Nikolas P. Kerest, Public Service, Vermont 2021

Grimy Times has learned that Nikolas P. Kerest has taken the oath of office to become the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont. This marks a significant shift in the state’s top law enforcement position, as Mr. Kerest will oversee a staff of 51 employees, including 24 attorneys and 27 non-attorney support personnel.

Mr. Kerest was nominated by President Joseph Biden on September 28, 2021 and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on December 7, 2021. This afternoon, he took the oath of office from Chief United States District Court Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford.

Mr. Kerest expressed his honor and excitement in serving as the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont, stating, “I am honored to serve as the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont. This office is home to a team of incredibly dedicated and effective public servants. It has a long history of outstanding work, integrity, and service to the Vermont community. We will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement and community partners to pursue equal justice under the law and to protect and serve the people of Vermont. I am excited to get started,”

As United States Attorney, Mr. Kerest will oversee the prosecution of federal crimes in the district, including crimes related to terrorism, public corruption, exploitation of children and older adults, firearms, narcotics, immigration, and civil rights. In civil cases, the office will also represent the United States and its agencies in affirmative fraud cases, defend the United States in civil cases, and collect debts owed to the United States.

Mr. Kerest has served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Vermont since 2010. He began serving as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Civil Division of the office, representing federal agencies in defensive and affirmative litigation in federal court in Vermont. From 2014-2019, he served as Civil Division Chief, continuing to represent federal agencies in addition to leading the division as part of the U.S. Attorney Office’s management team. In 2019, he joined the criminal division, prosecuting a variety of criminal cases, including drug trafficking offenses, violent crime, and immigration fraud.

Mr. Kerest clerked for the Honorable Fred I. Parker, United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in Burlington, VT from 2000 to 2001. He also worked for Ropes and Gray LLP in Boston, MA from 2001 to 2004. From 2004 to 2010, he worked as a litigator for Pierce Atwood LLP in Portland, ME.

Mr. Kerest attended Williams College, receiving a B.A. in mathematics in 1994. He attended Cornell Law School, earning his J.D. in 2000.

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