Russ Ferguson was sworn in Tuesday morning as U.S. attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. He was appointed by Attorney General Pamela Bondi on March 3 and succeeds Dena King, who resigned earlier this year after being appointed to the post by President Biden in 2021.
As U.S. attorney, Ferguson serves as the chief federal law enforcement officer in the Western District. He leads an office of nearly 100 federal prosecutors and support personnel, serving 32 counties, including the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
Ferguson has 16 years of legal experience. He began his legal career as a federal prosecutor in the District of Columbia, where he tried 28 cases to verdict. He was a clerk for U.S. District Court Judge Frank Whitney in the Western District in 2011-12, then joined the Womble Bond Dickinson law firm He became a partner in 2018 and led the firm’s complex litigation group and handled complex civil and criminal cases.
Ferguson has held leadership roles with the Mecklenburg County Bar, which honored him with an award for Best Individual Attorney for his pro bono service.
Ferguson serves on the Board of NourishUp, Charlotte’s food pantry and meals on wheels organization. He has an undergraduate degree from Duke University and law and master’s of law degrees from Georgetown University Law Center.
U.S. Attorneys often are replaced when a different party wins the presidential election, as occurred in November. King is a Democrat and the first person of color to hold the U.S. Attorney post in the western N.C. district.