INDIANAPOLIS — On Tuesday, Mayor Joe Hogsett and United States Attorney Zachary Myers announced the new hire of a Special Assistant United States Attorney.
Nate Walters was sworn in on Jan. 16. He most recently served as a deputy prosecuting attorney in the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office, where he was a narcotics supervisor.
It’s one of three positions that the City-County Council approved funding for last year with a total of $225,000. These special prosecutors will identify, investigate and prosecute violent crimes specifically in Marion County on the federal level.
“Adding additional prosecutors focused just on the problem here in Marion County, really expands significantly our bandwidth to bring these impactful cases,” Myers said.
Myers said these prosecutors will go after gangs, gun traffickers and those illegally possessing guns. He said it will give the county another tool when it comes to getting violent offenders off the street.
“Violent crimes rob our families and neighborhoods of the safety everyone deserves. Our U.S. Attorney’s Office plays a critical role in making our communities safer, saving lives by disrupting the most violent offenders and holding them accountable in federal court,” Myers said.
The special prosecutors are city employees and will report to the Corporation Counsel. However, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will oversee their roles.
“Bringing the full weight of federal prosecution to bear on serious violent crimes in our community is a critical piece in our efforts to continue improving public safety and saving lives,” said Hogsett. “With this partnership with U.S. Attorney Myers, we are continuing to invest in strategies that stop the flow of guns to those who should not possess them – namely violent offenders, and our city’s children.”
City leaders, like Lauren Rodriguez with the Office of Public Health and Safety, who said these federal prosecutors are critical in the city’s fight against gun violence.
“We work really closely with the United States Attorney’s Office in making sure that they understand what our trends are. How can we combat it? How can we get those bad actors off the streets? How can we identify areas where we can use more resources?” she said.
Right now, the funding is for two years. After that, the city will assess additional funding and whether the program should continue.
The city and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana are still looking for two additional attorneys.
You can learn more and apply here.