03/29/2024
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GREENSBORO, N.C. – United States Attorney Matthew G.T. Martin today announced that he has resigned his position as head of the United States Attorney’s Office in the Middle District of North Carolina, effective February 28, 2021.

“The last three years have witnessed incredible accomplishments by the team at the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said U.S. Attorney Martin. “We have reduced violent crime through Project Safe Neighborhoods and focused prosecutions, protected taxpayers through pursuing COVID-19 relief fraud, healthcare fraud, and grant fraud, and strengthened our local law enforcement relationships to better serve our citizens and protect their rights. Now that the new president has asked for my resignation, I will return to private law practice. I thank the Assistant U.S. Attorneys and our staff, as well as every federal, state, and local law enforcement agency serving central North Carolina. We have worked well together. Though I am leaving this role, I look forward to serving our state and nation alongside you in the future.”

A few highlights of the U.S. Attorney’s Office during Martin’s tenure include:

  • Joining the effort in combatting gang violence in Durham, including the prosecution of the persons alleged responsible for the murder of Z’yon Person (20CR463) and Hong Zheng (19CR529) and persons involved in the two recent shoot-outs in front of the Durham County courthouse.
  • Prosecuting a large drug conspiracy at Appalachian State University, Duke University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
  • Maturing a cyber prosecution program that played a leading role in the unprecedented international take-down of the malware known as “Emotet,” which had infected millions of servers and caused billions of dollars in damage internationally, including in the Middle District.
  • Protecting the taxpayers and federal grant integrity through grant fraud matters, including a $112 million recovery from Duke University and a $4.5 million recovery from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
  • Expanding Project Safe Neighborhoods, the federal Department of Justice’s premier anti-gun-violence program, to include sites in Alamance, Lee, Orange, Randolph, and Rowan counties, as well as renewed emphasis in existing sites in Cabarrus, Davidson, Greensboro, High Point, Winston-Salem, and Rockingham.
  • Hosting the District’s first Re-entry Symposium and numerous re-entry simulations, all designed to share best practices, aid assimilation, and reduce recidivism among inmates returning to society after serving their sentences.
  • Integrating the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network (NIBIN) and Crime Gun Intelligence Centers, in partnership with ATF and police departments in Durham, Greensboro, and Winston-Salem to help solve gun crime incidents and get violent criminals off the street.
  • Emphasizing prosecution of those who exploit children, resulting in prosecution of 74 defendants from 2018-20 for serious crimes against children.
  • Establishing a program under the Fair Housing Act to pursue landlords who sexually harass and prey upon their tenants, who are typically women coming out of difficult situations and trying to make a better life for their children.
  • Facilitating unprecedented coordination between federal authorities and industry groups to combat cybercrime and elder fraud and abuse.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra Hairston will serve as acting U.S. Attorney until Martin’s successor is nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate.

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