Special to IFN
CHARLOTTE – United States Attorney Dena J. King has stepped down from her position as the Western District’s chief law enforcement officer effective.
“It has been a tremendous honor to serve the people of the Western District of North Carolina,” King said. “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.”
King is the first person of color to be appointed to the position in the Western District of North Carolina. She was nominated by President Biden on September 28, 2021, and was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on November 19, 2021. She was officially sworn into the position on November 29, 2021.
During her tenure, 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 largest Native American Community in the eastern half of the U.S., the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, is in the district.
As the chief federal law enforcement officer, 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 King, the Office focused its efforts on the protection of civil rights; enhancing public safety; recovering taxpayer dollars; combating 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, King formed the district’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.
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.
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.”
Since 2021, 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, King served as district’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,” she said. “It’s been an honor and a privilege to have served in this role and I will always be incredibly thankful for the opportunity.”
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Lawrence J. Cameron will serve as Acting U.S. Attorney until a replacement is named.