(CNN) A federal investigation has not found enough evidence to charge Darren Wilson with the federal crime of depriving Michael Brown of his civil rights, according to multiple sources familiar with the investigation.

The FBI has completed its investigation into the August shooting in Ferguson, Missouri, and sent the findings to the Justice Department, a law enforcement official and a separate U.S. official said Wednesday.

Justice Department prosecutors will not recommend civil rights charges against Wilson, who killed Brown, because there is not sufficient evidence to support charges, a U.S. official told CNN.

The New York Times first reported the development Wednesday.

Photos: Unrest in Ferguson Photos: Unrest in Ferguson Police officers walk past the smoldering remains of a beauty supply store in Ferguson, Missouri, on Tuesday, November 25. Ferguson has been struggling to return to normal since Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, was killed by Darren Wilson, a white police officer, on August 9. The grand jury did not indict Wilson in the case, prompting new waves of protests in Ferguson and across the country. Hide Caption 1 of 34 Photos: Unrest in Ferguson A woman cleans up glass from a business' shattered window on November 25. Hide Caption 2 of 34 Photos: Unrest in Ferguson A Ferguson firefighter surveys rubble at a strip mall that was set on fire overnight. Hide Caption 3 of 34 Photos: Unrest in Ferguson Protesters run away after police deployed tear gas in Ferguson on Monday, November 24. Hide Caption 4 of 34 Photos: Unrest in Ferguson Police take position during clashes with protesters on November 24. Hide Caption 5 of 34 Photos: Unrest in Ferguson A protester stands in front of police vehicles with his hands up on November 24. Hide Caption 6 of 34 Photos: Unrest in Ferguson Police in riot gear move past a burning vehicle on November 24. Hide Caption 7 of 34 Photos: Unrest in Ferguson A looter in Ferguson walks out of a burning Walgreens on November 24. Hide Caption 8 of 34 Photos: Unrest in Ferguson Riot police clash with protesters on November 24. Hide Caption 9 of 34 Photos: Unrest in Ferguson Firefighters work on extinguishing a Little Caesars restaurant on November 24. Hide Caption 10 of 34 Photos: Unrest in Ferguson Smoke fills the streets of Ferguson as buildings burn on November 24. Hide Caption 11 of 34 Photos: Unrest in Ferguson Police officers grab a protester on November 24. Hide Caption 12 of 34 Photos: Unrest in Ferguson A woman treats her face for possible tear gas exposure on November 24. Hide Caption 13 of 34 Photos: Unrest in Ferguson People walk away from a burning storage facility on November 24. Hide Caption 14 of 34 Photos: Unrest in Ferguson A man steps out of a vandalized store on November 24. Hide Caption 15 of 34 Photos: Unrest in Ferguson A police officer runs by a burning police car on November 24. Hide Caption 16 of 34 Photos: Unrest in Ferguson Police officers stand guard as protesters confront them on November 24. Hide Caption 17 of 34 Photos: Unrest in Ferguson Protesters block streets in St. Louis after the announcement of the grand jury's decision on November 24. Ferguson is a suburb of St. Louis. Hide Caption 18 of 34 Photos: Unrest in Ferguson Police confront protesters in Ferguson on November 24. Hide Caption 19 of 34 Photos: Unrest in Ferguson A police officer points his rifle at demonstrators on November 24. Hide Caption 20 of 34 Photos: Unrest in Ferguson Protesters run for shelter as smoke fills the streets of Ferguson on November 24. Hide Caption 21 of 34 Photos: Unrest in Ferguson The glass windows of a store are shattered on November 24. Hide Caption 22 of 34 Photos: Unrest in Ferguson A demonstrator listens to a car radio as the grand jury's decision is delivered in front of the Ferguson Police Department. Hide Caption 23 of 34 Photos: Unrest in Ferguson Lesley McSpadden, mother of Michael Brown, is escorted away from the Ferguson Police Department on November 24. Hide Caption 24 of 34 Photos: Unrest in Ferguson A group of protesters vandalizes a police vehicle in Ferguson on November 24. Hide Caption 25 of 34 Photos: Unrest in Ferguson Police officers confront protesters on November 24. Hide Caption 26 of 34 Photos: Unrest in Ferguson Demonstrators block traffic during a protest in front of the Ferguson Police Department on November 24. Hide Caption 27 of 34 Photos: Unrest in Ferguson Demonstrators gather outside the police station on November 24. Hide Caption 28 of 34 Photos: Unrest in Ferguson Protesters gather as they wait for the announcement of the grand jury decision on November 24. Hide Caption 29 of 34 Photos: Unrest in Ferguson Members of the media line up in a parking lot across from the Buzz Westfall Justice Center on November 24. Hide Caption 30 of 34 Photos: Unrest in Ferguson Residents begin to gather at the Michael Brown memorial ahead of the grand jury announcement. Hide Caption 31 of 34 Photos: Unrest in Ferguson National Guard troops arrive ahead of the grand jury announcement. Hide Caption 32 of 34 Photos: Unrest in Ferguson Members of the Missouri National Guard are escorted out of the Buzz Westfall Justice Center. Hide Caption 33 of 34 Photos: Unrest in Ferguson Demonstrators are confronted by police as they block a street before the grand jury announcement. Hide Caption 34 of 34

However, the final Justice Department report has not been completed. The FBI joined local officials in interviewing over 200 people and looked at much the same evidence as the grand jury.

Ultimately, the decision will be made by Attorney General Eric Holder, who has said he will announce a decision before he leaves office, which is expected to be by spring.

Benjamin Crump, an attorney for Brown's family, declined to comment on the news Wednesday.

"The family of Michael Brown Jr. will wait for official word from the Justice Department regarding whether or not any charges will be filed against the police officer who shot and killed him," Crump said in a written statement released Wednesday. "The family won't address speculation from anonymous sources."

Photos: The funeral of Michael Brown Photos: The funeral of Michael Brown Michael Brown's casket arrives at St. Peter's Cemetery on Monday, August 25, 2014 for his funeral. Brown, 18, was shot and killed by police Officer Darren Wilson on August 9 in Ferguson, Missouri. Brown's death sparked protests in the St. Louis suburb, and a national debate about race and police actions. Hide Caption 1 of 17 Photos: The funeral of Michael Brown Michael Brown Sr. yells out as the casket holding the body of his son, Michael Brown, is lowered into the ground during his funeral service in St. Louis. Hide Caption 2 of 17 Photos: The funeral of Michael Brown Family members touch the copper top of the vault containing Brown's casket. Hide Caption 3 of 17 Photos: The funeral of Michael Brown Mourners fill the pews for the funeral service at Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church in St. Louis. Hide Caption 4 of 17 Photos: The funeral of Michael Brown Lesley McSpadden, Brown's mother, sits during the funeral. Hide Caption 5 of 17 Photos: The funeral of Michael Brown The Rev. Al Sharpton speaks during the funeral. Hide Caption 6 of 17 Photos: The funeral of Michael Brown A Brown family member wears a tie with Michael Brown's face on it. Hide Caption 7 of 17 Photos: The funeral of Michael Brown People sing during the funeral for Brown. Hide Caption 8 of 17 Photos: The funeral of Michael Brown Brown's casket sits inside Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church in St. Louis before the start of his funeral. Hide Caption 9 of 17 Photos: The funeral of Michael Brown Funeral attendees sing before the start of the service on August 25. Hide Caption 10 of 17 Photos: The funeral of Michael Brown Brown's mother, Lesley McSpadden, arrives at Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church for the funeral service. Hide Caption 11 of 17 Photos: The funeral of Michael Brown Brown's father, Michael Brown Sr., arrives for the funeral. Hide Caption 12 of 17 Photos: The funeral of Michael Brown Funeral attendees raise their hands as they wait in line to enter the church on August 25. Hide Caption 13 of 17 Photos: The funeral of Michael Brown Filmmaker Spike Lee takes a picture of a St. Louis Cardinals baseball cap that rests on top of Brown's casket. Hide Caption 14 of 17 Photos: The funeral of Michael Brown Mourners wait in line to enter the church. Hide Caption 15 of 17 Photos: The funeral of Michael Brown A hearse sits outside the church before the funeral. Hide Caption 16 of 17 Photos: The funeral of Michael Brown James Wright waits for the Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church to open for the funeral service. Hide Caption 17 of 17

Months of protests over alleged police brutality and racial profiling surged in Ferguson and across the country after Wilson, a white officer, killed Brown, an unarmed African-American teen.

Legal experts have long noted that a federal civil rights case against Wilson would be more difficult to prove.

"The bar is extraordinarily high," said Joey Jackson, a criminal defense attorney and legal analyst for CNN's sister network HLN. "You have to show an intentional deprivation of a civil right."

Given how difficult it is to prove intent, and also how many conflicting accounts emerged from the grand jury investigation, "it would be very difficult to move forward federally with a civil rights charge," Jackson said.

If no federal charges are brought against Wilson, who resigned from his position as a Ferguson Police officer in November , some people in the area will be disappointed, said Antonio French, a St. Louis city alderman who lives near Ferguson.

"I think you have a lot of people who will be disappointed if this does turn out to be the case. The community and the family wanted a day in court, an opportunity to see all the evidence laid out, cross-examined," French said. "And it looks like that's not going to happen. I hope we don't have any violence as a result of this."

Protests aren't likely to stop any time soon, French said.

"People have a right to protest. We will probably continue to see that. That's a good thing. But we want to keep them peaceful, nonviolent," he said. "Because violence makes the situation worse. It divides the community in a time we need to come together and make everyone feel like they can get equal protection."

Ultimately, he said, some of the protesters' goals can be achieved outside the courts.

"The next steps I think are legislative change," French said, "trying to make sure that in cases like this we get a special prosecutor by law, and to create a new level of civilian oversight over police departments."

In his State of the State speech on Wednesday, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon said addressing "the broader, systemic issues" raised by the unrest that followed the killing of Brown would demand "sustained effort."

"The legacy of Ferguson will be determined by what we do next ... to foster healing and hope ... and the changes we make to strengthen all of our communities," he said.