Justice and Law Enforcement Medal Recipients
This medal recognizes a federal employee for a significant contribution to the nation in activities related to justice and law enforcement (including civil rights, criminal justice, counterterrorism, and fraud detection and prevention) and is accompanied by a $3,000 award.
Louis Milione and the Operation Relentless Team—2012 Recipients
Position: Special Agent and Group Supervisor
Agency: Drug Enforcement Administration
Location: Washington, D.C.
Achievement: Led a high-stakes federal undercover investigation spanning three continents that resulted in the arrest and conviction of the "Merchant of Death," the world's most notorious arms trafficker.
Charles Heurich and the NamUs Team—2011 Recipient
Position: Program Manager, National Missing and Unidentified Persons System
Agency: Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice
Location: Washington, D.C.
Achievement: Created and launched an innovative, missing and unidentified persons database that allows law enforcement, families and others to share information and potentially solve cases nationwide.
Jamie Konstas—2010 Recipient
Position: Intelligence Analyst
Agency: Federal Bureau of Investigation
Location: Washington, D.C.
Achievement: Providing vital resources in the fight against commercial sexual exploitation of children, which has resulted in the conviction of more than 500 pimps and predators, and the rescue of more than 1,000 child victims.
Walter Benjamin Fisherow—2009 Recipient
Position: Deputy Section Chief, Environmental Enforcement Section
Agency: Department of Justice, Environment and Natural Resources Division
Location: Washington, D.C.
Achievement: Coordinated the largest Clean Air Act enforcement actions ever, which will result in the reduction of harmful air pollutants by nearly 2 million tons each year.
Mark Pletcher—2008 Recipient
Position: Trial Attorney
Agency: U.S. Department of Justice, Antitrust Division, National Criminal Enforcement Section
Location: Washington, D.C.
Achievement: Leading efforts to stop bid-rigging, fraud and corruption involving U.S. officials and defense contractors in Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan.
Dr. John S. Morgan and the President's DNA Initiative Team—2007 Recipient
Position: Deputy Director for Science and Technology
Agency: National Institute of Justice
Location: Washington, D.C.
Achievement: Created program that has helped solve thousands of cold cases and dramatically expanded the capacity of local law enforcement to utilize DNA evidence.
W. Martin Harrell—2006 Recipient
Position: Associate Regional Counsel for Criminal Enforcement/Special Assistant United States Attorney
Agency: Environmental Protection Agency
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Achievement: Successfully prosecuted case involving illegal storage and transportation of hazardous waste in the United States and the export of 300 tons of hazardous waste and other chemicals from Pennsylvania to the Netherlands.
Elizabeth Grossman—2005 Recipient
Position: Acting Regional Attorney
Agency: U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Location: New York, New York
Achievement: Secured EEOC’s second largest sexual discrimination settlement ever in landmark case against Morgan Stanley.
Operation Kids For Cover Team led by Peter Darling—2004 Recipient
Position: Senior Special Agent
Agency: Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Achievement: Shut down a massive conspiracy in which rented babies and women couriers were used to smuggle cocaine in baby formula cans.
Buffalo Joint Terrorism Task Force
led by Edward J. Needham—2003 Recipient
Position: Special Agent
Agency: Joint Terrorism Task Force, U.S. Department of Justice
Location: Buffalo, New York
Achievement: The 22-member Buffalo Joint Terrorism Task Force—led by Special Agent Edward Needham—took the lead in bringing a potential Al Qaeda “sleeper cell” to justice before they could unleash an act of terror on American soil.
Robert Rutherford—2002 Recipient
Position: Criminal Investigator/Group Supervisor
Agency: U.S. Customs Service
Location: Miami, Florida
Achievement: His initiative, leadership and ability to organize multi-agency personnel into a cohesive unit led to a reduction in narcotics trafficking and crime in South Florida.
The Service to America Medals are presented annually by the nonprofit, nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service to celebrate excellence in our federal civil service.
