Deputy Attorney General Recognizes Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Blondel for Superior Performance

RALEIGH – United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., is proud to announce that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Erin Blondel was one of 172 members of the Department of Justice recognized by Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen, and Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA) Director James Crowell, IV at the 35th Director’s Awards Ceremony yesterday in Washington, D.C.  AUSA Blondel, along with AUSA Eleanor Morales (Ms. Morales is formerly of the Eastern District and now with the Middle District of North Carolina), was presented a Director’s Award for Superior Performance as a Criminal AUSA.

The Eastern District of North Carolina was one of 31 districts represented at the ceremony held in the Great Hall at the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building.

In his prepared remarks, Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen addressed the recipients and guests, saying, “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.”

In his prepared remarks, EOUSA Director James Crowell said, “The Department of Justice is in truth a deployed force.  Your work isn’t easy, but it is vital to the functioning and enduring nature of our democracy.  As federal prosecutors, we are held to a higher standard, a standard that requires us to ensure that we uphold the rule of law and the fundamental rules of fairness in every trial, every settlement, every plea, and every legal argument in which we are involved.”

Assistant United States Attorneys Erin Blondel and Eleanor Morales were recognized for the successful prosecution of William Maurice Saddler in the first sex trafficking trial in this district.  Saddler and four co-defendants repeatedly prostituted and exploited a fifteen-year-old child.  Ms. Blondel and Ms. Morales were faced with many complex and novel legal issues, particularly concerning the young age of the victim.  The trial featured dozens of exhibits and testimony by eighteen witnesses, including from the victim, all four co-defendants, three “johns,” and a world-renowned expert in child exploitation.  After brief deliberation, the jury convicted Saddler of sex trafficking and he was later sentenced to 40 years in prison.  (See press release).  The District Court ordered hundreds of thousands of dollars in restitution to the victim under the human trafficking restitution statute. (See press release).

United States Attorney Higdon commented, “Congratulations to AUSAs Erin Blondel and Eleanor Morales on this well-earned and deserved recognition.  This award recognizes AUSAs who have distinguished themselves through the outstanding performance of their duties in criminal matters – and they have done just that.  Due to their exemplary work, Saddler received a 40-year sentence, ensuring that he cannot hurt other children – and his nearly half-million dollar restitution order is a small step on the victim’s path to recovery.  AUSAs Blondel and Morales have significantly contributed to the successful accomplishment of the mission of this USAO and the Department of Justice as a whole – making the Eastern District of North Carolina a safer place for its citizens.”

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.