative Services Staff, Justice
Management Division; and Thanet Williams, Supervisory Facilities
Management Specialist, Executive Office for U.S. Trustees.
Recipients in the Secretarial Category were Margaret
Miller,
Warden’s Secretary, Federal Correctional Complex Coleman,
Federal Bureau of Prisons; and Angela M. Brown, Secretary,
Office of the Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal
Division.
The Attorney General’s Award for Outstanding Service
in Freedom of Information Act Administration recognizes exceptional
dedication and effort to the implementation of the Freedom
of Information Act (FOIA). This year’s recipients, from
the Office of Legal Counsel, were Deputy Executive Officer
Elizabeth M. Farris; and Paralegal Specialists Tsedey
C. Berhanu,
Bernsteine B. Garrett, and Richard
A. Hughes. The team received
the award for their outstanding efforts in coordinating Office
of Legal Counsel responses to litigation-related requests
under FOIA.
The Attorney General’s Award for Fraud Prevention recognizes
exceptional dedication and effort to prevent, investigate
and prosecute fraud, white-collar crimes and official corruption.
Two awards were presented this year. One Attorney
General’s
Award for Fraud Prevention was presented to the team responsible
for investigating, and ultimately achieving a $499 million
settlement with the pharmaceutical manufacturer Bristol-Myers
Squibb. Recipients were, Andy J. Mao Senior Counsel for Health
Care Fraud and Elder Justice, Commercial Litigation Branch,
Civil Division of the Department of Justice; and from the
U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts,
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Susan M. Poswistilo and Gregg
D. Shapiro.
Another Attorney General’s Award for Fraud Prevention was presented to Special Agent Laura
Riley of the Office of
the Inspector General Investigations Division, and from the
U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New
York, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Coyne and Robert
M. Radick,
for their contributions to the investigation and prosecution
of rampant official corruption and civil rights violations
at a federal prison.
The Attorney General’s Award for Outstanding Contributions
to Community Public Safety recognizes outstanding achievement
in the development and support of community partnerships designed
to address public safety within a community. This year’s
recipients were FBI Forensic Dentists Peter F. Hampl, Gig
Harbor, Wash.; Barry E. Lipton, Largo, Fla.; and Warren
D. Tewes, Queenstown, Md. This team received the award for being
active members of the National Dental Image Repository Review
Panel.
Osbia N. Hicks, Messenger/Food Service Worker, Consolidated
Executive Office, Justice Management Division was presented
the Cubby Dorsey Award for Outstanding Contributions
by a Wage Grade System Employee for his commitment to excellence
and his ability to perform all assigned tasks with unfailing
accuracy and speed. This award recognizes extraordinary performance
and contributions by wage grade system employees, including
laborers, mechanics and skilled craft workers.
The Attorney General’s Award for Outstanding Contributions
by a New Employee recognizes exceptional performance and notable
accomplishments towards the Department’s mission by
an employee with fewer than five years of federal career service.
Recipients were, Arlene Irion Intelligence Analyst, FBI Los
Angeles Division; Bradley T. Smith, Attorney Advisor, Office
of Legal Counsel; and Kevin O. Driscoll, Senior Counsel to
the Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division.
The John Marshall Awards are the Department’s highest
awards offered to attorneys, for contributions and excellence
in specialized areas of legal performance. Thirteen awards
in eight categories were presented this year to teams and
individuals.
The John Marshall Award for Trial of Litigation was presented
to Jeremy F. Korzenik, Senior Trial Attorney; Deborah
L. Harris,
Assistant Chief for the Environmental Crimes Section; Katherine
J. Barton and John L. Smeltzer, Trial Attorneys, Appellate
Section, Environment and Natural Resources Division; and from
the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District
of Mississippi, Jay T. Golden, Assistant U.S. Attorney. The
team was recognized for their successful prosecution of Robert
Lucas and others in one of the most significant Clean Water
Act prosecutions in U.S. history.
The John Marshall Award for Trial of Litigation was also
presented to former Assistant U.S. Attorney John J.
Scully,
and Assistant United States Attorneys Mitchell A.
Mars (deceased)
and T. Markus Funk from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for
the Northern District of Illinois, for their investigation
and prosecution of Operation Family Secrets. This closely
watched sweep of the mob hierarchy greatly disrupted the effectiveness
of organized crime in Chicago.
Another John Marshall Award for Trial of Litigation was awarded
to Alexandra R. Gelber, Trial Attorney, Child Exploitation
and Obscenity Section, Criminal Division of the Department
of Justice; Audrey J. Renschen and Kimberley
Sayers-Fay, Assistant
U.S. Attorneys, from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for
the District of Alaska. The trial team was recognized for
their dedication to prosecuting United States v. Don Arthur
Webster Jr., the first sex trafficking trial in the District
of Alaska.
Trial Attorneys James D. Freeman, Heidi
Kukis Hoffman, Mark
C. Elmer and David F. Askman, from the Environmental Enforcement
Section, Environment and Natural Resources Division of the
Department of Justice, were presented with the John
Marshall Award for Participation in Litigation for their achievement
in litigation against W.R. Grace & Co., achieving a trial
court judgment of $54 million and obtaining a landmark settlement
of $250 million to resolve claims for cleanup costs incurred
and to be incurred at the Libby, Mont., Asbestos Superfund
site. This settlement will provide a direct benefit to the
residents of the town of Libby and help reduce their exposure
to asbestos.
Another John Marshall Award for Participation in
Litigation was awarded to Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael
J. Raphael and Douglas
M. Miller from the U.S. Attorney’s from
the Central District of California. Raphael and Miller received
the award for their outstanding litigation work on the successful
investigation and prosecution of the leaker of grand jury
transcripts during the Bay Area Laboratory Cooperative prosecution
in the Northern District of California. The investigation
and prosecution exemplifies strong efforts in upholding the
integrity of the legal system.
Another recipient of the John Marshall Award for
Participation in Litigation was Trial Attorney Luis
E. Saucedo, Special
Litigation Section, Civil Rights Division. Saucedo is recognized
for his work on a case involving the implementation of a consent
decree to correct unlawful conditions of confinement at juvenile
justice facilities in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The
safety and well being of approximately 900 youth has been
enhanced because of Saucedo’s efforts.
The John Marshall Award for Support of Litigation was presented
to employees from the Environmental Enforcement Section of
the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the Department
of Justice, for their work on the American Electric Power
settlement, the largest single environmental settlement in
history. Recipients were, W. Benjamin Fisherow, Deputy Chief;
Thomas Mariani, Assistant Chief; Phillip
A. Brooks, Counsel
to the Chief; James A. Lofton, Senior Counsel; Deborah
N. Behles, Former Trial Attorney; and Trial Attorneys Myles
E. Flint II, Justin A. Savage, Thomas
A. Benson, Jennifer A.
Lukas-Jackson and Katherine Vanderhook-Gomez.
Zita Y. Johnson-Betts, Supervisory Attorney, Disability Rights
Section, Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice,
was also presented the John Marshall Award for Support
of Litigation. Johnson-Betts was honored for outstanding leadership
in the overall development, management and implementation
of the Civil Rights Division’s testing program for compliance
with the nondiscrimination requirements of the Americans with
Disabilities Act.
The John Marshall Award for the Handling of Appeals was presented
to Malcolm L. Stewart, Assistant to the Solicitor General.
Stewart is recognized for his exemplary legal skills in handling
appeals and the vital role he has played in representing the
United States before the U.S. Supreme Court. During the past
year, Stewart personally argued four cases before the U.S.
Supreme Court, including two cases in one eight-day period.
This year’s John Marshall Award for Providing
Legal Advice was presented to Richard D.
Cooke, Assistant U.S. Attorney,
U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia;
George S. Leone, Assistant U.S. Attorney, U.S. Attorney’s
Office for the District of New Jersey; Robert D. Okun, Assistant
U.S. Attorney, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District
of Columbia; Robert A. Zauzmer, Assistant U.S. Attorney, U.S.
Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania;
Nina S. Goodman, Attorney, Appellate Section, Criminal Division
of the Department of Justice; and Michelle Morales, Attorney
Advisor, Office of Policy and Legislation, Criminal Division
of the Department of Justice. The team received the award
for their role in spearheading the Department’s response
to the retroactive crack cocaine guidelines. Their work enabled
those in the field to respond to the flood of motions with
speed, accuracy and uniformity.
The John Marshall Award for Preparation or Handling
of Legislation was awarded to Brian
A. Benczkowski, Chief of Staff, Office
of the Attorney General. Benczkowski provided outstanding
leadership in the Office of Legislative Affairs during his
tenure as the Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General.
He demonstrated remarkable ability in effectively articulating
the Department’s positions on legislation relating to
the War on Terror and other subjects that substantially affected
our interests. He also managed the confirmation process for
presidentially appointed nominees, which provided the Department
with Senate-confirmed leadership in critical positions. His
resolution of disagreements and other challenges in legislative,
oversight and confirmation processes constituted extraordinary
service to the Department.
The John Marshall Award for Asset Forfeiture was presented
to Courtney J. Linn, Assistant U.S. Attorney from the U.S.
Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California.
Linn was honored for outstanding legal policy, training and
case-related contributions to the asset forfeiture and money
laundering programs.
Four Assistant U.S. Attorneys from the U.S. Attorney’s
Office for the Southern District of New York received the
John Marshall Award for Dispute Resolution for the extraordinary
result they achieved through mediation of the government’s
environmental claims against the Dana Corporation, a bankrupt
auto-parts supplier. Due to the team members’ creative
and effective use of alternative dispute resolution, they
secured a $125 million settlement that will be used to clean
up two Superfund sites. Recipients were Pierre G.
Armand,
Daniel P. Filor, Matthew L. Schwartz and John
D. Clopper.
Other Department employees were recognized at the ceremony
for receiving the 2008 Presidential Rank Awards. Each year
the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) recommends awards
for career Senior Executive Service employees that have demonstrated
exceptional leadership, accomplishments and service over an
extended period of time. These recipients progressed through
a rigorous series of panels for review of their accomplishments
with recommendations going to OPM, and ultimately approved
by the President. Phillip H. Warren, Chief, Antitrust Division’s
San Francisco Field Office, was named a recipient of the Distinguished
Rank Award for achieving extraordinary results. The
Meritorious Rank Award recipients are M.
Faith Burton, Special Counsel,
Office of Legislative Affairs for the Department of Justice;
Ronnie A. Carter, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Dallas Office;
D. Scott Dodrill, Regional Director, Northeast Region, Federal
Bureau of Prisons; Wilfred L. Ford, Assistant Director, Office
of Public and Governmental Affairs, ATF; Stuart Frisch, General
Counsel, Justice Management Division; Timothy P. Garren, Torts
Branch Director, Civil Division of the Department of Justice;
Irva D. Greene, Executive Officer, Civil Rights Division of
the Department of Justice; Seth G. Heald, Chief, Civil Trial
Section, Central Region, Tax Division; James C. Kilbourne,
Chief, Appellate Section, Environment and Natural Resources
Division of the Department of Justice; Barry M. Sabin, former
Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Criminal Division.
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