United States Attorney Dena J. King Announces Departure After Serving As Chief Law Enforcement Officer In The Western District of North Carolina

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – United States Attorney Dena J. King announced that she will step down from her position as the Western District’s chief law enforcement officer effective today.

“It has been a tremendous honor to serve the people of the Western District of North Carolina,” said U.S. Attorney King. “I’ve had the privilege of working alongside some of the most talented public servants who are dedicated to serving our communities with integrity, distinction, and excellence. Our collective mission is to serve and protect the people of Western North Carolina. I stand proud of our accomplishments and our efforts to support law enforcement, build strong partnerships with our communities, and uphold justice.”

U.S. Attorney King is the first person of color to be appointed to the position in the Western District of North Carolina (WDNC). She was nominated by President Joseph R. Biden Jr. on September 28, 2021, and was confirmed by the United States Senate on November 19, 2021. U.S. Attorney King was officially sworn into the position on November 29, 2021.

During her tenure, U.S. Attorney King led an office of nearly 100 federal prosecutors and support personnel, serving a district that covers 32 counties across the western part of the state. The WDNC also includes half of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway. The Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests cover over one million acres of the Western District. The largest Native American Community in the eastern half of the United States, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, is in WDNC.

As the chief federal law enforcement officer, U.S. Attorney King was in charge of all criminal and civil matters filed in the U.S. District Court in the Western District of North Carolina. Under U.S. Attorney King, the Office focused its efforts on the protection of civil rights; enhancing public safety; recovering taxpayer dollars; combatting health care fraud, financial fraud and COVID-19 fraud; disrupting drug trafficking and gun trafficking networks; uncovering public corruption and financial fraud schemes; protecting vulnerable populations from exploitation including older adults and children; prosecuting human traffickers and supporting victims; pursuing repeat offenders and drivers of violent criminal activity; and overseeing affirmative civil enforcement actions and all other civil litigations.

During her time in office, U.S. Attorney King formed WDNC’s first ever Civil Rights Team, to focus on the enforcement of civil rights laws, prosecute individuals who commit criminal civil rights violations, ensure equal access to justice and equal opportunities by pursuing civil enforcement actions, and protect voting rights and access and rights of the disabled. In addition to enforcement efforts, the Civil Rights Team has enhanced the Office’s engagement with the community to raise awareness and to encourage reporting of potential civil rights violations.

U.S. Attorney King also reconstituted the Western District’s Health Care Fraud Task Force, a multi-agency team that comprises federal and state law enforcement agencies and regulatory entities. The goal of the task force is to identify and prosecute those who defraud public and private insurers, jeopardize the integrity of the health care system and waste taxpayer dollars. The work of the task force has led to an increase in criminal and civil matters, and has secured settlements with corporations and individuals, including hospitals, telemedicine companies and providers, durable medical equipment suppliers, physicians, therapists, and affiliated health care professionals. In addition, the task force has recovered millions in restitution for the government-funded programs, including Medicare and Medicaid.  

U.S. Attorney King also prioritized the protection of vulnerable populations from exploitation and violence. Under her leadership, the Office successfully prosecuted numerous child predators, ensuring justice for victims and securing restitution for victims of sexual exploitation. The Office also took significant steps to protect older Americans from financial exploitation, by bringing to justice those who prey on the elderly and conducting educational and training events to raise public awareness about financial scams targeting older adults.

U.S. Attorney King remained committed to enhancing public safety by focusing on identifying and dismantling extensive drug trafficking networks, which are often drivers of violent criminal activity. The Office also increased its efforts to reduce gun-induced violence by identifying and disrupting gun trafficking pipelines, prosecuting repeat offenders and felons in possession of firearms, and those involved in the illegal sale or purchase of firearms.

Throughout U.S. Attorney King’s tenure, the Office also prioritized strengthening partnerships with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies and community stakeholders through training seminars on Department of Justice priorities and U.S. Attorney’s Office initiatives, as well as in response to community needs to include violent crime, civil rights, and human trafficking.

“Serving as U.S. Attorney has given me the privilege of working alongside our dedicated federal, state, and local law enforcement partners on prosecutions, crime prevention efforts, and outreach initiatives,” said U.S. Attorney King. “I am grateful for the support of these agencies, which will continue to serve and protect our communities long after my tenure. I also want to thank the countless agents, officers, and deputies whose commitment and extraordinary service enhance the safety of our communities and help bring offenders to justice.” 

In addition to overseeing federal cases and conducting trainings, U.S. Attorney King engaged in outreach and crime prevention efforts, including initiatives to enhance public safety and strengthen community engagement. Among them is Think Again, a campaign aimed at preventing illegal firearm purchases and reducing gun violence. U.S. Attorney King also prioritized the fight against hate crimes through the United Against Hate initiative, a Department of Justice-led effort designed to strengthen relationships between law enforcement and historically targeted communities.

A key focus of U.S. Attorney King during her tenure was engaging with young people to prevent youth violence and foster positive youth development. U.S. Attorney King’s Office partnered with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS), Buncombe County and City of Asheville Schools, and Cherokee Central Schools to engage with students on important issues such as school violence, teen dating violence, effective leadership, and positive conflict resolution. U.S. Attorney King also participated in numerous public events and partnered with youth community organizations, where she spoke on topics of crime prevention, mentorship, and collaborating with law enforcement.

“As U.S. Attorney, I’ve had the privilege of meeting and interacting with countless members from communities throughout the Western District, including young people. I am extremely grateful to all our community partners for their collaboration and partnership. None of this work would be possible without the support of our community partners and the citizens who stand behind these efforts. I am deeply grateful for their support and for their commitment to our outreach initiatives, particularly those that focus on helping our young people navigate their challenges in a positive and constructive manner.”

In addition to serving as U.S. Attorney for WDNC, U.S. Attorney King served as Chair of the Civil Rights Subcommittee and Native American Issues Subcommittee of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC) of U.S. Attorneys, as well as the Juvenile Violence Subcommittee. “It’s been a privilege to serve as Chair on these two very important subcommittees and an incredible opportunity to provide input on key issues to Department of Justice leadership,” said U.S. Attorney King, who also served as a member of the AGAC’s subcommittees for Violent and Organized Crime; Law Enforcement, Victims and Community Relations; and Elder Justice. 

Since 2021, U.S. Attorney King successfully steered the office through significant challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic and unprecedented budgetary cuts. In spite of these challenges, the Office maintained its ability to manage a large caseload and secure additional resources, including prosecutors and support personnel.

Before her appointment, U.S. Attorney King served as WDNC’s Deputy Criminal Chief, overseeing the Violent Crimes and Narcotics Section, and as Lead Task Force Attorney for the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force program. U.S. Attorney King’s extensive prosecutorial experience also includes serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of North Carolina, an enforcement attorney in the Securities Division of the North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, and an Assistant District Attorney in Mecklenburg County.

“Being U.S. Attorney is an incredible job,” said U.S. Attorney King. “It’s been an honor and a privilege to have served in this role and I will always be incredibly thankful for the opportunity.”

Upon U.S. Attorney King’s departure, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Lawrence J. Cameron will serve as Acting U.S. Attorney until a replacement is named.