North Dakota to get 5 more federal prosecutors

FARGO — The U.S. Attorney’s Office in North Dakota will get five more prosecutors, including three that will be dedicated to prosecuting cases on Native American reservations in the state.

The Wednesday, May 10, announcement said the U.S. Department of Justice allocated the additional staff to North Dakota’s federal prosecuting office. One of the five added prosecutors will work against violent crime in Cass County and the surrounding area, according to a news release.

Another will lead eLitigation efforts, the release said.

The three prosecutors dedicated to Native American communities and land will help the office double its prosecutorial resources there, the release said.

“For decades, the hallmark of the United States Attorney’s Office in North Dakota has been our role as a strong federal partner in promoting public safety across the state, especially in Indian Country,” North Dakota U.S. Attorney Mac Schneider said in a statement. “With this significant investment of additional resources from the Department of Justice, we will be able to play that role even more effectively.”

North Dakota has 21 assistant U.S. attorneys who work in the criminal and civil divisions in Bismarck and Minot. It also has a prosecutor who prosecutes high intensity drug trafficking in Minot, the release said.

Once the office fills two current vacancies and hires the five additional attorneys, it will have 28 assistant U.S. attorneys, the release said.

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