CHARLESTON, West Virginia – William S. Thompson was sworn in today as United States Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia and is committed to continuing the office’s mission to promote justice and fight crime throughout the district.
“My goal is to make our communities safer and safer and to hold people accountable for their actions,” Thompson told members of the federal judiciary, distinguished guests, family and other supporters during his induction ceremony.
Thompson affirmed his commitment to targeting middle and higher tier illegal drug distributors by supporting and working with rehabilitation and prevention groups. Thompson noted that the fatal drug overdose epidemic remains all too real in the district: the latest casualties include a former baseball teammate of his son who died the night before.
“A priority for this office is to look for drugs that are actually killing our communities, such as fentanyl, other opiates and methamphetamine,” Thompson said. “This is where much of the violence in our communities actually comes from.”
Fighting white-collar crime is also a priority, as the US Attorney’s Office is better equipped to deal with such cases, Thompson said. He cited the office’s recent success against foreign nationals, Internet-based sentimental fraud schemes, and COVID-19 rescue fraud.
As the US Attorney, Thompson is the chief of law enforcement in the southern half of the state. Thompson heads an office of 34 attorneys and 41 non-prosecutors located in the Charleston, Huntington and Beckley offices. The office is responsible for prosecuting federal crimes in the district, including crimes related to terrorism, public corruption, child exploitation, firearms and drugs. The office also defends the United States in civil cases and collects debts to the United States.
Thompson praised the skill and professionalism of the people in his office, citing their success over the past year. Thompson noted that after taking the helm, he assigned training duties to three of the office’s attorneys and had a detailed fourth for the January 6 prosecution.
“I fully expected our workload numbers to take a significant hit this year, and he would have agreed,” Thompson said. “However, the opposite was true. Our number of cases filed in my first year actually increased by 48%, while nationwide cases in US attorneys’ offices decreased by more than 9%.
Thompson recalled being contacted to serve as US attorney on January 6, 2021 and explained that the events of that day “solidified my determination to be the best US attorney I could be.” In addition to drugs and white-collar crime, domestic terrorism is also a top priority of his office, Thompson said.
“Fortunately, this district has not yet been significantly affected by this, but this is a phone call that I fear every day,” Thompson said.
US Senator Joe Manchin spoke at the ceremony and hailed Thompson’s selection as US Attorney.
“Today we had the honor of celebrating Will Thompson’s dedication to the great state of West Virginia and the rule of law,” said Manchin. “Will’s work speaks for itself and I am delighted to be able to celebrate my friend today at his investiture ceremony. Congratulations to Will and Keri on this new venture and thank you for your continued service to the Mountain State. “
US Senator Shelley Moore Capito also praised Thompson’s selection.
“US. Attorney Thompson’s professional experience makes him particularly qualified to serve Western Virginians in this capacity,” said Capito. “He has shown great leadership and professionalism throughout his career and I am confident in his ability to uphold the rule of law and protect our communities here at home. I congratulate US Attorney Thompson on his induction today and I know he will continue to serve West Virginia with honor. ”
Thompson was appointed by President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. on August 10, 2021. The US Senate confirmed Thompson in a voice vote on October 5, 2021. Today’s ceremony follows a private oath conducted on October 13, 2021.
A copy of this press release can be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
