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Criminal Division

The Northern District of Texas’ Criminal Division works to ensure public safety, primarily by prosecuting violations of federal criminal laws. Criminal AUSAs bring cases referred to them by a large number of law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, ATF, DEA, and other federal, state, and local agencies. Criminal AUSAs also partner with agents and officers to conduct community outreach, building public trust in law enforcement.
 

Major Crimes

The Major Crimes Section covers a wide variety of federal criminal violations and is the training ground for new attorneys in the Northern District’s Dallas office. The two main areas of focus are: violations against individuals/groups and fraud. The section prosecutes human trafficking, child sexual exploitation, civil rights, and identity theft, as well as assaults on prison guards, escapees, and contraband in federal facilities, COVID fraud, environmental crimes, internal and externa postal matters, federal regulatory and program offenses, and immigration, passport and visa fraud. 

National Security & Cybercrimes

The National Security & Cybercrimes Section handles cases involving international and domestic terrorism, cybercrimes, money laundering, and other crimes regarding national security. National Security handles the investigation and prosecution of cases involving international terrorism, domestic terrorism, international human rights violations, and threats to national security such as the mishandling of classified information. Cyber Crimes investigates and prosecutes computer intrusions and data thefts, intellectual property crimes, identity theft, traditional crimes significantly aided by high technology or the Internet, and other matters that relate to technology. The Money Laundering & Asset Forfeiture section is a subsection of the national security section. This is a nationwide law enforcement initiative that removes the tools of a crime from criminal organizations, deprives wrongdoers of the proceeds of their crime(s), recovers property that may be used to compensate victims, and deters crime.

Fraud & Public Corruption 

The Fraud & Public Corruption Section investigates and prosecutes a breadth of complex fraud cases including securities fraud, bank fraud, health-care fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, honest-services fraud, tax offenses, and commercial bribery.  The section also handles a wide range of public corruption matters, including bribery, extortion, and embezzlement and will disrupt any and all efforts by local, state and federal elected or appointed government officials, and those that do business with them, from criminally abusing and profiting from their positions.

Narcotics & OCEDTF 

The Narcotics Section combats drug trafficking in the Northern District of Texas by simultaneously targeting the trafficking organizations, their financial infrastructure, and their distribution networks. The section targets international sources of supply, money launderers, international and domestic transportation organizations, and regional and local distribution networks; identifies and investigates the distribution of counterfeit pills, opioids, and other drugs, as well as dangerous precursor chemicals and the equipment used to manufacture the pills; investigates the diversion of pharmaceutical controlled substances to illegitimate consumers; and identifies and prosecutes medical professionals and corporations involved in the illegal prescription diversion and distribution of opioids.

Violent Crimes

The Violent Crime Section’s caseload covers a wide range of federal criminal violations such as firearms and explosive offenses (including NFA violations), gun trafficking offenses, carjackings, bank robberies, Hobbs Act robberies, and kidnappings.

Updated March 3, 2023