William T. Stetzer

Named as the new interim Chief Federal Law Enforcement Officer for the Western District of North Carolina, William T. Stetzer is taking over the highest position in the Office, following the departure of U.S. Attorney R. Andrew Murray, effective February 28, 2021. U.S. Attorney Murray announced his resignation on February 16, 2021, in response to the statement made by Acting U.S. Attorney General Monty Wilkinson on behalf of the United States Department of Justice last February 9, 2021. The statement was a call for the remaining 55 presidentially-appointed U.S. Attorneys to step down and leave their posts, in line with the request of President Joe Biden, who is now in the process of nominating new U.S. Attorneys for the Western District of North Carolina. William T. Stetzer’s appointment will be made official on March 1, 2021, and shall remain effective for a maximum of 300 days or until a successor has been appointed by the Biden Administration.

 

Appointment

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina welcomes the new interim Chief Federal Law Enforcement Official, who is taking over in the Office by virtue of the Federal Vacancies Reform Act. William T. Stetzer is the newly appointed Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, replacing the outgoing U.S. Attorney R. Andrew Murray, whose resignation was announced on February 16, 2021, and is effective on February 28, 2021. U.S. Attorney Murray is among the 55 United States Attorneys who have been appointed during the tenure of former President Donald Trump and are now being requested by President-elect Joe Biden to step down, as is customary the transition process into a new administration. Acting United States Attorney General Robert M. “Monty” Wilkinson made the announcement on February 9, 2021, calling for the Trump-appointed U.S. Attorneys to vacate their posts. First Assistant U.S. Attorney William T. Stetzer shall begin serving as the Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina on March 1, 2021, and carry on leading the Office for a maximum of 300 days after his appointment or up to the time that a successor has been appointed and confirmed into position by President Joe Biden and the Senate, respectively.

 

Educational Background

Earning his undergraduate degree from the University of Central Florida in 1993, Acting U.S. Attorney Stetzer took up law at the Washburn University School of Law. He subsequently graduated with honors in 1996, earning his Juris Doctorate from the Washburn University School of Law.

 

Legal Career

Dedicating the whole of his legal career to government service, United States Attorney William Stetzer embarked on his career as a prosecutor and joined the Office of the District Attorney for the Mecklenburg County as the Supervisor of the Homicide Prosecution Team. He served in the Office for approximately seven years, performing tasks such as supervising the District Attorney’s Office. Moreover, in this capacity, U.S. Attorney Stetzer was able to demonstrate effective and efficient prosecution and leadership skills, wherein he was able to lead the Homicide Prosecution Unit in significantly reducing the homicide case backlog in the Office of the District Attorney for the Mecklenburg County, all the while increasing the conviction rate of homicide defendants, as well as the sentences imposed on the offenders upon indictment.

Apart from serving as a Supervisor in the District Attorney’s Office for the Mecklenburg County, Acting U.S. Attorney William Stetzer was also once a part of the District Attorney’s Office for the Gaston County District Attorney. From 2007 to 2010, U.S. Attorney Stetzer functioned in the Office as an Assistant District Attorney. In this position, Top Federal Prosecutor Stetzer managed to prosecute a large number of severe violent felony cases, particularly those that involved crimes against children, homicide, sexual assaults, and violent assaults.

Throughout his over two decades of combined service as a federal and state career prosecutor, Acting U.S. Attorney William Stetzer has handled numerous criminal cases, wherein he has demonstrated exceptional prosecution skills. With over 25 years of experience in the legal field, U.S. Stetzer has developed a piece of extensive knowledge in felony jury trials, particularly in the capital and non-capital murder cases. First joining the Office of the United States Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina in 2018, William Stetzer was appointed as First Assistant United States Attorney to former U.S. Attorney R. Andrew Murray. Ever since he was named as second-in-command in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina, U.S. Attorney Stetzer has exhibited proficiency in his line of work and has maintained an active caseload. In the duration of his service as First Assistant U.S. Attorney, Top Federal Prosecutor William Stetzer has handled and supervised a wide variety of federal criminal prosecutions, particularly those that involved child exploitation, drug trafficking, financial fraud, public corruption, and violent crime.

 

A Notable Prosecution Made by Acting U.S. Attorney Stetzer

Among the most notable prosecutions wherein Acting U.S. Attorney William Stetzer has served is in one of the most prominent cases of bribery in North Carolina, which involved public officials the indictment of Greg E. Lindberg and John D. Gray. The two defendants, as mentioned earlier, have been found guilty of federal funds bribery and of conspiring to commit honest services wire fraud through the process of corruptly offering millions of dollars in campaign contributions to the Commissioner of the North Carolina Department of Insurance in order to dismiss the Senior Deputy Commissioner who was then responsible for overseeing the regulation of Lindberg’s insurance companies.

 

Honors and Awards

As a prosecutor who has committed more than 20 years of his professional life to public service, Acting U.S. Attorney Stetzer is an acclaimed figure in the legal field. Just recently, in 2020, U.S. Attorney William Stetzer has been awarded the Justice Department’s Assistant Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Service. Along with this, he has also previously been recognized by several law enforcement agencies, including being awarded for his lifelong contribution to the pursuit of justice by the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department Homicide Support Group, the Crime Victim’s Coalition, and by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

 

Statement from Acting U.S. Attorney Stetzer

Currently, the incumbent Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, Chief Federal Law Enforcement Officer William T. Stetzer, asserts it is a great honor for him that he is able to serve the people of the Western District of North Carolina, especially doing so alongside an incredible group of dedicated public servants. On top of that, he pledges to continue the long legacy of the United States Attorney’s Office – that is, to seek justice and consistently and persistently protect the rights and safety of the public.

“It is a great honor to serve the people of the Western District and to work with an incredible group of dedicated public servants. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has a long legacy of fulfilling its mission to seek justice and to protect the rights and safety of the public, which I pledge to continue while serving in this new role,” said Acting U.S. Attorney William Stetzer

 

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina

The Office of the United States Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, as led by newly appointed Acting U.S. Attorney William T. Stetzer, is responsible for the prosecution of criminal cases that have been brought by the federal government, the prosecution and defense of civil cases within the district in which the United States is a party, and the collection of debts owed to the United States.

 

Contact Details

Full Name: William Thomas Stetzer
District/State: Western District of North Carolina
Public email ID: N/A

Charlotte Office

U.S. Attorney’s Office
227 West Trade Street, Ste. 1650
Charlotte, NC 28202

(704) 344-6222
Main
(704) 344-6629
Fax
shirley.rutledge@usdoj.gov
Email Address

Asheville Branch Office

Lynne W. Crout
Victim Witness Coordinator

U.S. Attorney’s Office
100 Otis Street, Room 203
Asheville, NC 28801

(828) 271-4661
Main
(828) 271-4670
Fax
lynne.crout@usdoj.gov
Email Address

Victim Witness Assistance

Charlotte Branch Office
Shirley L. Rutledge
Victim Witness Coordinator

To Contact the Acting United States Attorney

William T. Stetzer
Acting United States Attorney

Lia Bantavani
Contact Person
(704) 338-3140

 

Social Media Profiles of William Stetzer

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Twitter

Username: U.S. Attorney WDNC
Tag: @USAO_WDNC
URL:  https://twitter.com/usao_wdnc

Updated: May 5, 2021

 

Dena J. King is the next State’s Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Her biography can be found here.

Updated: July 1, 2022