Eleven U.S. Attorney Personnel Recognized for Outstanding Performance

DAYTON – Benjamin C. Glassman, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, honored the work of eleven district employees by presenting them with the U.S. Attorney’s Awards for Outstanding Performance. Those honored are:

Outstanding Performance in Legal Support – Katie L. Shaw

Ms. Shaw has taken a leading role in providing excellent paralegal support for the office’s Civil Division in Columbus, including managing discovery and expert witnesses for a heavy case load of medical malpractice cases and other defensive matters. She also provided crucial support in an employment discrimination case defended by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee.

“Electronic discovery is overwhelmingly important to the effective conduct of litigation today,” Glassman said in presenting the award. “The office and the court system benefit immensely from Katie’s eDiscovery expertise and hard work in supporting the Civil Division’s daily efforts to protect the American fisc.”

Outstanding Performance by an Assistant United States Attorney – Emily N. Glatfelter

In 2018 Ms. Glatfelter was part of the team that indicted an alleged Chinese spy for economic espionage, and extradited him to the United States – a first for the Department of Justice. She was also part of the team that tried two individuals and a company for wire fraud. The trial lasted one month, received a lot of public attention, and resulted in the conviction of all defendants on all counts. She also serves as Deputy Criminal Chief of the Cincinnati office and in that capacity, she provides the kind of valuable support for cases tried by other attorneys. As one example, her input helped guide two trial attorneys she supervised to develop a wire fraud case into a nationwide racketeering indictment -- which people throughout the Department have called an innovative and effective use of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. She has also been a leader in developing and refining standard district-wide plea agreement documents, assuring consistency and accountability throughout the district.

“Emily is a force of nature,” Glassman said. “She is a relentless advocate for justice as a trial attorney, supervisor and innovative leader.”

Outstanding Performance by a Litigative Team – First Assistant U.S. Attorney Vipal J. Patel, Assistant U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II, Legal Administrative Specialist Leah A. Gezinski, Paralegal Specialist Catherine M. Robillard, Victim-Witness Specialist Acquanette M. Lindsay and Trial Attorney Justin Sher

This team litigated the first international terrorism case to go to trial in the Southern District of Ohio. It was an unprecedented undertaking with challenges involving discovery, translation, and secure handling of classified information that no trial team in the Southern District of Ohio had faced before.

“Working together as a team, they masterfully met those challenges and successfully brought the defendant to justice,” Glassman said, noting that Sher from the Justice Department’s National Security Division worked closely with other team members from the District who prepared discovery, managed the courtroom presentation, handled sensitive witness issues and tried the case.

Outstanding Performance in Administration – Jennifer T. Thornton

“Our cases affect the Southern District of Ohio, the nation, and the world,” Glassman said. “Jennifer has been principally responsible for making sure that work of the office is seen in the light of day, so the public understands what we’re doing to further the ends of justice and keep our communities safe.”

Ms. Thornton ensures that media have appropriate access to court documents and office leadership, proclaiming the work done on behalf of victims as well as protecting the rights of the accused. She has developed a strong social media presence and works with public information professionals in other agencies and Justice Department components to set and follow department-wide public information standards. Also serving as the District’s Outreach Coordinator, she manages a robust outreach program which included hosting the state’s third annual reentry summit in 2018 in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio.

Outstanding Performance by a Contractor – Noel A. Thesing

Ms. Thesing has been responsible for supporting the Cincinnati Civil Division’s affirmative cases, including investigations and litigation involving the False Claims Act, fair housing, Americans with Disabilities Act, and opioids. Her skill and enthusiasm have been significant assets as the office has expanded its affirmative civil practice. In affirmative civil rights cases, Ms. Thesing has handled not only traditional legal work, but has also interviewed witnesses, reviewed documents, and collected evidence.

“In 2018, our office brought its first Fair Housing Act case in decades against a landlord who sexually harassed female tenants,” Glassman said. “Noel’s work was crucial to bringing that case forward and now litigating it.”

Extraordinary Individual Contribution – Christy L. Muncy

The weekend before a trial was set to begin on a case involving the sex trafficking of a minor, one of the trial lawyers had to step away due to a family emergency. On receiving the call, Assistant U.S. Attorney Muncy literally went straight into the office that same weekend, dove into the case, and, together with the other trial lawyer already on the case, tried it the next week, ultimately resulting in convictions on all counts and prompting the district judge to praise both lawyers’ performance.

“That kind of devotion to the team and the cause, on the shortest possible notice and under difficult circumstances, is truly a remarkable individual contribution to the cause for justice and warrants this special recognition,” Glassman said.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office serves the approximately 5.5 million residents of 48 counties in Ohio and maintains offices in Columbus, Cincinnati and Dayton. This was Glassman’s third annual presentation of awards for outstanding performance. The event was held in Dayton.

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