USDOJ: US Attorney's Office - District of Massachusetts

Prosecutions/Investigations

Prosecuting drug and violent crime is an important function of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Massachusetts. The U.S. Attorney has designated numerous prosecutors throughout the district in all divisions to handle cases involving drug, gang, firearm and other violent crime related offenses. In the Boston division, there are actual units that focus on prosecuting this type of crime.

Organized Crime Strike Force/Gang Unit

In the Boston division, the Organized Crime Strike Force/Gang Unit which is synonymously referred to as the Strike Force Unit is responsible for the investigation and prosecution of federal criminal offenses (extortion, loan sharking, racketeering, etc.) committed by organized crime groups in this district, including cases involving traditional organized crime families (e.g., the Mafia), Asian gangs, Russian organized crime groups, and other nontraditional organized crime groups. This unit has also traditionally handled most labor racketeering matters.

Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF)

The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) consists of multiple AUSAs from the Boston office who handle the investigation and prosecution of drug cases and drug-related offenses with emphasis on major illegal drug importation and distribution organizations. An AUSA from this particular unit has been assigned as the OCDETF Regional Coordinator who is responsible for coordination with the OCDETF Units of the U.S. Attorney's Offices in the five other New England states. Also housed in the Boston office are OCDETF Coordinators from DEA, FBI, IRS, INS, ATF, Customs and the U.S. Marshals Service.

Programs/Initiatives

The District of Massachusetts has implemented several DOJ initiatives aimed at crime reduction and prevention. In addition to those initiatives, we have been involved in locally initiated projects.