CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The U.S. Department of Justice allocated four assistant U.S. attorneys to assist in work in West Virginia’s southern district, U.S. Attorney Mike Stuart announced Monday.
A majority of the new 311 prosecutors nationwide will focus on violent crime, while others will work in civil enforcement and immigration. Many of the 86 civil enforcement prosecutors will assist the Prescription Interdiction and Litigation Task Force, which is aimed at addressing the distribution of drugs related to the opioid crisis.
In West Virginia, three assistant U.S. attorneys will focus on violent crime and one on civil enforcement. It is not known if the prosecutors will be assigned to Bluefield, Beckley, Charleston or Huntington.
The nearly 15 percent increase in prosecutors, according to Stuart, is the largest percent increase in any district in the country.
“At a time of amazing economic challenge and a declining West Virginia population, one could argue for a reallocation of resources from this region to other faster-growing regions of the country,” Stuart said. “Rather than contracting, however, Washington has taken note of our hard work and strong performance and rewarded us with a record number of new prosecutors.”