U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade of the Eastern District of Michigan lost sleep, shed pounds and missed some of her children’s events while dealing with cases that brought her office national attention over the last year, the Detroit Free Press reported.

Barbara McQuade (DOJ)

McQuade hit the ground running after the Senate her confirmed on Dec. 24, 2009. The U.S. Attorney received a message on her BlackBerry on Dec. 25 about suspected terrorist activity on a Detroit-bound airplane while celebrating Christmas with her family at home. On Dec. 26, authorities charged Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab with attempting to blow up the airliner with a bomb in his underpants.

“I felt like I was really in the right place at the right time, because of my background in national security,” said McQuade, a former national security unit prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s office, according to the newspaper. But, she added: “We certainly had never dealt with anything that significant.”

McQuade’s office also found itself in the headlines for the corruption cases involving ex-Detroit City Councilwoman Monica Conyers, who is married to Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.), and former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.

In March, Monica Conyers received a sentence of three years and one month in federal prison and two years of supervised probation for her part in a bribery scandal. She pleaded guilty to conspiracy for accepting at least $6,000 in exchange for her support of a $1.2 billion waste disposal contract.

Conyers asked U.S. District Court Judge Avern Cohn to allow her to rescind her guilty plea, but the judge denied her request. She is appealing the judge’s ruling.

Then, on Wednesday, McQuade announced that Kilpatrick faces corruption charges for allegedly taking millions of dollars in kickbacks from city contractors.

McQuade said her later father, who worked for General Motors, would have been proud of her work.

“I was born here. I love this city. And I want to do everything I can to improve the quality of life here,” McQuade said, according to the Free Press. “And ridding the city of public corruption is a very important part of that.

The Justice Department on Wednesday honored a former interim U.S. Attorney in Detroit for boosting morale and productivity in the Middle District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office, shedding light on the prosecutor’s discreet stint at a troubled office.

Terrence G. Berg (DOJ)

Director H. Marshall Jarrett of the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys presented former interim U.S. Attorney Terrence Berg of the Eastern District of Michigan with a Superior Performance in a Managerial or Supervisory Role award during the 27th annual EOUSA Director’s Awards Ceremony. Berg, who has worked at the DOJ for more than 15 years, spent six months as the acting First Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Middle District of Georgia under then-acting U.S. Attorney G.F. “Pete” Peterman before returning to Detroit in October as an Assistant U.S. Attorney.

Berg appeared to have been sent down South to fix issues with the office’s management.

The DOJ kept Berg’s time as the No. 2 official in the Middle District of Georgia quiet. His name was not in the online staff directory for the U.S. Attorney’s office and does not appear in court documents or websites associated with the Macon-based office. Main Justice was the first to report that Berg worked in the Middle District of Georgia.

“While serving [as acting First Assistant U.S. Attorney] Mr. Berg provided both outstanding leadership and management skills under challenging conditions,” a program from the awards ceremony says. “Mr. Berg was instrumental in developing and implementing a strategic plan for the improvement of the management and structure of the office.”

Berg increased the office’s intake of cases, started a mentoring program for less-experienced prosecutors, assisted with the creation of a “Back to Basics” program to train every Criminal Division Assistant U.S. Attorney in the office and helped mend the office’s relationships with judges and other officials, according to the program. He also put together the first office-wide retreat in a decade and launched “a program to improve morale and promote a sense of camaraderie and teamwork among the staff,” the program says.

Peterman, now the First Assistant U.S. Attorney, said in October that Berg came to the Macon-based U.S. Attorney’s office because they were “shorthanded in our management staff.” But the former acting U.S. Attorney, a 20-year veteran of the office, declined further comment on the matter.

He and a spokeswoman for the Middle District of Georgia didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment on Wednesday about Berg’s work in the office. A DOJ spokeswoman in D.C. didn’t have an immediate comment.

The Middle District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s office has faced criticism in the last few years for its work on a few major cases.

• In August 2008, lawyers representing defendants in a public corruption case accused Middle District of Georgia prosecutors of “outrageous government misconduct” for allegedly devising a scheme to create criminal charges against another defendant in the case, the Daily Report reported.

• In January 2009, lawyers for a Defense Department contractor alleged prosecutors from the office made false assertions and disingenuous statements in a case in which the government alleged the company knowingly sold faulty non-lethal grenades that malfunctioned, The Telegraph in Macon reported.

• In December 2009, a federal judge in Georgia blasted the office for the “sweetheart plea deals” it made with drug dealers in its “relentless” efforts to pursue a defense lawyer who was acquitted of attempted bribery, drug conspiracy and money laundering charges, the Fulton County Daily Report reported.

The office is currently led by U.S. Attorney Michael J. Moore, who was sworn in Oct. 6. President Barack Obama nominated Moore in September 2009 to lead the office, but his nomination languished in the Senate for about a year.

The Justice Department on Monday will host a memorial service in honor of one of its own who served in the Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton administrations, one of the late DOJ official’s former colleagues told Main Justice.

James K. Robinson (Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP)

The event in the Great Hall of DOJ headquarters will pay tribute to James K. Robinson, who served as the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan from 1977 to 1980 and later led the DOJ Criminal Division from 1998 to 2001. He died in August after battling gastrointestinal cancer.

Attorney General Eric Holder and Associate Deputy Attorney General David Margolis are among the members of the DOJ community who are expected to deliver remarks at the service, said former Eastern District of Michigan U.S. Attorney Richard Rossman. He said the DOJ will also show a slideshow of photographs from his life at the gathering.

A former interim U.S. Attorney in Detroit will leave the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Macon, Ga., this week after serving there as the No. 2 official for several months, the former leader of the office told Main Justice Wednesday.

Terrence G. Berg (USDOJ)

Former acting U.S. Attorney G.F. “Pete” Peterman of the Middle District of Georgia said Terrence Berg, a veteran prosecutor from the Eastern District of Michigan, was the First Assistant U.S. Attorney from May until this month. Peterman, who was acting U.S. Attorney from summer 2009 until this month, said the office is celebrating the prosecutor’s last day Wednesday.

Berg will return to Detroit as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the complex crimes unit next week, Eastern District of Michigan First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Gorland told Main Justice. Berg served his first stint in the Eastern District of Michigan U.S. Attorney’s office from 1989 to 1999. He later returned to the office in 2003, becoming the First Assistant U.S. Attorney there in 2005. He served as the interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan from 2008 until January 2010.

The Justice Department kept Berg’s stint in Macon quiet. His name was not in the online staff directory for the U.S. Attorney’s office and does not appear in court documents or websites associated with the Middle District of Georgia.

Peterman said Berg came to the Macon U.S. Attorney’s office because they were “shorthanded in our management staff.” He declined further comment on the matter. A DOJ spokeswoman in Washington also declined comment.

The Middle District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s office has come under fire over the last few years for its work on several major cases.

• In August 2008, lawyers representing defendants in a public corruption case accused Middle District of Georgia prosecutors of “outrageous government misconduct” for allegedly devising a scheme to create criminal charges against another defendant in the case, the Daily Report reported.

• In January 2009, lawyers for a Defense Department contractor alleged prosecutors from the office made false assertions and disingenuous statements in a case in which the government alleged the company knowingly sold faulty non-lethal grenades that malfunctioned, The Telegraph in Macon reported.

• In December 2009, a federal judge in Georgia blasted the office for the “sweetheart plea deals” it made with drug dealers in its “relentless” efforts to pursue a defense lawyer who was acquitted of attempted bribery, drug conspiracy and money laundering charges, the Fulton County Daily Report reported.

Peterman, who is now listed as the Middle District of Georgia First Assistant U.S. Attorney, started at the office in 1990. He became the office’s Criminal Division Chief in 1996 and First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the first time in 1998. He also served two previous stints as acting U.S. Attorney in 2000 and 2001.

The office is now led by U.S. Attorney Michael J. Moore, who was sworn in Oct. 6. President Barack Obama nominated Moore in September 2009 to lead the office, but his nomination languished in the Senate for about a year.

A top Justice Department appointee in the Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton administrations died Friday at his Park City, Utah, vacation home, The Grand Rapids Press reported.

James K. Robinson (Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP)

James K. Robinson served as the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan from 1977 to 1980 and later led the DOJ Criminal Division from 1998 to 2001. Most recently, he worked at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP in D.C. as a partner while he battled gastrointestinal cancer.

Ross Parker, who worked with Robinson in the U.S. Attorney’s office, wrote on Ticklethewire.com that the former DOJ official was “one of the finest lawyers of his generation.” (Read his tribute here.)

Pamela Clark, Robinson’s sister, said her brother remained active despite his health.

“He never allowed his diagnosis to affect his passions,” Clark told the newspaper. “He continued skiing, traveling, sailing and even tried kite-boarding in South America.”

Robinson is survived by his wife, Marietta “Marti” Robinson, who was set to celebrate 28 years of marriage with her husband this week. He is also survived by his son, Steven, daughter, Renee Robinson Stromberg, and five grandchildren.

A memorial service is scheduled for 2 p.m. Thursday at the Wayne State University Community Arts Center Auditorium in Detroit.

A top Justice Department appointee in the Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton administrations died Friday at his Park City, Utah, vacation home, The Grand Rapids Press reported.

James K. Robinson (Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP)

James K. Robinson served as the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan from 1977 to 1980 and later led the DOJ Criminal Division from 1998 to 2001. Most recently, he worked at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP in D.C. as a partner while he battled gastrointestinal cancer.

Ross Parker, who worked with Robinson in the U.S. Attorney’s office, said on Ticklethewire.com that the former DOJ official was “one of the finest lawyers of his generation.” Read more here.

Pamela Clark, Robinson’s sister, said her brother remained active despite his health.

“He never allowed his diagnosis to affect his passions,” Clark told the newspaper. “He continued skiing, traveling, sailing and even tried kite-boarding in South America.”

Robinson is survived by his wife, Marietta “Marti” Robinson, who was set to celebrate 28 years of marriage with her husband this week. He is also survived by his son, Steven, daughter, Renee Robinson Stromberg, and five grandchildren.

A memorial service is scheduled for 2 p.m. Thursday at the Wayne State University Community Arts Center Auditorium in Detroit.

Barbara McQuade (DOJ)

U.S. Attorney Barbara L. McQuade announced several personnel changes in the U.S. Attorney’s office in the Eastern District of Michigan along with the creation of several new units, The Press and Guide reported.

McQuade — who cited the Detroit-based office’s priorities as terrorism, public corruption, violent crime, civil rights and financial fraud — said the office’s old structure was outdated. Among the changes:

• Violent and Organized Crime Unit — The new unit will be headed by John O’Brien, who has been with the office for eight years and previously was chief assistant prosecuting attorney of the Oakland County prosecutor’s office.
• Public Corruption Unit — The new unit will be supervised by Kathryn McCarthy, who has be the chief of the Controlled Substances Unit and an Assistant U.S. Attorney since 1995. Previously, she worked at the Oakland County prosecutor’s office.
• Civil Rights Unit — The existing unit will be supervised by Judith Levy, who has been with the U.S. Attorney’s office since 2000 and previously worked at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

• Financial Fraud Unit — The existing unit will be divided into three units — a White Collar Crime Unit, a Complex Fraud Unit, and a Health Care Fraud Unit.  The White Collar Crime Unit will be supervised by Cynthia Oberg, who has worked in the office since 1992 and previously was a criminal defense attorney. The Complex Fraud Unit will be supervised by Stephen Hiyama, a 25-year veteran of the office. The Health Care Fraud Unit will be supervised by Wayne Pratt, who has been an Assistant U.S. Attorney since 1983.

Several other units were not reorganized. According to the Press and Guide:

• Jonathan Tukel will continue to head up the National Security Unit.
• Dawn Ison will serve as chief of the Drug Task Force.
• Kevin Mulcahy will be chief of the General Crimes Unit.
• Peter Caplan was named the new head of the Affirmative Litigation Unit.
• Julie Beck will serve as chief of Asset Forfeiture and Financial Litigation Unit.
• Vanessa Mays will head the Defensive Litigation Unit.

A Detroit federal judge on Tuesday scheduled a June 22 court date for Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the so-called “Christmas Day bomber” who allegedly tried to ignite explosives in his underpants on a Detroit-bound plane on Dec. 25, 2009, the Detroit Free Press reported.

Abdulmutallab did not attend the hearing before U.S. District Judge Nancy Edmunds. He is being held at the federal prison in Milan, Mich.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Cathleen Corken, of the Eastern District of Michigan, said that federal prosecutors have already turned over hundreds of reports and some videotape evidence to defense lawyers and still have more to turn over.

Jill Price, an attorney from the Detroit federal defender’s office, told the Free Press it has been challenging to review evidence with Abdulmutallab.

Eastern District of Michigan U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade has launched an “internal inquiry” to find out who is leaking information to the news media about a federal investigation of public corruption in the Detroit City Council.

Barbara McQuade (DOJ)

McQuade said she won’t stand for leaks by federal officials or criminal defendants, according to The Associated Press. But the U.S. Attorney said she can’t prevent witnesses from speaking to the press.

“Investigations are kept confidential for a number of important reasons, including protecting the integrity of the investigation, protecting the safety of witnesses and protecting targets of investigation from public suspicion when no charges have been filed,” McQuade said in a statement, according to The Detroit News. She also called on other federal agencies such as the FBI to also conduct internal inquiries on the leaks.

Former Detroit Councilwoman Monica Conyers, the wife of House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.), was sentenced to three years and one month in prison last month as part of the public corruption probe. Nine others have pleaded guilty to corruption charges.

Attorney General Eric Holder said at the investiture for the Detroit-based U.S. Attorney today that the prosecutor is a “strong addition” to the nation’s 93 U.S. Attorneys.

Barbara McQuade (DOJ)

Holder lauded Eastern District of Michigan U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade in prepared remarks delivered in Detroit at the swearing-in ceremony, which was attended by Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and McQuade’s family, friends and colleagues. The Attorney General said he was “immediately impressed” with McQuade when he met with her last year to talk about taking the job.

“She obviously possessed a deep understanding of complex legal and national security issues, and evinced an unwavering faith in the justice system that she has spent a career serving,” Holder said. “But I was also struck by Barb’s faith in her colleagues here in the Eastern District of Michigan, and her conviction that this office could play an important role in addressing the challenges facing Southeastern Michigan.”

McQuade, who was officially sworn into office early last month, said in a recent interview with the Detroit Free Press that improving the efficiency of her 108-employee office is one of her top priorities.

She  also told the newspaper that fighting violent crime, terrorism and public corruption are priorities.

Her office is prosecuting a public corruption case involving former Detroit City Council member Monica Conyers, who is married to Democratic House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers of Michigan. McQuade and her prosecutors are also handling the case against Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, who allegedly hid explosives in his underwear in a failed attempt to bomb Northwest Airlines Flight 253 from Amsterdam to Detroit.

“In the aftermath of that attempted attack, Barb has been charged with overseeing the very important prosecution that has resulted. And she’s impressed me once again,” Holder said. “She has enlisted the cooperation of the Justice Department’s law enforcement partners at every level. And she is insuring that her office will be able to present the strongest case possible.”

Holder now has attended eight U.S. Attorney investitures.

Attorney General Eric Holder is slated to be on hand at the ceremonial swearing-in tomorrow for the U.S. Attorney in Detroit, according to a Justice Department spokeswoman.

Barbara McQuade (DOJ)

Eastern District of Michigan U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade was officially sworn in on Jan. 4, less than two weeks after the Senate confirmed her. But U.S. Attorneys often have a ceremonial investiture later on, with local, state and federal leaders in attendance.

Holder has attended seven U.S. Attorney investitures so far. He was at the swearing-in ceremonies for Carmen Ortiz in Massachusetts, Paul Fishman in New Jersey, Timothy Heaphy in the Western District of Virginia, Neil MacBride in the Eastern District of Virginia, Preet Bharara in the Southern District of New York, B. Todd Jones in Minnesota and  Joyce Vance in the Northern District of Alabama.

Read our article here about the prestige the Attorney General can bring to U.S. Attorneys by attending their swearing-in ceremonies.

McQuade’s office is currently handling a few high profile cases, including the case against Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, who allegedly hid explosives in his underwear in a failed attempt to bomb Northwest Airlines Flight 253 from Amsterdam to Detroit. She is also working to improve efficiency in her office.