Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
Burlington, Vermont – United States Attorney Nikolas Kerest announced today that he will resign effective January 20, 2025.
Following his nomination by President Biden and confirmation by the Senate, Mr. Kerest has served as the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont since December 10, 2021, leading the United States Attorney’s Office’s 51 employees, in the enforcement of federal criminal and civil laws in the state. Prior to becoming United States Attorney, Mr. Kerest served as an Assistant United States Attorney in both the criminal and civil divisions for eleven years, including 4.5 years as the Chief of the office’s civil division.
Mr. Kerest stated, “Representing the United States as a member of the U.S. Attorney’s Office team for over fourteen years and as its leader for the past three years has been the highlight of my career. Public service is a gift, and I will forever be grateful to have had the chance to work towards a better Vermont – one that is safer for its residents, one in which civil rights are upheld, and one in which the rule of law is respected. The criminal and civil Assistant U.S. Attorneys, administrative staff, and support staff who constitute the small but mighty U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont are unmatched public servants, and I know they will continue to pursue justice without fear or favor and achieve great results in the years ahead.”
During the past three years, the United States Attorney’s Office redoubled its efforts to address violent crime. With strong law enforcement partnerships across Vermont, the Office prosecuted illegal gun possessions at an increased rate. In particular, the U.S. Attorney’s Office supported the efforts of the Chittenden County Gun Violence Task Force, worked hand in hand with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and other law enforcement partners in prosecutions arising out of Bennington and Rutland counties, and provided significant prosecutorial resources to address violence in the Northeast Kingdom. Examples of the Office’s steadfast approach to curbing violent crime are the prosecutions of Everett Simpson, Lawrence Jackson, Carl Martin, Dominique Troupe, Deven Moffitt, and Sean Fiore. In addition to increased violent crime prosecutions, the U.S. Attorney’s Office initiated and promoted safe gun storage in partnership with the Vermont State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the UVM Medical Center, and other partners supporting the www.gunsafevt.org website.
Under Kerest’s leadership, the U.S. Attorney’s Office focused on enforcing federal civil rights laws, as well as educating Vermonters about their rights under these laws. Through its United Against Hate program, the Office provided outreach and education about federal civil rights laws to high school students all around Vermont. The Office also maintained strong relationships with Vermont’s faith communities by providing regular civil rights outreach. In addition, the Office’s civil rights program has paid close attention to civil rights violations in Vermont schools. The Twin Valley and Stepping Stones settlements are specific examples of this important work.
For the past three years, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has also taken significant steps to address elder financial fraud in Vermont. The prosecutions of Nicholas Melanson and Nasir Hussain are prime examples of the Office holding elder fraud perpetrators responsible for their harmful conduct. In addition, in partnership with the U.S. Secret Service, HSI, and Diplomatic Security Service, Mr. Kerest led numerous events providing education and tips to avoid becoming a victim to Vermont’s elder community.
Under Kerest’s leadership, the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s civil division continued to be a nationwide leader. On the defensive side of the docket, the Office successfully represented the Federal Highway Administration against challenges to the construction of Burlington’s Champlain Parkway. The civil division’s work fighting fraud and recovering damages continued to set the standard for small-sized U.S. Attorney’s Offices. In particular, the office was responsible for a ground-breaking Controlled Substances Act settlement with eBay, along with recoveries from NextGen, an electronic health records company, and Vermont defense contractors (Preci, Galvion, and Revision).
Mr. Kerest also thanked the many federal, state, county, and local law enforcement agencies, as well as community groups who partner with the United States Attorney’s Office. “The partnerships the U.S. Attorney’s Office enjoys throughout Vermont are vital to the success of our work and the work of all law enforcement. Support for law enforcement and collaboration is necessary to achieve a better Vermont. I am thankful for all of our partners and will look back fondly on the relationships fostered and created during my tenure as U.S. Attorney.”
First Assistant United States Attorney Michael Drescher, who has served the Office as a civil and criminal AUSA for over 22 years, will become Acting United States Attorney for the District of Vermont upon Mr. Kerest’s departure.
Kerest has not yet determined his future professional plans.