US Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced a new senior management team to lead the district’s enforcement mission. “The mission of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota is today as it has always been – to impartially enforce and defend the laws of the United States with the central objective of increasing security in our communities. This work will continue under the experienced leadership of our senior management team. Each of these individuals has dedicated their careers to the pursuit of justice and has brought a tremendous amount of wisdom and integrity in support of the District’s mission.”
USA Ramsdell has appointed Gregg S. Peterman as first assistant to the US Attorney. Mr. Peterman joined the office as Assistant US Attorney (AUSA) in 1995 and has been the Supervising Assistant US Attorney in Rapid City since January 2012. As AUSA, Mr. Peterman has prosecuted violent crimes in the Indian country, including murder, sexual abuse, aggravated assault, child abuse and theft. Mr. Peterman received the United States Attorney General’s Award for Outstanding Service in the Indian Country in 2017 and the Director of the Executive Office of the United States Attorneys (EOUSA) Award for Superior Performance in the Indian Country in 2013. He currently serves in the Department of Non-Invisible Act Commission, and is a former member of the US Attorney General’s Advisory Task Force on Domestic Violence in Indigenous Country. Mr. Peterman grew up in New Jersey and is a graduate of Syracuse University and Brooklyn Law School.
US Ramsdell also appointed Assistant US Attorney John E. Haak to serve as Chief of the Criminal Division. Mr. Haak joined the office as AUSA in 2002 and has served as Deputy District Chief Criminal since 2015. Mr. Haak also served as the District’s Senior Litigation Advisor, as well as the point of contact for the Attorney General’s Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force. In 2016 and 2018, Mr. Haak was recognized by the Drug Enforcement Administration for his outstanding contributions in the field of federal drug law enforcement. Prior to joining the US Attorney’s Office, Haak spent fourteen years in the South Dakota Attorney General’s Office, first in the appellate division and later as a drug prosecutor. Mr. Haak grew up in Howard, South Dakota, and earned his B.A. and J.D. from the University of South Dakota.
Assistant US Attorney Diana J. Ryan will continue to serve as head of the Civil Division. Mrs. Ryan joined the office in 1989 as a criminal prosecutor dealing with violent crimes in the Indian country. In 1997, Ms. Ryan transitioned to civil litigation and in 2004 became Chief Civilian. As Chief Civilian, Ms. Ryan oversees all affirmative and defensive litigation for the District and administers the Financial Litigation Unit, which collects federal civil debts and executes court orders for criminal restitution. Mrs. Ryan is an experienced litigator who has been the lead attorney on more than 150 criminal matters, 750 civil cases and 89 appeals. She served on the National Civil Chief’s Working Group and continues to serve as an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) advisor to EOUSA. In 1999, Ms. Ryan received an EOUSA Director’s Award for Superior Achievement in Promoting Equal Employment Opportunities. Mrs. Ryan grew up in Mobridge, South Dakota, and earned his B.A. and J.D. from the University of South Dakota.
Assistant US Attorney Kevin M. Koliner will continue to serve as Chief of the Appellate Division. Mr. Koliner joined the firm as AUSA in 2006 and has served as the Chief Appeals Officer since January 2013. For the past sixteen years, Mr. Koliner has prosecuted large-scale human trafficking cases, including several sex trafficking cases that resulted in multiple life sentences, and has represented the federal government before the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals in the full range of matters handled by the district, including cases complex civilians, white collar crimes, sexual abuse and other violent crimes, civil rights violations, cyber crimes, gun crimes, and drug conspiracies. He was honored to serve as the Justice Department’s representative at international expert meetings aimed at crafting multinational human trafficking and human rights policies. Mr. Koliner grew up in Yankton, South Dakota, and is a graduate of the University of Minnesota and the University of Virginia School of Law.
