Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today the appointments of Stephen Ritchin and Miriam Rocah as Co-Chiefs of the Office’s White Plains Division.  Mr. Bharara also announced the appointments of Katherine Goldstein as Co-Chief of the General Crimes Unit, Rebecca Ricigliano as Co-Chief of the Narcotics Unit, and Diane Gujarati as a Deputy Chief of the Office’s Criminal Division.

Mr. Ritchin, who joined the Office in 1994, most recently served as Senior Trial Counsel in the Office’s Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit.  Prior to his appointment to that position in November 2011, he was Co-Chief of the Office’s General Crimes Unit from 2009 to 2011 and Co-Chief of the Office’s Major Crimes Unit from 2007 to 2009.  During his tenure in the Office, Mr. Ritchin successfully prosecuted many cases, including, most recently, the trial conviction of Patrick Nayyar, who was found guilty for conspiring and attempting to provide material support to the Hizballah terrorist organization.  He has also supervised numerous successful prosecutions, including that of Luis Armando Pena Soltren, who pled guilty to participating in the 1968 hijacking of an airplane bound for Cuba.  Prior to joining the government, Mr. Ritchin spent 11 years in private practice as an associate at Debevoise & Plimpton, and also as an associate and then partner at Berle, Kass & Case in New York.  He also taught environmental and land use law as an adjunct associate professor at New York Law School, and clerked for the Honorable Charles P. Sifton of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Mr. Ritchin graduated from Princeton University in 1977 and Columbia Law School in 1980.

Ms. Rocah, who joined the Office in 2001, served as Co-Chief of the Criminal Division’s General Crimes Unit since October 2011.   From 2008 to 2011, she was Deputy Chief and then Chief of the Organized Crime Unit.  She has also served as Deputy Chief of the Narcotics Unit.  During her tenure with the Office, Ms. Rocah participated in the successful prosecutions of 40 members and associates of the DeCavalcante Organized Crime Family, leaders of the Genovese and Gambino organized crime families, and leaders of Russian and Albanian criminal organizations.  She graduated from Harvard College in 1992 and New York University School of Law in 1997.  Following law school, Ms. Rocah clerked for the Honorable John Gleeson of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, and the Honorable Chester J. Straub of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.  She also worked as an associate at Cravath, Swaine & Moore in New York.

Ms. Goldstein, who joined the office in 2004, was previously a member of the Criminal Division’s Securities & Commodities Fraud Task Force.  During her tenure with the Office, she handled the recent successful prosecutions of Ross Mandell and Adam Harrington for their involvement in a massive investment fraud and stock manipulation scheme.   Prior to joining the government, Ms. Goldstein was an associate at Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering.  Ms. Goldstein also clerked for the Honorable Karen Nelson Moore in the United States Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit.  She graduated from Duke University in 1996 and Harvard Law School in 2000. 

Ms. Ricigliano, who joined the Office in 2005, has served as Deputy Chief of the Narcotics Unit since February 2010.   During her tenure, she participated in many successful prosecutions including Julio Lopez-Pena a major narcotics trafficker in the Norte Valle Cartel.  She also oversaw the prosecution of the first federal bath salts case in the nation.  Ms. Ricigliano graduated from the University of Buffalo in 1996 and the University of Buffalo Law School in 1999.  Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, she was an associate at Schulte, Roth & Zabel and Morvillo, Abramowitz, both in New York.

Ms. Gujarati, who joined the Office in 1999, previously served as the Chief of the Office’s White Plains Division, a position she has held since April 2010.  Prior to that appointment, she served as Deputy Chief of the White Plains Division from 2008 to 2010 and as a Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division’s Appeals Unit from 2006 to 2008.  During her tenure with the Office, Ms. Gujarati has prosecuted a broad range of cases, including securities fraud, money laundering, mail and wire fraud, tax fraud, RICO murder, loan sharking, narcotics trafficking, and firearms trafficking. She graduated from Barnard College in 1990 and Yale Law School in 1995.  After law school, Ms. Gujarati clerked for the Honorable John M. Walker, Jr. of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and worked as an associate at Davis, Polk & Wardwell in New York.

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In making these appointments, Mr. Bharara stated:   “Each of these talented prosecutors has worked with tireless dedication to the pursuit of justice, and I have no doubt they will continue to excel in their new positions.  They serve this office, the city, and the country in the best traditions of the Southern District.”

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