Deputy Attorney General Recognizes SDTX Employees

HOUSTON – Three employees of the of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Texas (SDTX) were among the 179 members of the Department of Justice recognized by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA) Director Monty Wilkinson at the 33rd Director’s Awards Ceremony today in Washington D.C.

The SDTX was one of 35 districts represented at the ceremony which was held in the Great Hall at the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building.

In his prepared remarks, Rosenstein told the awardees: “These 179 award recipients embody the best of the Department of Justice.… 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. ”

SDTX Assistant U.S. Attorneys (AUSA) Robert Johnson and John Pearson were recognized for their prosecution of Abraham Moses Fisch and Lloyd Glen Williams. Fisch, a Houston defense attorney, and Williams, a former FBI confidential source, defrauded defendants who were facing federal criminal charges. Fisch and Williams collected millions from their victims in return for guarantees that their cases would be dismissed, all under the guise of a fictitious "secret cooperation" scheme involving alleged payoffs to officials at the CIA, FBI, Department of Justice and Medicare. For his conspiracy, fraud, obstruction, money laundering and tax convictions, Fisch was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment, while Williams received a seven-year sentence. Evidence during the 15-day trial demonstrated that both Fisch and Williams lied repeatedly to victims and their family members, interfered with legitimate attorney-client relationships and hid their activities from the presiding judges. For more information, see the press release issued at the time of sentencing.

AUSA Fred Hinrichs from the SDTX Civil Division was recognized for consistently winning difficult tort cases through outstanding discovery and motion practice. Through his efforts, a number of high exposure cases were decided in favor of the government, including a complex medical malpractice claim, a sensitive Bivens case involving discovery on qualified immunity and a complicated civil rights suit involving a wrongfully detained foreign national. AUSA Hinrichs' outstanding legal skill, combined with his well-planned and executed discovery and motion practice, led directly to the succession of his office's mission and reflect great credit upon the Department of Justice.

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 the Offices of the United States Attorneys.