Michael R. Sherwin

Michael R. Sherwin is the Acting United States Attorney for the District of Columbia. As the Acting U.S. Attorney for DC his office is responsible for the prosecution of all federal crimes and all serious local crimes committed in the District.

Prior to becoming Acting U.S. Attorney, Sherwin served as Associate Deputy Attorney General advising Attorney General William Barr and Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen on national security matters at the Department of Justice.

Sherwin is a career prosecutor who joined the Department of Justice in 2008. He served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of Florida (Miami) for 12 years.

Sherwin began his tenure in Miami as a line prosecutor. In 2010, Sherwin joined the Narcotics Section where he prosecuted Colombian and Venezuelan drug cartels and kingpins. Sherwin was the lead prosecutor in the investigation and conviction of Sigifredo Maya, a top member of the Medellín Cartel and close associate of Pablo Escobar and Carlos Lehder.

For six years until 2018, Sherwin prosecuted securities fraud, tax fraud, government corruption and multiple cases under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in the Office’s Economic Crimes Section. In 2016, he became chief of that section’s Health Care Fraud Section, supervising the largest health care strike force in the United States. Under his leadership, the section led the Department in health care fraud indictments, trials and asset forfeitures.

In 2019, Sherwin joined the Office’s National Security Section where he prosecuted counter-intelligence and terrorism cases, specializing in Chinese counterintelligence and national security investigations.

In addition to his work in Miami, in 2011, Sherwin was chosen by then Attorney General Eric Holder to serve a special detail for the Department of State in Bagram, Afghanistan, where he assisted the Afghanistan Attorney General's Office in more than 120 primary court terrorism trials and 250 appellate cases before a specially convened Afghan judicial tribunal. These cases focused on prosecuting top-tier Taliban and al-Qaida explosives engineers, suicide-bomb recruiters, and terrorism financiers.

Prior to practicing law, Sherwin served on active duty service as an intelligence officer in the United States Navy from 1999-2004. During that time, Michael was stationed aboard the aircraft carriers USS John F. Kennedy and USS Theodore Roosevelt as the lead targeting officer and intelligence briefer for Air Wing 1 naval air combat strike missions over Iraq (Operations Northern and Southern Watch). After 9/11, Sherwin was assigned to the J2/intelligence staff of General Tommy Franks as a senior staff intelligence briefer. He was awarded multiple citations for his duties during Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan Campaign) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (Iraq Campaign), to include the Joint Service Commendation Medal (Oak Leaf Cluster) (Operation Iraqi Freedom) (July 2003).

Sherwin is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame (J.D.) and Ohio State University (B.A.).