Andrew Lelling

Andrew E. Lelling[3] (born 1970) is an American attorney who served as the United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts from 2017 to 2021. He is best known for leading Operation Varsity Blues, the federal investigation and prosecution of a massive nationwide college admissions scandal,[4] and the prosecution of six eBay employees for terrorizing a middle-aged couple living in greater Boston, Massachusetts.[5] His tensure was also marked by major gang and healthcare enforcement actions.[6][7] Lelling, however, was also criticized as being "overzealous, grandstanding, and politically motivated" for his prosecution of a local trial judge who helped an undocumented immigrant charged with drug crimes avoid arrest by immigration authorities. [8] He resigned on February 28, 2021, along with most remaining U.S. Attorneys of the Trump administration.[9] In late 2021, it was reported that he was considering a run for Massachusetts' Republican gubernatorial nomination,[10] but he ultimately decided not to.[11]

Andrew Lelling
United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts
In office
December 21, 2017 – February 28, 2021
PresidentDonald Trump
Joe Biden
Preceded byCarmen Ortiz
Succeeded byRachael Rollins
Personal details
Born1970 (age 51–52)
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)Dana Gershengorn
Children2
EducationBinghamton University (BA)
University of Pennsylvania (JD)
[1][2]

Early Life and education

Lelling grew up in Rockland County, New York, the son of a dentist in the Bronx named Irwin.[2] Lelling received a Bachelor of Arts in literature and rhetoric from Binghamton University in 1991 and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1994.[12] Lelling clerked for Berry Avant Edenfield of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia. He went on to serve as counsel to the Assistant Attorney General at the United States Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia.

U.S. Attorney's Office

At the time of his nomination to serve as U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts, Lelling had served for 12 years as senior litigation counsel for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts, prosecuting white collar crime, international drug trafficking, and other offenses.[13][14] He is a member of the Federalist Society and a former member of the Boston Bar Journal's board of editors.[12] He assumed office on December 21, 2017.

During his tenure with the U.S. Attorney's Office in Massachusetts, Lelling led the prosecution of a billion-dollar pyramid scheme that defrauded almost 2 million investors. A former executive of Telexfree was sentenced to six years in federal prison for his involvement in the scheme.[15] Lelling also helped prosecute Carlos Rafael, a fishing magnate known as "the Codfather" who pleaded guilty to mislabeling hundreds of thousands of pounds of fish, allowing him to illegally increase his profit margin via environmental fraud.[16] He successfully prosecuted several golfing buddies for trading on inside information about American Superconductor.[15]

On February 8, 2021, along with 55 other Trump-era attorneys; Lelling was asked to resign.[17] Lelling announced his resignation on February 10, 2021, effective February 28.[18] Lelling is reported to be joining Cleveland-based law firm Jones Day following his resignation, and to be considering a future role in elective politics.[19]

2019 college admissions bribery scandal (Operation Varsity Blues)

In 2019, Lelling announced charges in the 2019 college admissions bribery scandal and is leading the prosecution.[20][21] Lelling heads the securities and financial fraud unit that is prosecuting the case. The unit includes Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric S. Rosen (the lead prosecutor on the case), Justin D. O’Connell, Leslie Wright, and Kristen A. Kearney.[22][23]

Indictment of Massachusetts trial court judge
Main article: United States v. Joseph

In April 2019, Lelling was the target of extensive criticism when he indicted Massachusetts trial court judge Shelley M. Richmond Joseph and now-retired Court Officer Wesley MacGregor on obstruction of justice charges in regards to an April 2, 2018, incident where the judge and the court officer helped a twice-deported illegal alien who had again illegally entered the U.S. to evade arrest from the Newton District Court. Joseph and MacGregor face three different obstruction charges: conspiracy, aiding and abetting a fugitive, and obstruction of a federal proceeding. MacGregor has also been charged with perjury. Lelling said "We did not bring this case in response to the public debate over immigration enforcement. There are reasonable arguments on both sides of that debate, but this isn't a policy seminar, it's a law enforcement action."[24][25]

Former Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court justice Geraldine S. Hines said of Lelling's decision to prosecute that “Maybe he’s trying to get on Trump’s radar for whatever reason, and this is certainly the kind of thing that’s going to get attention in Washington...it’s a way to get yourself noticed.”[8]

Personal life

Lelling is married to Massachusetts juvenile court judge Dana Gershengorn and they have two children.[2]

References
  1. "Trump nominates Andrew Lelling as Mass. US attorney - the Boston Globe". Archived from the original on 2017-09-09.
  2. Murphy, Shelley (2019-10-14). "Andrew Lelling fills his office with meaning". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2019-10-15.
  3. "Andrew E. Lelling Profile | Boston, MA Lawyer". Martindale.com. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  4. Medina, Jennifer; Benner, Katie; Taylor, Kate (Mar 12, 2019). "Actresses, Business Leaders and Other Wealthy Parents Charged in U.S. College Entry Fraud". www.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2022-02-22.
  5. Singer, Natasha. "Ex-eBay Workers Sent Critics Live Roaches and a Mask of a Bloody Pig Face, U.S. Says". www.nytimes.com. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
  6. Andersen, Travis. "Two MS-13 members admit to roles in murder of 17-year-old boy in Lynn, prosecutors say". www.bostonglobe.com. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
  7. Emanuel, Gabrielle; Thomas, Katie. "Top Executives of Insys, an Opioid Company, Are Found Guilty of Racketeering". www.nytimes.com. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
  8. Cramer, Maria; Stout, Matt (April 26, 2019). "Top federal prosecutor in Mass. is now on the hot seat". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 2022-01-25.
  9. "United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling Announces Departure". www.justice.gov. 2021-02-10. Retrieved 2022-02-22.
  10. "Andrew Lelling also eyeing run for Massachusetts governor, sources say". Boston Herald. 2021-12-03. Retrieved 2022-01-25.
  11. Kashinsky, Lisa (2 February 2022). "Campbell launches AG bid". www.politico.com. Politico. Retrieved 7 April 2022. Former U.S. attorney for Massachusetts Andrew Lelling won’t be running for governor or attorney general this year, despite fielding calls from Republicans encouraging him to seek either seat
  12. "Meet the U.S. Attorney". 2014-12-15. Retrieved 2018-08-09.
  13. "President Donald J. Trump Announces Sixth Wave of United States Attorney Nominations". whitehouse.gov. September 8, 2017. Retrieved 23 October 2017 – via National Archives. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  14. Metzger, Andy (September 8, 2017). "President Donald Trump nominates Andrew Lelling for top federal prosecutor in Massachusetts". MassLive. State House News Service. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  15. Godoy, Jody (September 18, 2017). "Boston US Atty Nominee 'Wicked Smart,' Colleagues Say". Law360. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  16. McDonald, Danny (September 8, 2017). "Trump nominates Andrew Lelling as Mass. US attorney". Boston Globe. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  17. Balsamo, Michael (February 8, 2021). "Justice Dept. seeks resignations of Trump-era US attorneys". Associated Press. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
  18. "United States Attorney Andrew e. Lelling Announces Departure". 10 February 2021.
  19. |last=Szaniszlo|first=Mary|url=https://www.bostonherald.com/2021/02/26/0227-bh-n-lelling/ |title=U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling leaves office, joins law firm|work=Boston Herald|date=February 26, 2021|access-date=February 28, 2021}}
  20. Frank, Robert; Newburger, Emma (2019-03-12). "A slew of CEOs charged in alleged college entrance cheating scam". CNBC. Retrieved 2019-03-12.
  21. "Wealthy parents, actresses, coaches, among those charged in massive college cheating admission scandal, federal prosecutors say", by Eric Levenson and Mark Morales, CNN, March 13, 2019. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  22. United States Attorney’s Office, District of Massachusetts (March 12, 2019). "Arrests Made in Nationwide College Admissions Scam: Alleged Exam Cheating & Athletic Recruitment Scheme". Department of Justice. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  23. "Meet the Big Law Alums Prosecuting the College Admissions Scandal", by Mike Scarcella and Nate Robson, Law.com, March 13, 2019. Retrieved April 9, 2019
  24. Dooling, Shannon (2019-04-25). "Mass. Judge, Retired Court Officer Face Federal Charges For Allegedly Helping Defendant Evade ICE". WBUR-FM. Archived from the original on 2019-04-25. Retrieved 2019-04-26.
  25. Stack, Liam (2019-04-25). "Judge Is Charged With Helping Immigrant Escape ICE at Courthouse". The New York Times. Retrieved 2019-04-26.
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