Outgoing U.S. Attorney Levy predicts 'uncertainty' under Trump's DOJ

Massachusetts' top federal law enforcement officer, Joshua Levy, will leave his post next week, as is customary when a new president takes office.

His successor as U.S. attorney will take office under a president who has questioned the independence of the Justice Department and has threatened to overhaul the DOJ and use it for his political agenda.

Levy described this moment for federal law enforcement as "a period of uncertainty."

"It's really hard to predict what the dynamic is going to be," Levy said during a wide-ranging conversation with reporters Wednesday. "All I can tell you is what I experienced here. As a young prosecutor for seven years on the line, and in a leadership position for the last three years, politics plays zero role in our decisions."

Levy was named acting U.S. attorney for Massachusetts in 2023, after Rachael Rollins resigned amid two scathing ethics reports. Levy had served as Rollins' first assistant and said her departure was "one of the hardest professional experiences" he's had.

"People were incredibly troubled by what happened and what was in that report," Levy said. "That, I think, was the challenge — how to help the team process what happened and move forward. And we did, very quickly."

The U.S. Attorney's Office may be involved in federal mass deportation efforts, which President-elect Donald Trump has promised will begin shortly after he takes office. Levy said federal law enforcement would likely handle serious criminal cases involving immigration. He pointed to the case of Leonardo Andujar Sanchez, a Dominican national now facing federal charges of drug and gun possession at a state-run emergency shelter in Revere. Levy said the U. S. attorney would also defend the federal government if policies such as immigration are legally challenged.

"Our office could be involved if certain steps are taken by the next administration and they're challenged in court and they're challenged in the district of Massachusetts," Levy said.

During his tenure, Levy said, the office has been focused on several cases involving public corruption, national security and human trafficking, with a prosecution unit dedicated to those cases. He said Massachusetts is now "one of the single busiest districts in the United States for human trafficking cases."

Policing the police is what Levy called "one of the tougher parts of the job" and he has taken on some high-profile police misconduct cases. He said federal authorities continue to negotiate with Worcester officials after a Justice Department report in December alleged that Worcester police engaged in sexual misconduct with women suspected of prostitution.

Last year, Levy's office indicted former Stoughton police detective Matthew Farwell on a charge of killing a 23-year-old pregnant woman in 2021 after she claimed he'd fathered her unborn baby. Prosecutors said Farwell initiated sexual contact with Sandra Birchmore when she was a teenager participating in a law enforcement youth program.

"Giving voice to the voiceless in cases that involve bringing justice for someone," Levy said, is powerful, particularly in crimes that have been "overlooked."

Levy declined to comment on ongoing investigations by the office, such as reports that a federal grand jury is investigating executives of Steward Health Care. The company declared bankruptcy in May and its top executives have been accused of personally profiting while Steward hospitals were neglected.

In health care fraud cases, Levy expects prosecutors will increasingly seek to expand charges against health care executives and others who may have benefitted from the fraud. He pointed to the recent agreement his office reached with the consulting firm McKinsey for its work with drug maker Purdue Pharma that prosecutors said helped fuel the opioid crisis.

"I think we're going to continue to see an emphasis on holding accountable all the individuals or entities that engage in misconduct," Levy said.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Murrane will assume the role of acting U.S. attorney after Levy’s departure on Jan. 17.