Criminal Divisions

CRIMINAL DIVISION ONE:

National Security – This section primarily handles matters related to domestic and international terrorism.  The AUSAs in this section also prosecute cases involving economic espionage, threats to security interests, and trade secret theft; the illegal import/export of firearms, defense articles, and export-controlled technology; matters involving explosives and chemical and biological weapons; threats to critical infrastructure and protected persons; and cyberattacks by foreign actors.
 

Indian Country – The District of Arizona has two sections dedicated to the prosecution of violent felonies committed within Arizona’s 22 federally-recognized tribal communities.  Within one of those two sections are AUSAs who also handle child pornography and child exploitation cases, regardless of whether those crimes occur in Indian Country.
 

Violent Crimes – This section focuses on the prosecution of violent felonies not occurring within Indian Country, to include firearms cases, bank robberies, Hobbs Act robberies, assaults on Federal officers, gang cases, and human trafficking.
 

Financial Crimes – There are two separate Financial Crimes Sections (one in Phoenix and one in Tucson).  These sections prosecute a wide variety of fraud related cases, including but not limited to, fraud schemes targeting the elderly, bank fraud, investment fraud, tax-related crimes, health care fraud, mortgage fraud, student loan fraud, fraud related to government contracts, bankruptcy fraud, securities fraud, embezzlement, and environmental crimes.
 

Public Integrity – This section reviews criminal investigations related to governmental integrity, focusing on public corruption, civil rights, and election crimes.  The AUSAs in this section prosecute cases involving bribery, thefts by government employees, false statements or obstruction by government employees, criminal civil rights violations, and election-related offenses.
 

CRIMINAL DIVISION TWO:

Border Security – The General Crimes sections – five total between Tucson and Phoenix – have the largest number of AUSAs in the District. The AUSAs in these sections prosecute a high volume of reactive border-related crimes. These cases include prosecutions of aliens who have entered or reentered the country illegally and persons involved in alien smuggling and drug trafficking crimes (including drug seizures at ports of entry). The collective goal of the General Crimes sections is to secure our Nation’s border, and to provide assistance to other USAO sections with the disruption and dismantling of transnational criminal enterprises.

Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”) and Asset Forfeiture – These sections prosecute individuals involved with major drug and drug-money laundering organizations. The AUSAs in these sections also pursue criminal and civil forfeiture of assets used to further such criminal activity or obtained with illicit proceeds.