Justin E. Herdman sworn in as United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio

Justin E. Herdman has taken the oath of office to become the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio. Herdman was nominated by President Donald Trump on June 12 and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Aug. 3. He took the oath of office from U.S. District Court Judge Patricia Gaughan.

“I am humbled and honored to be returning to an office that I love,” Herdman said. “I am excited to work with the men and women of the U.S. Attorney’s Office to seek justice every day for the people who live in Northern Ohio. We face serious challenges in our region, including the opioid epidemic and violent crime, but we will endeavor daily to make our community safer.”

As U.S. Attorney, Herdman supervises the prosecution of federal crimes in the district, including crimes related to terrorism, public corruption, child exploitation, firearms, and narcotics. The office also defends the United States in civil cases and collects debts owed to the United States. The office covers Ohio’s northern 40 counties, which includes Cleveland, Toledo, Akron and Youngstown. Herdman oversees a staff of approximately 160 employees.

Herdman, of Chagrin Falls, was an Assistant United States Attorney from 2006 through 2013, serving as Deputy Chief of the National Security, Human Rights, and Organized Crime Unit. He was responsible for investigating and prosecuting national security crimes, including the successful trial and appeal of a homegrown terror cell that sought to support al Qaeda. He was also part of the prosecution team of five self-proclaimed anarchists convicted of attempting to use explosives to blow up a Cleveland-area bridge.

Immediately prior to becoming U.S. Attorney, Herdman was a partner at Jones Day, where he represented businesses and individuals under investigation.

Before returning home to the Cleveland area, Mr. Herdman was an Assistant District Attorney in New York City, working for the legendary District Attorney for the borough of Manhattan, Robert M. Morgenthau, where Mr. Herdman prosecuted a wide range of violent crime and identity theft cases.

He serves as a Judge Advocate in the United States Air Force Reserve and is a former intelligence officer in the United States Navy Reserve. He is a graduate of Kenston High School. He earned his B.A. from Ohio University, his M.Phil. from the University of Glasgow, and his J.D. from Harvard Law School.