Maria Chapa Lopez is the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida for the U.S. Department of Justice. Ms. Lopez is an American attorney and was the first Hispanic woman to serve this post.
Ms. Lopez’s nomination was made by the United States President, Donald Trump on May 10, 2018. The United States Senate received her nomination on May 15, 2018, and they confirmed Lopez’s nomination through a voice vote, on August 28, 2018. Maria Chapa Lopez swore as the United States Attorney of the Middle District of Florida on September 4, 2018. The position was earlier held by A. Lee Bentley III.
Lopez, at the post of the Chief Federal Law Enforcement Officer, will be handling various federal felonies, within the Middle District of Florida. She will be also responsible for the civil actions and the tax affairs of the government.
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Law Career
Before her association with the USAO, Maria Chapa Lopez served in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps. She attained the rank of Lieutenant Colonel there. She served there for more than eleven years.
Between April 2000 to April 2016, Maria Chapa Lopez has served as the Assistant U.S. Attorney in Middle Florida USAO. She handled the prosecution of federal felonies of complex opioid cases, money laundering cases, fraud, and maritime transnational drug trafficking establishments. Her contribution to the prosecution of the world’s most dominant drug trafficker, El Chapo, was highly appreciated. Ms. Lopez worked as the DOJ Deputy Attaché, from April 2016 to January 2018, in the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City.
Maria Chapa Lopez has served as the interim U.S. Attorney of the Middle District of Florida earlier. She was appointed officially to the post by United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions on January 3, 2018.
Academic Background
Maria Chapa Lopez joined the University of Texas, from where she completed her undergraduate degree in Bachelor of Arts. She earned her Juris Doctor degree from the South Texas College of Law, Houston, Texas. At the University, Maria Chapa Lopez also worked as the Assistant Editor of the South Texas Law Review. She completed her Master of Laws (L.L.M.) from the Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School, Charlottesville, Virginia.
Contact Details
Full name: Maria Chapa Lopez
District: Middle District of Florida
Phone Numbers:
Tampa (Headquarters) Office
Main Line: (813) 274-6000
Fax Line: (813) 274-6358
Jacksonville Office
Main Line: (904) 301-6300
Fax Line: (904) 301-6310
Orlando Office
Main Line: (407) 648-7500
Fax Line: (407) 648-7643
Fort Myers Office
Main Line: (239) 461-2200
Fax Line: (239) 461-2219
Ocala Office
Main Line: (352) 547-3600
Fax Line: (352) 547-3623
Tampa Office – (Headquarters)
U.S. Attorney’s Office
400 North Tampa Street
Suite 3200
Tampa, FL 33602
Jacksonville Office
U.S. Attorney’s Office
300 N. Hogan Street
Suite 700
Jacksonville, FL 32202
Orlando Office
U.S. Attorney’s Office
400 W. Washington Street
Suite 3100
Orlando, FL 32801
Ft. Myers Office
U.S. Attorney’s Office
2110 First Street
Suite 3-137
Ft. Myers, FL 33901
Ocala Office
U.S. Attorney’s Office
35 S.E. 1st Avenue
Suite 300
Ocala, FL 34471
Social Media Profiles of Maria Chapa Lopez
Username: USAO Middle Florida
Tag: @USAO_MDFL
URL: https://twitter.com/USAO_MDFL
Updated: October 24, 2020
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