Baltimore, Maryland – On the first anniversary of his appointment as United States Attorney for the District of Maryland, Erek L. Barron, announced that after a year-long review of the needs of the office and cooperation with the leadership of both of the Civil Division. and the Criminal Division, the office creates a Human Rights and Special Victims Unit. Sarah A. Marquardt and Paul E. Budlow were appointed Co-Chiefs of the new Branch and Charles D. Austin was appointed Deputy Chief.
“This section will be a beacon for protecting civil rights and dealing with crimes involving victims that require special expertise,” said Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney. of the District of Maryland. “Sarah Marquardt, Paul Budlow, and Charles Austin will lead a team of prosecutors, legal experts and investigators who represent the best in the office,” said United States Representative Erek L. Barron.
The Civil Rights and Special Victims Unit will be staffed by Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) from the Civil Division and Criminal Division. The Major Crimes Unit of the AUSA Criminal Division and support staff will be incorporated into the new division. The new division will continue to focus Major Crimes on cases involving vulnerable victims and civil rights enforcement of crimes, including child abuse, human trafficking and identity theft. The new section will also enforce several civil rights laws to protect the constitutional rights of Marylanders and ensure equal opportunities for all, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, color, disability, religion, national origin or sex. enthusiasm. The human rights division’s work will focus on prosecuting hate crimes, ending discrimination in housing, preventing voter suppression, preventing discriminatory hiring practices by state and federal employers, ensuring opportunities equality for Marylanders with disabilities, and to investigate the denial of equal protection to students by the public. schools and institutions of higher education.
Today’s announcement is the culmination of a year of accomplishments, including the hiring of a diverse group of 19 Assistant United States Attorneys, the selection of the most diverse executive team in the Office’s history, and the selection of the Office to be part of two national anti-fraud forces—the COVID-19 Fraud Task Force and the National Anti-Fraud Task Force. The COVID-19 Strike Force will prevent, detect and disrupt pandemic fraud. The task force reinforces efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminals and to assist agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud, among other measures , by increasing and including existing communication methods, identifying tools and methods to detect fraudulent actors and other methods. their projects, and sharing and using information and data obtained from previous enforcement efforts.
As part of the Office’s ongoing efforts to protect the elderly and bring perpetrators of fraud schemes to justice, the Transnational Elder Fraud Task Force is dedicated to disrupting and prosecuting foreign fraud schemes. targeting adults, including “senior fraud,” romance fraud. , and prepaid plans. The office also has a strong effort to inform seniors and their families how to spot and avoid financial fraud.
Reducing violent crime is one of the office’s top priorities. U.S. Attorney Barron previously announced the creation of the Violent and Organized Crime Division, which merged the Serious Crime and Narcotics Division into one division. In addition, US Attorney Barron announced an unprecedented level of federal funding to support the USAO’s crime reduction efforts, including the hiring of 30 additional staff. It also announced that prosecutors will use all available tools to investigate and prosecute repeat offenders—especially using the school’s zoning ordinance that makes it a crime to have a gun within walking distance. a 1000 from the school and check any error related to the office. priorities, including COVID-19 CARES Act fraud, especially unemployment insurance fraud, Paycheck Protection Program fraud, and Economic Disaster Loan fraud.
Community outreach is another way the office tries to reduce violent crime. The Office of Reentry Program has sponsored or assisted with reentry fairs across the country to provide resources and assistance to returning citizens and their families. In addition, the Office has begun reaching out to schools and youth programs with the goal of preventing youth from becoming victims or perpetrators of crime.
“I’m proud of what the office has accomplished so far, and I look forward to continuing to do everything I can to serve Marylanders—to keep our communities safe by talking to criminals,” said the Attorney General. United States Eric L. Barron.
