Northern District Of California Litigative Team And Paralegal Specialist Honored By Department Of Justice At Executive Office For United States Attorneys Director’s Awards Ceremony

WASHINGTON – Former and current Assistant United States Attorneys Wilson Leung, Stephen J. Meyer, Andrew M. Scoble, Benjamin P. Tolkoff, Acadia Leigh Senese, along with Kevin Costello, Maureen French, Ponly J. Tu, Daniel Charlier-Smith and Maryam Beros of the Northern District of California U.S. Attorney’s office; in addition to Anthony R. Tillett, Travis Jones, Jill Brenny, Paul Viglienzone, Anthony L. Bordigon, and Michael Carlos Garcia were among the 160 recipients recognized by Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates and Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA) Director Monty Wilkinson at the 32nd annual Director’s Awards Ceremony today in Washington D.C.
 
The Northern District of California was one of 33 districts represented at the ceremony which was held in the Great Hall at the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building.
 
In her prepared remarks, Deputy Attorney General Yates said, “The achievements being recognized today reflect the breadth of the department’s responsibilities, and some of our most significant challenges.   From dismantling dangerous gangs, drug cartels and human trafficking operations to tackling political corruption, white collar crimes, and international terrorism, these awardees have taken on our toughest cases.  And the citizens of our country are safer because of their work.”
 
“We honor the truly talented and dedicated legal and administrative personnel in the 94 U.S. Attorneys’ offices and our law enforcement partners who everyday touch lives in our communities, protect the American people, and work to ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice,” said Director Wilkinson.
 
The Northern District of California litigative team was recognized for their exceptional contributions to the investigation and prosecution of the 500 Block/C Street Gang.  After an 18-month investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the South San Francisco and Daly City Police Departments, a three-month trial resulted in the convictions of 18 members and associates of the gang on various charges including racketeering conspiracy, racketeering murder and attempted murder, Hobbs Act robbery, obstruction of justice, and attempted murder of federal agents.  The 500 Block/C Street Gang terrorized the streets of South San Francisco and was responsible for one of the most violent episodes in the city’s history – a shooting that killed three young men and wounded three federal agents. 
 
Paralegal Specialist Maryam Beros was honored with an individual award for providing more than 20 years of innovative and exceptional leadership in her development of policies, procedures, and systems for the management of health care fraud cases in the United States Attorney’s.  Ms. Beros received the Director’s Award for Superior Performance in a Litigative Support Role.  Her efforts have assisted law enforcement with developing leads and uncovering evidence of potential health care fraud violations, and allowed her office to track health care fraud cases from the moment of referral through sentencing and appeal.  She has also developed processes for organizing, managing, and producing in discovery the voluminous, yet highly-sensitive records acquired in the course of large-scale health care fraud investigations.  Ms. Beros has shared her knowledge and techniques within this district and nationwide by training Assistant United States Attorneys and paralegals in annual discovery and orientation courses, and by leading classes at the National Advocacy Center on issues unique to health care fraud cases.
 
“I congratulate all the recipients of the Director’s Awards and I am especially proud of the 16 exceptional employees of the Northern District of California who have received this well-deserved recognition,” said U.S. Attorney Brian J. Stretch.  “The contributions made by these public servants reflect not only the deep well of talent that resides in this district but also the hard work, dedication, and sacrifice it takes to serve so honorably in the law enforcement profession.”  
 
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.