Criminal Division

The primary responsibility of the Criminal Division of the United States Attorney's Office is the prosecution of federal crimes in the United States District Court. Twenty-five Assistant United States Attorneys, two Special Assistant United States Attorneys, four Paralegal Specialists and eleven Legal Assistants handle over 550 criminal cases and criminal appeals per year. These cases encompass a wide range of criminal activities, including violent crimes, complex corporate and financial institution fraud, computer fraud, health care fraud, complex drug and money laundering activities, environmental crime, firearms violations, public corruption, child pornography and immigration violations.

Two initiatives within the Criminal Division are Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) project. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nation-wide initiative announced by President Bush and Attorney General Ashcroft in 2001 to reduce firearm related crimes and violence in local communities. The program has been implemented by United States Attorney throughout the United States in collaboration with state and local law enforcement and prosecution officials. Three Assistant United States Attorneys are assigned to the PSN initiative, and the federal prosecution of firearm-related crimes has increased substantially since the launching of PSN. The HIDTA program provides federal funding for a variety of drug enforcement projects and multi-jurisdictional drug task forces. In Kansas, the project has included funding for two Special Assistant United States Attorneys who are dedicated exclusively to the federal prosecution of drug trafficking crimes by individuals and criminal organizations. HITDA, like PSN, is an example of existing federal-state-local law enforcement and prosecution cooperation.