Criminal Division

The Criminal Division, based in Los Angeles with offices in Riverside and Orange County, is responsible for prosecuting federal criminal cases in the Central District of California. Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) in the Criminal Division advise federal law enforcement agents on criminal investigations, present criminal cases to the grand jury, try criminal cases before the United States District Court, and represent the United States in criminal appeals before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

The criminal priorities of the USAO are reflected in the sections within the division. Detailed descriptions of the work performed by each section within the division can be found by proceeding to the Section page in this website.

AUSAs new to the Criminal Division, including those hired for the Riverside and Orange County offices, are initially assigned to the General Crimes Section, where they receive training in the handling of federal criminal investigations and prosecutions. Upon completion of their tenure in the General Crimes Section, AUSAs hired for the Riverside and Orange County offices are assigned there, and AUSAs remaining in Los Angeles are assigned to one of the Criminal Division’s senior sections. Assignments to the senior sections are based primarily on the USAO’s staffing needs at the time. The senior sections are: Asset Forfeiture and Recovery; Criminal Appeals; Domestic Security and Immigration Enforcement; Environmental Crimes and Consumer Protection; Major Crimes; Major Frauds; Public Corruption and Civil Rights; and Transnational Organized Crime.

All AUSAs have the opportunity to handle a variety of cases. A number of AUSAs have developed expertise that has led them to assume primary responsibility in the USAO for specific areas such as labor violations, Medicare and Medicaid fraud, violent crimes, public corruption, child pornography, copyright violations, environmental crimes, and civil rights violations. Many AUSAs have developed nationally recognized expertise in particular areas.