Origin & Functions
UNITED STATES ATTORNEY
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Maryland was established by the federal Judiciary Act of 1789. The District of Maryland was one of the original thirteen judicial districts created by that act. From 1789 to 1870, U.S. Attorneys were accountable directly to the U.S. President. With the formation of the U.S. Department of Justice in 1870, the U.S. Attorney General began to supervise the trial-level work of the U.S. Attorneys.
Under the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Attorney and Assistant U.S. Attorneys are the federal government’s principal trial lawyers. For the District of Maryland, the U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecutes all federal criminal cases, represents the federal government in civil litigation, and collects debts owed to the federal government which are administratively uncollectible.
The U.S. Attorney is appointed to a four-year term by the President of the United States with the advice and consent of the U.S. Senate. Assistant U.S. Attorneys are appointed by the U.S. Attorney General for indefinite terms.
Two geographic divisions comprise the Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Maryland. The Southern Division covers Calvert, Charles, Prince George’s, Montgomery, and St. Mary’s counties. The remaining Maryland counties are included in the Northern Division.
Besides its geographic divisions, the Office is organized into four functional divisions: Administrative, Appellate, Civil, and Criminal.
ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISION
The litigation acts of the Civil Division and the Criminal Division are supported by the Administrative Division, which also works to ensure compliance with rules and regulations of the U.S. Department of Justice. The Division further coordinates options for law enforcement support, victims, and witnesses.
APPELLATE DIVISION
Within the District of Maryland, the Appellate Division oversees the handling of appeals in criminal cases. It assists in drafting briefs, conducting moot courts, preparing oral arguments, reviewing district court filings, and forming office policy and training.
CIVIL DIVISION
Located in Baltimore, the Civil Division defends U.S. government agencies when they are sued in court. It also prosecutes civil enforcement activities in fraud matters and collects debts owed to the U.S. government.
CRIMINAL DIVISION
The Criminal Division is organized into six sections: Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering; Fraud and Public Corruption; Major Crimes; Narcotics; National Security and Cybercrime; and Violent Crimes and Gangs.
FRAUD & PUBLIC CORRUPTION SECTION
ELECTION FRAUD TASK FORCE
Established in October 2008, the Task Force works with the State Board of Elections and the Baltimore Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation to deter, detect, investigate, and prosecute electoral corruption.
MARYLAND MORTGAGE FRAUD TASK FORCE
Formed in February 2009 to coordinate state, local, and federal enforcement efforts against mortgage fraud and related crimes.
NARCOTICS SECTION
OPIOID FRAUD & ABUSE DETECTION UNIT
The Unit coordinates investigations with the Drug Enforcement Administration (opens in a new tab) , the Federal Bureau of Investigation (opens in a new tab) , and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (opens in a new tab) .
NATIONAL SECURITY SECTION
While most national security matters come under the investigative jurisdiction of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the National Security Section works with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to ensure that all matters bearing on the national security interests of the United States are thoroughly investigated. Under the Section is the Maryland Coordination and Analysis Center. The Section also is aided by the Anti-Terrorism Advisory Council.
ANTI-TERRORISM ADVISORY COUNCIL OF MARYLAND
On September 17, 2001, the U.S. Attorney General directed each U.S. Attorney to establish an Anti-Terrorism Advisory Council. By 2011, over 240 agencies had joined the Anti-Terrorism Advisory Council of Maryland. They include federal, State and local agencies working in law enforcement, public health, and emergency planning and response, as well as the military, intelligence, and private sectors.
The Council works to combat terrorism in Maryland through four components: intelligence and information sharing; aggressive investigation and prosecution; emergency preparedness and response; and training. The Council operates and directs the Maryland Coordination and Analysis Center.
MARYLAND COORDINATION & ANALYSIS CENTER
On November 3, 2003, the Anti-Terrorism Advisory Council of Maryland opened the Maryland Coordination and Analysis Center (MCAC) to begin its work of coordinating the efforts of federal, State and local agencies to gather, analyze, and share intelligence information with law enforcement, public health and emergency responder personnel.
In July 2026, the Critical Infrastructure Protection Branch was authorized by the General Assembly within the Maryland Coordination and Analysis Center (Chapters 446 & 447, Acts of 2026).
The Branch is to identify current and potential threats to the Maryland’s critical infrastructure; and prioritize the State’s critical infrastructure assets.
Appointed by the Executive Director of the Maryland Coordination and Analysis Center, the Chief Critical Infrastructure Officer administers and operates the Branch, and directs critical infrastructure security efforts across the State. Further, the Chief Critical Infrastructure Officer advises the Governor and the Director of the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security on critical infrastructure security issues.
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e-mail: mdmanual@maryland.gov
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