Criminal Division

The Criminal division is the largest group of attorneys in the office. The division consists of 93 Assistant United States Attorneys. For management purposes, the Criminal Division is divided into eight teams. Each team has a team leader who also serves as the chief of cases in a particular subject. Attorneys in the Criminal Division are assigned to teams and the team leader serves as an administrative head of the team. Our criminal assistants are generalists within all areas of criminal law.

The team leaders also serve as subject matter chiefs. They maintain expertise in these areas and maintain relationships with the investigative agencies in their subject matter. The sections are:

• Narcotics
• Financial Institution Fraud and Identity Theft
• Government Fraud, Health Care Fraud, and Environmental Crimes
• Official Corruption, Tax Fraud and Civil Rights
• Firearms
• Violent Crime, Terrorism and Immigration Fraud
• Fraud
• Computer Crimes

The Criminal Division also includes approximately 51 Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys assigned from other federal agencies and local prosecutor's offices to handle firearms offenses and other rmatters.

The Organized Crime Team

The responsibility in the U.S. Attorney's Office for dealing with both traditional and certain non-traditional organized criminal groups is assigned to the Organized Crime team.  This team has the responsibility in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania for coordinating federal invetigations and prosecutions in cases related to, and involving, the following criminal organizations:  1) La Cosa Nostra; 2) Eastern European/Russian organized crime groups; 3) Asian organized crime groups; and 4) criminal organizations orginating in Italy, including the Sicilian Mafia, the Camorra, and the N'drangheta.  The Organized Crime team also handles "special circumstance" investigations, as well as matters involving human trafficking and outlaw motorcycle gangs.

The Organized Crime team is headed by a Chief and Deputy Chief.  The staffing is augmented occasionally by Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys from local, state and federal agencies.  This underscores the advantage of cooperative law enforcement when investigating and prosecuting organized crime groups.

Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs

The Narcotics and Dangerous Drug Section prosecutes violations of federal narcotics laws including the illegal trafficking of cocaine, crack, heroin, methamphetamine and other controlled substances. Federal prosecutions focus in particular on the importation of illegal narcotics, interstate, large-scale or organized drug trafficking, or individuals or groups that use violence in the course of drug dealing. State and local authorities, such as the Philadelphia Police and the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office, prosecute the vast majority of narcotics offenders. This office focuses its efforts on international, interstate and organized drug offenders, coordinating its efforts with the state and local authorities. The United States Attorney's Office also prosecutes cases involving the diversion of prescription drugs for illegal sale.

The United States Attorney's Office participates in Weed & Seed, a program designed to create a partnership between law enforcement and community groups to improve neighborhoods. For more information on the Weed & Seed program, go to the following link - Weed & Seed - or contact Michele Rajsic of the U.S. Attorney's Office at (215) 861-8218.

Criminal prosecutions brought by this office are most often investigated by one of the following federal agencies, frequently acting together with state and local authorities:

• Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) 215-861-3474
• Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) 215-418-4000
• Immigration and Customs Enforcement 215-597-4305
• United States Postal Inspection Service 215-895-8450

If anyone has information regarding narcotics trafficking, please contact Thomas Perricone, Chief of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Section at (215) 861-8419, or one of the federal agencies listed above. The Philadelphia Police Department drug hotline is (215) 686-3784.

Financial Institution Fraud and Identity Theft

The Financial Institution Fraud Section is responsible for prosecuting a broad spectrum of bank fraud acts and schemes designed to profit persons both inside and outside and institution. The Section also investigates/prosecutes crime in other related areas. Prosecutions supervised by the Financial Institution Fraud Section include:

1. Bank Fraud - Major bank fraud matters include check kites, false loans, embezzlement and misapplication of bank funds by insiders, counterfeit, stolen and forged checks.
   Federal Agencies:
   FBI (215) 418-4000
   U.S. Secret Service (215) 861-3300
   Federal Deposit Insurance Corp (FDIC) (202) 416-2912
   
2. Credit Card Fraud - FBI / U.S. Secret Service / U.S. Postal Inspection Service (215) 895-8450
   
3. Counterfeit Currency - U.S. Secret Service
   
4. Food Stamp Fraud - Department of Agriculture (610) 337-2237
   
5. Money Laundering - FBI / U.S. Secret Service
   ICE (215) 597-4305
   U.S. Postal Inspection Service
   
6. Immigration and Passport Fraud - BCBP (215) 597-4606
   State Department (215) 861-3370
   
7. Communications Fraud - U.S. Secret Service - Clone Phone
   
8. Identity Theft - FBI / U.S. Secret Service / U.S. Postal / Social Security I.G.  For more information about Identity Theft, go to the following link:  Identity Theft

The Chief of the Financial Institution Fraud is Richard Goldberg who may be contacted at (215) 861-8439.

Government Fraud, Health Care Fraud, and Environmental Crimes

The Government Fraud, Health Care Fraud, and Environmental Crimes Section oversees federal criminal prosecutions of offense such as:

• Major health care fraud matters involving false billings and other schemes that victimize patients, the Food and Drug Administration, health care providers, private insurers and government insurers such as Medicare and Medicaid.
• Frauds committed against agencies of the Department of Defense, or other government buyers, by suppliers of materials in fulfillment of government contracts
• Thefts and frauds involving government programs, including workmen's compensation, social security, housing, and similar programs administered by other government agencies
• Fraudulent violations of Department and Agriculture laws prohibiting the sale of adulterated foods
• Crimes against the United States Postal Service, including thefts, embezzlements and threats against postal employees

In appropriate cases involving health care fraud and fraud on government agencies, the criminal division coordinates with the office's Affirmative Civil Enforcement Program.

If anyone has information regarding health care fraud, a fraud involving a government program, or an environmental crime, please contact Catherine Votaw, the Chief of the Government and Health Care Fraud Section, at (215) 861-8303. In addition, the FBI, or the Office of the Inspector General of Health and Human Services, (215) 861-4586, may be contacted.

Official Corruption, Fraud and Civil Rights

The Official Corruption, Tax Fraud and Civil Rights Section handles the following matters:

• All major public official corruption involving local, state and federal officials, including bribery, kickbacks and extortion
• All police corruption
• Tax offenses and crimes that undermine the integrity of the Internal Revenue Service and its programs, including IRS employee theft and robbery
• Corruption, theft and racketeering by labor leaders and pension fund administrators/trustees
• The interstate theft/transportation of goods and operations involving automobile theft/replating or chop shops
• The unlicensed export of military articles of high technology to foreign governments
• Civil Rights Violations

If any information exists concerning the activity involving any of these types of offenses, please contact Richard Barrett, Chief of the Corruption, Labor Racketeering and Tax Section at (215) 861-8420.

Firearms

The Firearms Section prosecutes the violations of federal laws in the following subject matters:

Firearms and Explosives

• Unlicensed sale of firearms, ammunition and explosives
• Convicted felons in possession of firearms, ammunition and explosives
• False statements in the acquisition of firearms, ammunition and explosives
• Possessing/using/carrying firearms or explosives in federal crimes of violence or drug trafficking
• Project Safe Neighborhood falls under this section. This is a cooperative effort with local law enforcement to reduce gun violence and improve community safety throughout our district

To report a violation of these types of offenses, please contact a federal agent at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) at one of the following telephone numbers:

• Firearms - Convicted felons possessing firearms: (215) 717-4749
• Illegal sale of firearms without a license, false statements to acquire a firearm: (215) 717-4801
• The Chief of the Firearms Section is Frank Barbieri, (215) 861-8341.

Violent Crimes, Terrorism & Immigration

The Violent Crimes Terrorism and Immigrations Section investigates crimes which jeopardize public safety: bank robbery, carjacking, kidnapping, terrorism, extortion, and arson. Cases in this area are investigated by a federal agency, such as FBI, USSS, ICE, and ATF.

This section coordinates the federal law response to International and Domestic terrorism threats and directs the state, federal and local, Anti Terrorism Task Force (ATTF). Allegations about crimes in this section should be made first to the federal investigatory agencies or a local police department if there is an immediate threat to public safety. The Chief of the Violent Crimes, Terrorism & Immigrations Section is David Webb and he can be reached at (215) 861-8450.

Frauds

The Consumer and Commercial Fraud Section oversees federal criminal prosecution of offenses such as:

• Consumer fraud, including telemarketing fraud, sweepstakes and premiums fraud, fraud by businesses against customers
• Securities fraud, including embezzlement by brokers, insiders trading, and false statements or promises to investors
• Investment fraud in investments other than securities, stocks and bonds, including franchise fraud, business investments and fictitious charity solicitations
• Computer fraud, including use of the internet to commit fraud
• Copyright, trademark and trade secret fraud
• Insurance fraud, including fictitious accidents, false medical claims and fraud insurance companies against policy holders
• Bankruptcy fraud, including diversion of assets by trustees or debtors and false statements to the bankruptcy court
• Commercial fraud, including fraud against businesses and large thefts of funds by corporate insiders

In addition to laws prohibiting specific unlawful activity, broad federal statutes protect against fraud, making any fraudulent scheme a federal crime if the United States mail or a courier service is used in its commission, or if interstate wire transfers, telephone calls, fax transmissions, e-mails or other interstate communications are used in the fraud.

If anyone has information regarding frauds, please call the U.S. Attorney's Office, Fraud Section, at (215) 861-8570. Peter Schenck is the Chief of the Fraud Section. The FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service may also be contacted at the telephone numbers previously listed.

Computer Crimes

Computer Crimes Section focuses on the ever-growing area of internet crime; computer intrusions, denial of service attacks, theft of intellectual property and child exploitation. Cases are primarily investigated by the FBI, United States Secret Service, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Postal Service.

Information on how to contact those agencies can be found on this website under "How to Report a Crime."  The Chief of Computer Crimes, Michael L. Levy, can be reached at (215) 861-8599.

Civil Division

The Civil Division consists of 25 attorneys. The Civil Division is responsible for representing the federal government and its agencies and employees in civil litigation in the District. Primary areas of practice are tort cases, including medical malpractice and Constitutional tort cases, and Title VII cases alleging discrimination in hiring and employment practices by agencies of the United States. Other areas of practice include immigration, bankruptcy, debts owed the United States or its agencies, breach of contract, and judicial review of administrative findings.

In addition to the defensive cases described above, the members of the civil division also handle affirmative civil enforcement actions including civil penalty and injunctive relief to enforce a wide variety of federal agency regulations, such as the environmental laws, predatory lending, and drug diversion. The affirmative civil enforcement done by the civil division also includes investigations and litigation under the False Claims Act including the whistleblower provisions, to address fraud on the United States. Our affirmative civil enforcement work also includes addressing quality of care concerns in nursing homes, residential facilities, and personal care homes.