While at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Chris prosecuted some of the largest, most important cases in the Fraud Section. He received two Attorney General awards for his work. The first, the John Marshall Award, was for his part in a joint civil/criminal matter that resulted in a pharmaceutical company paying $600 million. The John Marshall Award is DOJ’s highest attorney award for excellence in legal performance. He also received an Award of Excellence from the Health and Human Services-Office of the Inspector General for the same case. The second was the Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service, the second highest award granted by the Attorney General, for his role in the successful prosecution of fraudulent conservation easement tax deductions with DOJ’s Tax Division.

Chris’s breadth of experience in white-collar prosecutions led to other awards as well. He received an Award of Distinction from the Antitrust Division for his successful trial of three executives who violated 18 U.S.C. § 1031, Major Fraud Against the United States. In connection with environmental law, Chris was awarded the EPA Gold Medal, EPA’s highest honor. He won this for prosecuting a Clean Air Act case that resulted in significant criminal and civil penalties of almost $50 million. In connection with his False Claims Act work, DOJ’s Civil Division presented Chris with a Special Commendation Award in recognition of his work in obtaining the largest False Claims Act settlement related solely to home health care.

Chris acted as the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s liaison with the SEC’s Atlanta Regional Office. In that role, he successfully prosecuted insider trading by two Equifax employees, relying upon a novel legal theory that was upheld by two judges. He also prosecuted a significant Ponzi scheme that targeted African American and Christian communities, a case featured on CNBC’s crime show, American Greed (now available on Peacock).

Chris successfully prosecuted the former Georgia Insurance Commissioner for health care fraud and a Russian money launderer who moved over $180 million dollars through United States banks to avoid Russian sanctions, a case featured in a video press release by the Attorney General.

 Chris had other leadership roles in the office as well. He was the Criminal eLitigation Coordinator and eDiscovery Coordinator, the Environmental Law Enforcement Coordinator, and served on the Diversity Committee, ultimately as its Chair.

 Prior to joining the Department of Justice, Chris was a partner in an AMLaw 200 law firm in Philadelphia, where he represented clients in a variety of matters, including antitrust, securities fraud, and complex commercial litigation.

 While in Philadelphia, Chris was the Chairman of the Board for the Philadelphia Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Chris received the Federal Bar Association Clifford Scott Green Bill of Rights Award for his representation of two prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay, who have since been released. He was awarded the Allentown Human Relations Award for his work to defend its anti-discrimination ordinance.

Education:

Yale University, BA, Architecture

Georgetown University Law Center, JD
                Order of the Coif
                Magna Cum Laude
                American Criminal Law Review, Special Projects Editor, White Collar Crime Project

Admissions

Georgia
Washington, DC
New York
Maryland
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania