The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Indiana greets the new Acting United States Attorney Gary T. Bell, who has been appointed on December 18, 2020, following the resignation of former United States Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana, Thomas L. Kirsch. The turnover of position is per The Vacancies Reform Act (V.R.A.) ), 5 U.S.C. § 3345(a)(1), which states that the First Assistant United States Attorney shall automatically take over and become the U.S. Attorney of the Office, provided that the presidentially appointed U.S. Attorney has resigned.
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Education
A graduate of the University of Michigan, United States Attorney Gary Bell earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics in May of 1987, and subsequently received his Juris Doctorate from the Indiana University in Bloomington, three years later, in May of 1990.
Legal Career
Prior to joining the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Indiana, U.S. Attorney Gary Bell was a Deputy Prosecutor at Lake County. He also joined the private practice at the Spangler, Jennings and Dougherty, P.C in Merrillville, providing trusted and professional legal counsel to those in need, including individuals, companies, families, and municipalities throughout the state of Indiana, but particularly in the Northwest region.
In June of 1999, United States Attorney Gary T. Bell joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Indiana. It began his 20 years of service in the Office as an Assistant United States Attorney. In this position, U.S. Attorney Gary Bell was responsible for prosecuting violent and drug-related crimes, working almost exclusively with the Gang Response Investigative Team (GRIT) Task Force to address and combat violent crimes and other violations involving drugs, firearms, gangs, and property. For 15 years, United States Attorney Gary Bell served as an Assistant United States Attorney, until he was appointed to be in a Supervisory Attorney position in 2014. In those years, he managed to shift his area of practice from violent and drug-related crimes to the prosecution of cases involving public corruption and white-collar crimes. Succeeding his service in the Office as a supervisor, U.S. Attorney Bell was appointed as the First Assistant United States Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana, where he served for six years, from 2014 to 2020.
On March 23, 2020, United States Attorney Gary T. Bell was appointed as the Coronavirus Fraud Coordinator for the Northern District of Indiana. In this capacity, U.S. Attorney Gary Bell worked in coordination with the Department of Justice to prioritize the investigation and prosecution of cases involving COVID19 Relief fraud schemes. Furthermore, the Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen directed coordinators of the Coronavirus Fraud on March 19, 2020, to serve as legal counsel for the federal judicial district, direct prosecution of cases, and conduct outreach and awareness activities, particularly on matters concerning the Coronavirus pandemic.
With his 30 years of experience in practicing law, U.S. Attorney Bell has developed special skills and knowledge in different practice areas, including federal criminal defense, insurance, litigation, medical practice, and personal injury.
Bar Admissions
United States Attorney Gary T. Bell was first admitted into the Indiana State Bar in 1990. It was also granted permission to practice law in the jurisdiction of the United States District Court of the Northern District of Indiana in the same year. In 1991, U.S. Attorney Bell received admission to the Illinois State Bar and the United States Court of Appeals – Seventh Circuit.
Office Jurisdiction
As the interim United States Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana, U.S. Attorney Gary T. Bell manages and oversees around 77 employees, including 38 Assistant United States Attorneys. Being the Chief Federal Law Enforcement Officer in the judicial district, U.S. Attorney Bell has a responsibility to work closely and cooperate with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to promote public safety throughout the Northern District of Indiana. In addition, the Office shall manage civil cases involving the United States, where the U.S. Attorney shall come into the nation’s defense in court. The Office shall also recover debts owed to the United States.
Contact Details
Full Name: Gary Thomas Bell
District/State: Northern District of Indiana
Hammond Office (Main)
United States Attorney’s Office
5400 Federal Plaza, Suite 1500
Hammond, IN 46320
(219) 937-5500
Main
(219) 852-2770
Fax
Fort Wayne Office
United States Attorney’s Office
3128 Federal Building
1300 South Harrison Street
Fort Wayne, IN 46802
(260) 422-2595
Main
(260) 426-1616
Fax
South Bend Office
United States Attorney’s Office
204 South Main Street
Room MO-1
South Bend, IN 46601
(574) 236-8287
Main
(574) 236-8155
Fax
Social Media Profiles of Gary Bell
YouTube
Username: USAO – Northern District of Indiana
URL: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChBSwe2kDPiPNgC9IT-onFA
Twitter Field
Username: U.S. Attorney NDIN
Tag: @USAO_NDIN
URL: https://twitter.com/NDILnews
Updated: December 24, 2020
U.S. Attorney Tina L. Nommay is the next State’s Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana
Updated: October 7, 2021