The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina is one of 93 such offices in the United States.  The United States Attorney is appointed by, and serves at the pleasure of, the President of the United States.  The United States Attorney is the chief federal law enforcement officer of the United States within his or her jurisdiction.  Bill Nettles currently serves as the United States Attorney for the District of South Carolina.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina has offices in Columbia, Greenville, Florence and Charleston.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office represents the interests of the United States in civil, criminal and appellate litigation.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office receives civil and criminal referrals from federal agencies and law enforcement, which the U.S. Attorney reviews in deciding whether to bring or defend an action.

The U.S. Attorneys' Offices across the United States conduct the majority of the litigation handled by the Department of Justice.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina prosecutes a wide range of criminal activities, including violent crime, complex financial and bank fraud, counterfeiting, computer fraud, environmental crime, immigration violations, public corruption, organized crime, and complex drug and money laundering activities. The Civil Division defends the interests of the United States in cases where federal agencies are sued for alleged conduct by their officers or employees. These defensive matters include actions seeking monetary damages for personal injury, medical malpractice, employment discrimination, bankruptcy, prisoner litigation, judicial review of agency decisions, Social Security, and actions for injunctive relief, which challenge a federal agency's compliance with federal law or the Constitution. Attorneys in the Civil Division also pursue affirmative civil actions to recover damages for fraud and other offenses against the United States and its agencies, and impose civil penalties for violations of the nation's health, safety and economic welfare laws. Typical cases involve claims for payment submitted to Medicare by health care providers, claims for payment submitted by contractors for government contracts, and claims by individuals for certain federal benefits such as food stamps.   The Civil Division also works with the Department of Justice in enforcing the Voting Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Fair Housing Act and other civil rights statutes. 

The U.S. Attorney’s Office has a third litigating division, the Appellate, Asset Forfeiture and Financial Litigation Division.  This division represents the United States’ interests before the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in criminal appeals, and litigates claims on behalf of victims of  federal crime and by the United States to the proceeds from crime and property involved in crime.

For more detailed information on our criminal, civil or appellate program, please tab to the appropriate link at the top of this page under Divisions.

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