![[photo, 36 South Charles St., Baltimore, Maryland]](/msa/mdmanual/25ind/images/1198-1-293b.jpg)
36 South Charles St., Baltimore, Maryland, January 2003.
Photo by Diane F. Evartt.
6406 Ivy Lane, Suite 800, Greenbelt, MD 20770
(301) 344-4433; fax: (301) 344-4516
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Maryland was established by the federal Judiciary Act of 1789. The District of Maryland was one of the original thirteen judicial districts created by that act. From 1789 to 1870, U.S. Attorneys were accountable directly to the U.S. President. With the formation of the U.S. Department of Justice in 1870, the U.S. Attorney General began to superintend the trial-level work of the U.S. Attorneys.
Under the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Attorney and Assistant U.S. Attorneys are the federal government's principal trial lawyers. For the District of Maryland, the U.S. Attorney's Office prosecutes all federal criminal cases, represents the federal government in civil litigation, and collects those debts owed the federal government which are administratively uncollectible.
The U.S. Attorney is appointed to a four-year term by the President of the United States with the advice and consent of the U.S. Senate. Assistant U.S. Attorneys are appointed by the U.S. Attorney General for indefinite terms.
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Maryland consists of two geographic divisions. The Southern Division covers Calvert, Charles, Prince George's, Montgomery and St. Mary's counties. The remaining Maryland counties are included in the Northern Division.
The Office is organized into three functional divisions: Administrative, Civil, and Criminal.
ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISION
The lltigation acts of the Civil Division and the Criminal Division are supported by the Administrative Division, which also works to ensure compliance with rules and regulations of the U.S. Department of Justice. The Division further coordinates other options for law enforcement support, and victims and witnesses.
CIVIL DIVISION
Located in Baltimore, the Civil Division defends U.S. government agencies when they are sued in court. It also prosecutes civil enforcement activities in a variety of fraud matters, and collects debts owed to the U.S. government.
CRIMINAL DIVISION
The Criminal Division is organized into six sections: Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering; Fraud and Corruption; Major Crimes, such as civil rights abuses, child exploitation, identity fraud and environmental violations; Narcotics; National Security; and Violent Crimes. The Division is aided by the Anti-Terrorism Advisory Council of Maryland, the Election Fraud Task Force, and the Maryland Mortgage Fraud Task Force.
On September 17, 2001, the U.S. Attorney General directed each U.S. Attorney to establish an Anti-Terrorism Advisory Council. By 2011, over 240 agencies had joined the Anti-Terrorism Advisory Council of Maryland. They include federal, State and local agencies working in law enforcement, public health, and emergency planning and response, as well as the military, intelligence, and private sectors.
The Council works to combat terrorism in Maryland through four components: intelligence and information sharing; aggressive investigation and prosecution; emergency preparedness and response; and training. The Council operates and directs the Maryland Coordination and Analysis Center.
On November 3, 2003, the Anti-Terrorism Advisory Council of Maryland opened the Maryland Coordination and Analysis Center (MCAC) to begin its work of coordinating the efforts of federal, State and local agencies to gather, analyze, and share intelligence information with law enforcement, public health, and emergency responder personnel.
ELECTION FRAUD TASK FORCE
Steven M. Dunne, District Election Officer (301) 344-4433
Tonya K. Kowitz, District Election Officer (410) 209-4800
In October 2008, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland established the Election Fraud Task Force.
With the State Board of Elections and the Baltimore Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Task Force will assist local authorities to deter, detect, investigate, and prosecute any electoral corruption and voting rights violations in the Maryland general election.
MARYLAND MORTGAGE FRAUD TASK FORCE
Jonathan Biran, Coordinator (410) 209-4920; e-mail: jonathan.biran@usdoj.gov
In February 2009, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland formed the Maryland Mortgage Fraud Task Force.
The Task Force was established to unify the agencies that regulate and investigate mortgage fraud, and promote the early detection, identification, prevention, and prosecution of mortgage fraud schemes. Through the Task Force, local, State, and federal regulatory and investigative agencies will coordinate mortgage fraud enforcement actions, identify cases for criminal investigation, and work to secure resources to prosecute perpetrators. The Task Force develops more efficient procedures for mortgage fraud referrals; ways to avoid duplication of effort among agencies in open cases; and a training program for State and federal prosecutors and investigators. For victims of mortgage fraud and related crimes, the Task Force also pursues measures to secure restitution, including asset forfeiture.
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