News advisory

9/30/08 (404)581-6016

        Atlanta, GA - United States Attorney David E. Nahmias  announced that 24 new federal prosecutors -- Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSA’s) and full-time Special Assistant United States Attorneys (SAUSA’s) – have been appointed in the Northern District of Georgia over the past 16 months.

        Nahmias said of the new prosecutors, “The citizens of North Georgia expect their federal prosecutors to be highly qualified attorneys of unquestioned integrity, committed to our mission of pursuing justice in every criminal and civil case without fear or favor.  As we replace prosecutors who depart our office and we obtain funding for additional positions, our community is fortunate that the men and women in this very talented and diverse group of attorneys have joined us and dedicated themselves to this important form of public service.”

The new prosecutors are discussed below in alphabetical order.  Photographs are available upon request.

Chris joined the Economic Crime Section as an AUSA.  Chris came from King & Spalding in Atlanta, where he was a litigation associate, and he previously worked at Jones Day in Atlanta. Chris clerked for Judge Stanley Marcus of the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals and Senior Judge William C. O'Kelley of the Northern District of Georgia.  He is a graduate of Emory University and Emory University School of Law, where he served on the Emory Law Journal. Chris' hometown:  Huntington Station, New York.

Jeff joined the National Security and Violent Crime Section as an AUSA.  Jeff  served as an Assistant District Attorney (ADA) in Fulton County for three years.  Before that, Jeff was an associate at Kilpatrick Stockton for 2 ½ years.  He is a graduate of Florida A&M University, magna cum laude, and of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law.  Jeff’s hometown: Raleigh, North Carolina.

Mike joined the Asset Forfeiture Section as an AUSA.  Mike previously worked in our office as a contract Law Clerk from 2003-2007.  Mike also was a Law Intern in our office in the Fall 2002 - Spring 2003.  Mike is a graduate of Iowa State University and a cum laude graduate of Georgia State University College of Law, where he served on the Law Review.  Mike’s hometown: Davenport, Iowa.

Mark is a SAUSA in the Narcotics Section working on cases developed by the Atlanta High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force.  Mark came from the Florida Office of Statewide Prosecution, where he was an Assistant Prosecutor since 1999.  Mark also served as a SAUSA in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida from 2004-2006.  Mark graduated from Baylor University in 1991 and the University of Florida College of Law in 1995, where he served as Senior Managing Editor of The Florida Law Review.  Mark's hometown: Tallahassee, Florida.

David joined the Economic Crime Section as an AUSA.  David was previously a litigation associate at Heller Ehrman in San Francisco and King & Spalding in Atlanta.  Before entering private practice, David served as a Law Clerk to Senior United States District Judge William C. O’Kelley in Atlanta from 2001 - 2002.  David also served as a Law Intern in our office from Fall 2000 - Spring 2001.  David is a graduate of Colgate University and Emory University School of Law, with honors.  David’s hometown: Columbia, Maryland.

Jeff joined the Narcotics Section as an AUSA.  Jeff came from Bear, Stearns & Co. in New York, where he was a Vice President in the Anti-Money Laundering Group.  Prior to that position, Jeff served as an ADA in both the Trial Division and the Appeals Bureau of the New York County (Manhattan) District Attorney's Office.  Jeff graduated from Connecticut College and Emory University School of Law, with honors, where he served on the executive board of the Emory Law Journal.  Jeff's hometown: New London, Connecticut.

Scott joined the Narcotics Section as an AUSA.  Scott came from King & Spalding in Atlanta, where he was a litigation associate.  He previously worked at major law firms in New York and Columbus, Ohio, and also served for three years as an ADA in the New York County (Manhattan) District Attorney's Office.  Scott is an honors graduate of the University of Michigan and The Ohio State University College of Law, where he served on the Law Journal.  Scott's hometown: Columbus, Ohio.

Doug joined the Economic Crime Section as an AUSA.  Doug came from King & Spalding, where he was an Associate since 1996 and a Partner since 2005.  Doug is a graduate of Southern Methodist University and Emory University School of Law.  Doug’s hometown: Buckingham, Virginia.

Nekia joined the National Security and Violent Crime Section as an AUSA.  Nekia was previously a litigation associate at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough in Atlanta and a corporate associate at Debevoise & Plimpton in New York.  Nekia also served as a Law Clerk to Senior United States District Judge Sterling Johnson, Jr. in the Eastern District of New York. Nekia is a graduate of Emory University, cum laude, Harvard Law School, and Harvard Business School.  Nekia's hometown: Atlanta, Georgia.

Jamila joined the National Security and Violent Crime Section as an AUSA.  Jamila came from Jones Day, where she was a litigation associate.  Jamila is a graduate of University of Maryland, summa cum laude, and Columbia University School of Law, where she served on the Columbia Law Review.  Jamila's hometown: New Hempstead, New York.

Michael joined the Narcotics Section as an AUSA.  Michael came from the Fulton County District Attorney's Office where he prosecuted cases in the Major Felony and Crimes Against Women and Children Units.   He previously worked as a litigation associate at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough in Atlanta and Shutts & Bowen in Miami.  Michael is an honors graduate of both Case Western Reserve University and the University of Miami School of Law.  Michael's hometown: Cleveland, Ohio.

Chris joined the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Section as an AUSA. Chris was previously a litigation partner at Pepper Hamilton in Philadelphia, where he started as an associate in 2002.  Before that, he was an associate at Crowell & Moring in Washington, DC.  Chris is a graduate of Yale University and Georgetown University Law Center, magna cum laude.  Chris's hometown: Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Matt joined the National Security and Violent Crime Section as an AUSA.  He came from the New York County (Manhattan) District Attorney's Office, where he has been an ADA since 2004.  Matt is a graduate of the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and Emory University School of Law.  Matt's hometown:  Chagrin Falls, Ohio.

Tracia joined the National Security and Violent Crime Section as an AUSA.  Tracia was previously an AUSA in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia and an ADA in DeKalb County and Dougherty County. Tracia is a graduate of Prairie View A&M University and Emory University School of Law.  Tracia’s hometown: Atlanta, Georgia.

Mary joined the Asset Forfeiture Unit as a SAUSA, focusing on cases developed by the district’s excellent Suspicious Activity Report (SAR) Review Team.  Mary came from Clausen Miller in Chicago, where she was an associate since 2004.  She is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross and Notre Dame Law School, and a former Nebraska Girls State Governor.  Mary's hometown: Omaha, Nebraska.  

Sally joined the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Section as an AUSA.  Sally comes to us from the Antitrust Division's Atlanta Field Office, where she was hired through the Department’s Honors Program and has worked as a SAUSA with our office on two significant matters involving public corruption and commercial bribery.  Sally is a cum laude graduate of both the University of Florida and the University of Georgia School of Law, where she served as the Senior Articles Editor for the Journal of Intellectual Property Law.  Sally's hometown: Panama City, Florida. 

Richard joined the National Security and Violent Crime Section as an AUSA.  Richard transferred to our office after 11 years of service as an AUSA in the Middle District of Georgia.  Richard has also served as an ADA in DeKalb County for four years and as an Assistant Solicitor in Athens-Clarke County for a year.  Richard is a graduate of Morehouse College and the University of Texas at Austin School of Law.  Richard’s hometown: San Jose, California.  

Gerry Sachs joined the Financial Litigation Unit as a SAUSA, focusing on seizing and forfeiting assets from defendants and restoring the money to victims.  Gerry came from the Federal Trade Commission's  Southeast Region Office in Atlanta; he previously worked as a litigation associate at Skadden Arps in Washington, D.C.  Gerry is a graduate of The George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs and Law School, and a former Peace Corps Volunteer in Honduras.  Gerry's hometown: St. Louis, Missouri.

Cassandra joined the Narcotics Section as an AUSA. Cassandra previously worked in this office as a HIDTA SAUSA from 2006-2007.  Previously, she was an Assistant AG in the Georgia Attorney General's Office for 6 years; a manager with PricewaterhouseCooper; an ADA in Fulton County; and an Assistant Solicitor in DeKalb County.  Cassandra is a graduate of Emory University and the Georgia State University School of Law.  Cassandra's hometown: Gulf Breeze, Florida. 

Michael is a SAUSA in the Narcotics Section, working on cases developed by the Atlanta HIDTA.  Michael came from the Miami-Dade County (Florida) State Attorney's Office, where he was an Assistant State Attorney since 1995.  He is a graduate of Johnson State College and the University of Miami School of Law, and had a previous career as a banker.  Michael’s hometown: New York, New York.

Corey joined the National Security and Violent Crime Section as an AUSA.  She previously was an AUSA in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida and an Assistant State Attorney in Florida.  Before becoming a prosecutor, Corey was an in-house lawyer at Merrill Lynch, CIBC World Markets and PaineWebber.  She is a graduate of Union College and New York Law School.  Corey's hometown: Short Hills, New Jersey.  

Jill joined the National Security and Violent Crime Section as an AUSA. Jill came from Rogers & Hardin in Atlanta, where she was a litigation associate. Jill previously served as an ADA in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for three years. Jill is a graduate of the University of Georgia, summa cum laude, and the Duke University School of Law.  Jill’s hometown: Northbrook, Illinois.

David joined the Narcotics Section as an AUSA.  David came from Kirkland & Ellis in Chicago, where he was a litigation associate since 2004.  David is a graduate of DePaul University, with High Honors, and Georgetown University Law Center, cum laude, where he served as Executive Editor of the American Criminal Law Review.  Before law school, David was an AmeriCorps*VISTA Volunteer at Habitat for Humanity.  David's hometown: Chicago, Illinois.

Lynn joined the Civil Defensive Section as an AUSA.  She came from Hawkins & Parnell, and previously worked as a litigation associate at Jones Day and Mayer Brown in Chicago.  She also clerked for Judge Kenneth F. Ripple of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.  She is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame with highest honors, and the University of Virginia Law School, where she was a Dillard Fellow and served on the Law Review.  Lynn's hometown area: upstate New York.

        For further information please contact David E. Nahmias (pronounced NAH-me-us), United States Attorney, or Charysse L. Alexander, Executive Assistant United States Attorney, through Patrick Crosby, Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Attorney's Office, at (404) 581-6016.  The Internet address for the HomePage for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia is www.usdoj.gov/usao/gan.