Deputy Attorney General Recognizes Alaska Employees

WASHINGTON – On Friday, June 16, 2017, 179 members of the Department of Justice, including a team from Alaska, were recognized by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, and Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA) Director Monty Wilkinson at the 33rd Director’s Awards Ceremony in Washington D.C. The Alaskans were recognized for “Superior Performance as a Litigative Team” in the prosecution of Mark Avery in 2016. The team included Steven Skrocki, Bryan Schroder, Chloe Martin, Monica Valenzuela, and Kathryn Richards of the U.S. Attorney’s Office; Kirk Oberlander and Holly Steeves of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Patrick Matthew of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations.

The District of Alaska was one of 35 districts represented at the ceremony, which was held in the Great Hall at the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building.

In his prepared remarks, Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein told the awardees: “These 179 award recipients embody the best of the Department of Justice.… Today’s honorees have earned the esteem of their colleagues. But most importantly, you have earned the gratitude of your fellow citizens — whose communities you have made safer, whose lives you have improved, and whose trust you have rewarded.”

The litigation team of agents, prosecutors and support staff from the District of Alaska was recognized for their exceptional work in the prosecution of Mark Avery for a $52 million wire fraud and money laundering scheme, the largest fraud by dollar amount in Alaskan history. Avery defrauded a private trust set up to take care of an elderly woman who, at the time, was suffering advanced dementia. Avery was convicted at trial in February 2016, and was sentenced to serve over 13 years in prison and pay over $45 million dollars in restitution.

Acting U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder recognized that: “The most effective way of protecting the people of Alaska is for law enforcement agencies to work together. Federal law enforcement agencies, along with our state and local partners, work together every day to help make our state a safer place. I am proud that the Department of Justice has recognized the outstanding team effort in U.S. v. Avery.”

EOUSA provides oversight, general executive assistance, and direction to the 94 United States Attorneys’ offices around the country. For more information on EOUSA and its mission, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao.