Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys Recognizes Seven Members of the U.S. Attorney’s Office/District of New Jersey for Outstanding Work

NEWARK, N.J. – Seven members of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of New Jersey, are among those who were honored by the Department of Justice’s 36^th Annual Director’s Awards this year, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced today.

Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Rahul Agarwal received a Director’s Award for Superior Performance in the Criminal Division. AUSA Agarwal led the investigation and prosecution of seven Paterson, New Jersey, police officers for crimes including the brutal assault of a suicidal hospital patient; the distribution and sale of narcotics; unlawful vehicle stops, searches, and seizures; unlawful use of force; and the theft and extortion of money and property from Paterson residents. His work, which was described in the local press as “a story of the justice system working,” is an example of the important role that the Department of Justice continues to play in maintaining public trust in our local police departments and in ensuring that every community receives the commitment to public safety to which it is entitled.  

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Campion, Chief of the office’s Civil Rights Unit, and Kelly Horan Florio, a member of that unit, each received a Director’s Award for Superior Performance in the Civil Division, for their productive and successful affirmative civil enforcement practice. Collaborating with DOJ’s Civil Rights Division and other Department of Justice colleagues, they zealously pursue and obtain justice on behalf of those who have been deprived of their civil rights. Among other causes, they have fought for the rights of military personnel under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, the disabled and mobility-impaired under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the imprisoned under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act, victims of discrimination under the Civil Rights Act and the Fair Housing Act, and persons of faith under the Religious Land Use Institutionalized Persons Act. As recognized experts in civil rights, they are frequent speakers at events across New Jersey, educating the public about civil rights and the Department's notable civil rights initiatives, including the Department's Initiative to Combat Sexual Harassment in Housing, Place of Worship Initiative and the Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative.  

A team comprised of nine attorneys and eLitigation professionals from the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA) were honored for their cooperative effort in overhauling the eLitigation practices and protocols for the District of New Jersey. The award recipients from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Jason DeJesus, Sergey Gluzberg, Richard Jones, and AUSA Daniel Shapiro, formulated the Office’s standalone eLitigation Unit; improved the eLitigation competencies of paralegals; developed and automated a common folder structure for civil and criminal cases; instituted an electronic system for the generation and tracking of grand jury subpoenas; and adopted workflows for the intake, processing, review, and production of data. They were honored together with Susan Cooke, John Haried, Tonia Jones, Tammy Reno, and Virginia Vance from EOUSA, who provided exemplary support throughout the restructuring.

“Every day, the men and women who work in our office do their jobs with an extraordinary level of skill and professionalism,” U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito, District of New Jersey, said. “That our work was recognized in three separate areas this year – criminal, civil and administrative – speaks to that dedication throughout every aspect of our work. I am particularly pleased that the Department this year recognized our office’s enduring commitment to protecting Americans’ civil rights through both affirmative civil enforcement and criminal investigation and prosecution. I congratulate all of the recipients on their achievements and am proud to call myself their colleague.”

The traditional ceremony held in the Great Hall at the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building had to be cancelled this year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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.