Criminal Division

One principal objective of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Tennessee, is the enforcement of federal criminal laws within the District. The Criminal Division AUSAs work closely with federal grand juries and federal law enforcement agencies in the investigation of possible criminal violations and the presentment of cases for indictment. Indicted cases are prosecuted by AUSAs in the United States District Court and on appeal before the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Within the Criminal Division are the General Crimes, Violent Crimes, Narcotics, and Counter-Terrorism units. Typically, cases are brought for initial review to the Criminal Division Chief by federal agents responsible for investigating crimes, then assigned to AUSAs within the units to work.

The crimes prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys assigned to the Criminal Division cover a wide range of criminal activities including drug trafficking, firearms violations, corporate and financial institution fraud, bankruptcy fraud, mail fraud, healthcare fraud, computer fraud, public corruption, terrorism, child pornography, environmental crimes, civil rights violations, federal wildlife violations, and any of the more than 900 federal offenses that have been created by Congress.