U.S. Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III of the Middle District of Florida Announces Resignation

Tampa, Florida – A. Lee Bentley, III, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Florida, announced today that he will step down from his post on March 13, 2017. Mr. Bentley has tendered his resignation to President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

“Serving for the past four years as United States Attorney has been a humbling experience. I have been privileged to serve with many of the finest lawyers in the country on criminal and civil matters of critical importance to the citizens of the Middle District of Florida. I am extremely grateful to my colleagues and to our partners in federal, state, and local law enforcement.”

Mr. Bentley has been an Assistant United States Attorney in the Middle District of Florida since 2000. During that time, he served as First Assistant to former United States Attorney Robert E. O'Neill and Chief of the Criminal Division. Prior to that, he worked at the law firm of Hogan & Hartson in Washington, D.C. as an associate (1990-1992) and a partner (1993-2000). Mr. Bentley also has served as a Special Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of Florida (Miami), an Attorney Advisor in the Office of Legal Counsel, Department of Justice (Washington, D.C.), a law clerk to Hon. Lewis F. Powell, Jr., United States Supreme Court (Washington, D.C.), and a law clerk to Hon. Clement F. Haynsworth, Jr., United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (Greenville, South Carolina). He graduated with highest honors from the University of Georgia (1980) and the University of Virginia School of Law (1983). Mr. Bentley was nominated by President Barack Obama on June 19, 2014, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on December 16, 2014.

During Mr. Bentley’s tenure as U.S. Attorney, the Office indicted over 4,200 cases and charged more than 5,500 defendants in criminal conduct impacting the Middle District of Florida (MDFL). The Office also handled nearly 1,000 criminal and civil appeals, and defended the United States in thousands of civil cases. Additionally, operating with an annual budget of approximately $28 million, the MDFL collected more than $1.2 billion in criminal and civil actions between 2014 and March 2017. These recoveries are part of ongoing efforts to recover money and assets from criminals, and to seek restitution for crime victims.

As U.S. Attorney, Mr. Bentley oversaw complex cases involving some of the nation’s highest priorities and Department of Justice initiatives, including:

• Terrorism
• Violent Crime & Gangs
• Health Care Fraud
• Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation
• Civil Rights
• Ex-Offender Re-Entry

The Middle District of Florida serves 35 of the 67 counties in Florida, which is over half the population of Florida, from Jacksonville in the north, Orlando in the center of the state, through Tampa on the west coast, and south to the Ft. Myers area. Headquartered in Tampa, five offices are located throughout the district.