The U.S. Attorney's office for the Eastern District of Virginia, which includes Richmond, is beefing up its public corruption and financial crime efforts.
Neil H. MacBride, the U. S. Attorney, said in a prepared statement today that he has created a new deputy chief position for the fraud unit within the Alexandria Division and a new public integrity coordinator position for the entire district, which stretches from Northern Virginia to Tidewater.
"No one can truly feel secure if they don't have faith in our economy and our government," said MacBride.
Three new fraud prosecutors are being hired to prosecute financial fraud, including securities fraud, mortgage fraud, and potential fraud related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), and the Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility (TALF) program.
MacBride named Charles Connolly, an assistant U.S. Attorney since 2002, to be the Deputy Chief of the Fraud Unit within the Alexandria Division.
Mark Lytle was named the district-wide Public Integrity Coordinator to expand the office's ability to investigate and prosecute potential corruption by federal, state and local officials.
According to a spokesperson, public corruption has been a focal point of the U.S. Attorney's office in recent years, with the number of cases filed increasing from 11 in 2005 to 21 in 2009.
Covering the capital of Virginia and the residences of many of the nation's lawmakers, "the Eastern District of Virginia must play an integral role in ensuring that those who hold public office live up to the public's trust," said the statement.
"Whenever a public official breaks the law, the crime has a devastating impact on the public's faith in their government," U.S. Attorney MacBride said. -- Frank Green
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