Joel R. Levin, Public Service, Illinois 2023

CHICAGO — A veteran federal prosecutor rejoined the U.S. Attorney's Office today as the second-ranking official and will succeed the office's longest-serving prosecutor upon his retirement early next month.

Zachary T. Fardon, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, announced the appointment of Joel R. Levin, who was a federal prosecutor for 28 years in Chicago, San Francisco, and Milwaukee, as First Assistant U.S. Attorney, succeeding Gary S. Shapiro, who has held the position for nearly 17 years of his 42-year career with the Justice Department.

Mr. Levin, 60, who was a trial partner with Mr. Fardon and others in the prosecution of former Illinois Gov. George Ryan, left government service in 2008 for private law practice. He returned to the office today as the No. 2 official under Mr. Fardon.

Mr. Shapiro, 68, whose distinguished career over four decades included 16 months as the U.S. Attorney before Mr. Fardon took office a year ago, is retiring effective Nov. 3.

"I am very pleased to welcome Joel, my friend and former trial partner, as a senior member of our team, knowing that we are gaining the benefit of his judgment and counsel in the critically vital role of First Assistant. This office is extremely fortunate to have Joel step into a leadership role and draw upon his breadth of experience, both in this and other U.S. Attorney's Offices, as well as private practice," Mr. Fardon said.

"At the same time, we are keenly aware that Gary's retirement brings an end to his guiding influence, which has been steadfast through the tenure of five U.S. Attorneys, as well as five additional U.S. Attorneys while Gary was with, and led, the independent Organized Crime Strike Force. We in law enforcement, and the citizens of the Northern District of Illinois, owe Gary our deepest gratitude for his four decades of public service and for upholding the highest principles of justice for all. We congratulate him and wish him a wonderful retirement," Mr. Fardon added.

Mr. Levin said: "It is humbling to replace Gary but I am honored by the opportunity of returning to public service and working with Zach, as well as the entire U.S. Attorney's Office. I am excited to contribute to protecting our national security, attacking the violence that has plagued our neighborhoods, rooting out public corruption, prosecuting health care fraud and bringing to justice those who attempt to undermine the integrity of our markets and financial system."

The First Assistant U.S. Attorney, also known as the FAUSA, plays a major role in supervising all matters, including investigations and prosecutions involving international terrorism, public corruption, corporate fraud, and organized crime, including violent crime and narcotics and gang prosecutions. The FAUSA also has significant responsibility for managing more than 300 employees, including currently 162 Assistant U.S. Attorneys in Chicago and Rockford, serving 18 counties and nine million residents in northern Illinois.

Mr. Levin returns to the U.S. Attorney's Office from Perkins Coie in Chicago, where he was a member of the firm's White Collar & Investigations practice since 2008. Mr. Levin was an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Milwaukee from 1980 to 1984, and an AUSA in San Francisco from 1984 to 1997, serving as chief of the Criminal Division his last two years there. In 1997, he joined the U.S. Attorney's Office in Chicago and held supervisory positions, including chief of the Financial Fraud and Special Prosecutions Section in 2007-08.

Defendant/Respondent: Joel R. Levin

Exact Criminal Charges: None

City and State: Chicago, Illinois

Exact Date: None

Sentence or Outcome: None

Dollar Amounts: None

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndil/pr/joel-r-levin-returns-us-attorney-s-office-succeed-retiring-first-assistant-us-attorney