New York U.S. Attorney Tapped for Attorney General

Loretta E. Lynch, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, which includes Long Island’s East, has reportedly been named by President Barak Obama to be the next Attorney General of the United States. Many national news agencies had reported the planned naming of Ms. Lynch, with “PBS Newshour” and The New York Times being the most recent outlets to report the expected nomination by the President, Friday evening.

In the past year, Ms. Lynch has pressed the prosecution of two local cases that came to national prominence. In what she called “one of the largest investment frauds in Long Island history,” Ms. Lynch prosecuted two brothers-in-law, Brian R. Callahan of Old Westbury and Adam J. Manson of New York City, for a Ponzi scheme that involved the Panoramic Resort in Montauk. Both men pleaded guilty in plea-bargained deals and are awaiting sentencing.

She also was leading the prosecution of the franchise owners of eastern Long Island 7-Elevens, including the Sag Harbor store on Long Island Avenue, on charges of harboring and exploiting undocumented immigrants.

She first became part of the prosecutorial team in the Eastern District of the United States in New York in 1990. One of the cases that brought her to national prominence was the prosecution of New York City Police Department Officer Justin Volpe on charges of sodomizing a prisoner, Abner Louima, in 1997. Mr. Volpe pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

She named to her current post in 1999 by President Bill Clinton, left the position in 2001 after the election of George W. Bush the previous year, and was renamed to the post in 2010 by President Obama, becoming the only attorney so honored twice.

If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, she will replace Eric Holder, who has been in the position since shortly after President Obama’s swearing in on 2009.