U.S. Attorney's Office Recognizes Law Enforcement, Community Partners, And Citizens For Outstanding Achievements

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Today, U.S. Attorney Dena J. King hosted the Western District’s Excellence in the Pursuit of Justice award ceremony, recognizing federal, state, local and Tribal law enforcement, community partners, and citizens for their significant contributions to the mission of the Department of Justice, and for their commitment to protecting the people of the Western District of North Carolina.

“It is an honor to recognize the remarkable men and women in law enforcement for going above and beyond the call of duty to protect our communities and to hold wrongdoers accountable for their actions,” said U.S. Attorney King. “A career in law enforcement is not for the faint of heart. Those who wear the badge understand what it means to live a life of service, despite the significant dangers and challenges that come with the job. I congratulate the recipients for this well-deserved recognition. I am grateful for their outstanding efforts to ensure public safety and for serving the people of the Western District of North Carolina with integrity and excellence. I also thank our community partners and citizens who were recognized today for their contributions to my Office’s efforts to promote important programs and initiatives that promote safety, access to justice, and strengthen our ties with the people we serve.”

The following law enforcement professionals were recognized in the Outstanding Case category, for their work as an investigative team and their exemplary performance in cases handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office:

Paul M. Engler - FBI 

William J. Gang, II – FBI

Corey S. Zachman – FBI

United States v. Victoria Irby

Sonia Escobedo – Asheville Police Department/DEA

Jonathan Morgan – Asheville Police Department

United States v. Megan Tate

Steve Davis – Jackson County Sheriff’s Office

Brandon Elders – Cherokee Indian Police Department

David Lovedahl – DEA Task Force Officer

Daniel Peoples (Ret.) – Jackson County Sheriff’s Office

Christy Sims – Jackson County Sheriff’s Office

United States v. Martin Medina

Kevin Lau – Bureau of Indian Affairs/DEA

Cody McKinney – Cherokee Indian Police Department

Jesse Ramirez, II – Cherokee Indian Police Department

Jeff Smith – Cherokee Indian Police Department

United States v. Markuetric Stringfellow & Related Cases

John Carrothers – FBI

Michael T. Dixon – FBI

Nick Pompei – IRS-Criminal Investigation

United States v. Vincent Deritis

Timothy Bradley – Homeland Security Investigations

Mathew Rogers – Hickory Police Department

Marisa Rogers – Hickory Police Department

United States v. Hamzeh Alasfar, et al. & U.S. v. Rami Mhana

Matt Hayes – United States Secret Service

David Jester – Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department
Jeff King –Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department

Matthew Mescan – Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department

United States v. Daneon Hanson et. al.

Brianna Ballard – Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department

Everette Berry – Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department

Jordan Buehler – Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department

Peter Carbonaro – Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department

Stephen Cuccaro – FBI

Luke Donahue – Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department

Daniel Federowicz – Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department

Jessica Frank – Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department

Matthew Grimsley - Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department

Todd Hepner – Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department

Matthew Irmscher – FBI

Nicholas Krause – Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department

David Lopez – Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department

Richard Migliara – FBI

Dennis Miller – Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department

Douglas Moore – Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department

Kaiti Mrak – Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department

Jennifer Nisavic – Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department

Katherine Sabino – FBI

Michael W. Sardelis – Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department

Crystal Schwarte – FBI

Shawn Stegal – Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department

Tristan Stewart – FBI

Megan Thueme – FBI

Andrea Wilson – Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department

The following recipients were selected to receive the Outstanding Individual Performance award for their exemplary contributions to multiple cases prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office:

Carter N. Catlett – U.S. Small Business Administration

Aleta Dunbar - Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department

John R. Ireland – FBI

Kathryn L. Swinkey – FBI

Michael W. Sardelis – Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department

Steven M. Webster – U.S. Department of Treasury

This year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office presented Ms. Tiffany Canonica and Ms. Hannah Arrowood with the Outstanding Citizen Award for their contributions in cases prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and recognized Beasley Media Group and Helpmate, Inc. with the Outstanding Community Partner award for their work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in promoting Department of Justice programs and initiatives.

U.S. Attorney King thanked the awardees for their distinctive efforts and their dedication to pursuing justice while working together to build public trust and keep our communities safe.