U.S. Attorney Richard P. Donoghue was appointed Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General for the Eastern District of New York (E.D.N.Y.) this week, by Attorney General William P. Barr. Donoghue replaces Seth D. DuCharme, who is now Acting U.S. Attorney for E.D.N.Y., pursuant to 5 U.S.C. § 3345(a)(3).
The Eastern District of New York takes in Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island in New York City, and Nassau and Suffolk Counties on Long Island, where there are more than six million residents.
Richard Donoghue has served many years in the Eastern District of New York, and was previously Assistant U.S. Attorney, Chief of the Criminal Division, and U.S. Attorney.
“Rich has served with distinction and integrity for many years in the Eastern District of New York, earning a well-deserved reputation throughout New York City and Long Island as an outstanding prosecutor with second-to-none judgment,” Attorney General William P. Barr said.
Donoghue successfully prosecuted high-profile violent-crime cases against MS-13 and other violent gangs, drug trafficking offenses, and white-collar crimes.
Barr said “[Richard Donoghue’s] experience will be a huge asset to the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, and we look forward to working with him here at Main Justice.”
Donoghue’s office successfully prosecuted MS-13 and secured convictions against El Chapo Guzman, Keith Raniere, and high-ranking members of the NXIVM sex-trafficking group. He also oversaw prosecutions of Huawei and several subsidiaries on racketeering charges and Huawei CFO Wanzhou Meng on fraud charges.
From 2000 to 2011, Richard Donoghue was Chief of the Criminal Division and Chief of the Long Island Criminal Division. While there, he was awarded the New York City Bar Association’s 2007 Henry L. Stimson Medal and the Eastern District Association’s 2009 Charles E. Rose Award.
Donoghue previously served in the U.S. Army JAG Corps on active duty, where he held positions including Military Magistrate Judge, Prosecutor, Defense Counsel, and Contract Litigator. He was also a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division.
Richard Donoghue received a B.A., cum laude, from Hofstra University and J.D. from St. John’s University School of Law.
