Source: Office of United States Attorneys
United States Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery today announced new supervisory appointments within the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the office’s Criminal Division, which were necessitated by the departure of First Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfred U. Pavlis last month.
Marc H. Silverman has been named First Assistant U.S. Attorney, the second-ranking position within the office. Since 2022, Mr. Silverman has served as Chief of the Criminal Division. Mr. Silverman joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2010 and, from 2014 to 2022, served as Deputy Chief of the Office’s Appellate Division. Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mr. Silverman was an Arthur Liman Public Interest Fellow at Advocates for Children of New York, Inc.; an associate at Morvillo Abramowitz Grand Iason & Anello PC; and a law clerk for Judge Kimba M. Wood of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and Judge Dennis Jacobs of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Mr. Silverman is a 2003 graduate of Yale University and a 2006 graduate of Yale Law School.
“For years, Marc Silverman has served as a trusted advisor on complex legal and administrative issues facing the office, and he has been a highly valued member of our senior management team,” said U.S. Attorney Avery. “Marc shares a commitment to ensuring that we continue to uphold the highest professional and ethical standards in this district and he takes great care to ensure that our policies and practices comport with the rule of law, fairness, and the ends of justice.”
Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis has been named Chief of the Criminal Division, which is responsible for enforcing federal criminal laws in Connecticut. Ms. Kaoutzanis joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2017 and, since 2022, has served as Chief of the Violent Crimes and Narcotics Unit (VCN), leading the implementation of the office’s four-city VCN strategy that focuses on reducing the number of homicides and other violent crime in our major cities. She also has been a leader in the office’s community engagement efforts related to violent crime reduction, most notably, the creation several years ago of the multi-disciplinary anti-violence Fed-Up program for younger students.
John T. Pierpont, Jr., has been named Chief of the VCN unit, which includes Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) prosecutions, the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), and violent crime, gangs and narcotics investigations. AUSA Pierpont joined the office in 2016, and previously served as Deputy Chief of the VCN unit and as PSN Coordinator.
Geoffrey M. Stone continues in his role as Deputy Chief of the VCN unit and as OCDETF Coordinator, which targets major drug trafficking operations responsible for the distribution of large quantities of narcotics by major drug trafficking organizations.
Lauren C. Clark, who has been an AUSA since 2017, is a new Deputy Chief of the VCN Unit and PSN Coordinator, overseeing firearms prosecutions that seek to deter the illegal possession of guns and reduce gun and gang violence.
“I am fortunate to lead an office of extremely talented individuals who are committed to the cause of justice, and I thank all who have agreed to serve in these important roles,” said U.S. Attorney Avery. “I am confident that our office will continue to make Connecticut a safer place to live, and have a tremendous impact in our communities.”
The Criminal Division comprises three program-based units: Violent Crimes and Narcotics, Financial Fraud and Public Corruption, and Major Crimes and National Security. More information about the office’s Criminal Division is available at https://www.justice.gov/usao-ct/criminal-division.
The District is composed of approximately 68 Assistant U.S. Attorneys and approximately 57 staff members at offices in New Haven, Hartford and Bridgeport. Please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ct for more information about the office.