BOSTON — United States Attorney Joshua Levy announced that he will be stepping down as the United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts. U.S. Attorney Levy tendered his resignation to United States Attorney General Merrick Garland on Monday, Jan. 6, 2024, and his resignation will be effective on Jan. 17, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Levy assumed the role of Acting U.S. Attorney on May 19, 2023. Having been nominated twice by President Biden for the permanent position, Levy was officially appointed as U.S. Attorney by Attorney General Garland in November 2024.
As U.S. Attorney, Levy served on two subcommittees of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee—White Collar Crime, and Terrorism & National Security—and was part of the Human Trafficking Work Group. He also represented the Northeastern U.S. in the U.S. Attorney community on the Domestic Terrorism Executive Committee.
“Serving as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts has truly been the highlight of my career,” U.S. Attorney Levy said. “Every day over the past three years, I have witnessed firsthand the unwavering dedication and extraordinary skill of the federal prosecutors, support staff, and law enforcement partners who work tirelessly to uphold the rule of law, keep our communities safe and protect civil rights.”
U.S. Attorney Levy continued, “We have brought some incredibly important cases these last three years that have improved the lives of the people of Massachusetts. As I reflect on my tenure, I am equally proud of the thoughtful, deliberative process engaged in by our team whenever making the grave decision about whether to bring federal charges to ensure it is consistent with the principles of federal prosecution.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts released a statement detailing that under U.S. Attorney Levy’s leadership, his office pursued several major legal actions. These efforts included the prosecution of individuals associated with the death of Sandra Birchmore, securing a $650 million resolution of criminal and civil claims against McKinsey & Company for their role in promoting Purdue Pharma’s opioid products, and the indictment of two men involved in a plot to export sensitive drone technology to Iran, a scheme linked to the deaths of three U.S. soldiers. In addition, during his tenure, Jack Teixeira received a 15-year prison sentence for leaking classified documents, while seven former eBay employees were convicted of cyberstalking a couple in Massachusetts. Levy also managed a $574 million enforcement action against Raytheon for overcharging on government contracts. Furthermore, his office became the leading U.S. Attorney’s Office nationwide in terms of False Claims Act recoveries, securing over $1 billion in 2024 alone.
“One of the most important series of prosecutions in the last three years were brought by the newly created Human Trafficking and Civil Rights Unit,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts said in its statement. “This dedicated team of lawyers, support staff and victim witness advocates has secured convictions and lengthy sentences against 20 individuals since the unit was formed in 2022, including numerous convictions of people who trafficked minors or used force, fraud or coercion to engage in trafficking. The office’s other notable achievements under Levy’s leadership as U.S. Attorney included impact prosecutions in the areas of public corruption, child exploitation, hate crimes, police accountability, fentanyl trafficking and gun violence, just to name a few.”
Monday’s announcement signifies the conclusion of U.S. Attorney Levy’s second stint at the Department of Justice. Initially, in 1997, he served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney within the Criminal Division’s Economic Crimes Unit. He left the Department of Justice in 2004 for a position at Ropes & Gray, where he became a partner and co-chair of the firm’s 325-lawyer Litigation and Enforcement practice. He also served as co-Managing Partner of their Boston office and co-chair of the firm’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. In 2022, Levy was inducted into the American College of Trial Lawyers for his courtroom advocacy. Just before his term as Acting U.S. Attorney, he held the position of First Assistant U.S. Attorney from January 2022 until May 2023.
Following Levy’s departure, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Murrane, a 16-year veteran of the Department of Justice, will step in as Acting U.S. Attorney.
