U.S. Attorney Zane David Memeger Resigning After Nearly Seven Years Of Service

United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Zane David Memeger announced his resignation Tuesday, saying he will no longer the be Eastern District of Pennsylvania's U.S. Attorney effective midnight Dec. 23.

"It has been the highest honor and most fulfilling duty of my legal career to have served as the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania," Memeger said in a statement. "Having served in this challenging and demanding job for the last six and a half years, the time has come for me to step away to focus on my family and explore new opportunities in the private sector."

Memeger joined the Eastern District of Pennsylvania as a U.S. Attorney in May, 2010.

With Memeger stepping down, Louis D. Lappen will assume leadership of the office as Acting U.S. Attorney starting Dec. 24. Lappen serves as the First Assistant U.S. Attorney and has served in the Department of Justice since 1997. He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and the Duke University School of Law.

Just some of Memeger's many highlights as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania include:

• Securing a guilty verdict against then U.S. Congressman Chaka Fattah, Sr. and four criminal associates for RICO conspiracy and related public corruption offenses involving the misuse of campaign and grant funds, bribery, and money laundering.
• Securing a 25-year sentence for Dr. Norman Werther who was convicted by a jury of running a multi-million dollar pill mill operation that illegally distributed more than 700,000 pills containing oxycodone, and was also convicted of causing the death of a patient through his illegal distribution of oxycodone.
• Securing convictions and prison sentences against several municipal court and traffic court judges who fixed cases and obstructed justice by lying to federal agents and the grand jury, as well as convictions and prison sentences against more than 25 police and law enforcement officers who abused their authority by engaging in acts of theft, extortion, drug trafficking, and obstruction of justice.
• Securing a $38 million dollar settlement with Extendicare Health Services Inc. to resolve FCA allegations related to deficiencies in the operation of its skilled nursing homes.

Memeger also worked to establish youth crime prevention programs and prisoner reentry programs to help combat crime in Philadelphia.

Memeger also served on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee which serves as the voice of the United States Attorneys and advise the Attorney General on legal and policy issues that impact U.S. Attorneys’ Offices nationwide. In that capacity, he chaired the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee Health Care Fraud Working Group.

Image via U.S. Department of Justice