Myers sworn in as first Black U.S. attorney for Indiana Southern District

Zachary Myers was sworn in Monday as the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, becoming the first African American to serve as the district’s chief federal law enforcement officer.

“Every day, the dedicated professionals in this U.S. Attorney’s Office work tirelessly to enforce the law and defend the interests of the United States according to the law,” Myers said in a press release. “I look forward to leading this outstanding team.”

Myers, a native of Indianapolis who worked nearly three years as an associate at what is now Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath, was nominated by President Joe Biden in July 2021 and unanimously confirmed by the Senate at the end of September.

Chief Judge Tanya Walton Pratt of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana administered the oath of office to Myers. He will lead an office of about 42 assistant U.S. attorneys and 46 support professionals in the work of criminal prosecutions, civil litigation and the promotion of public safety throughout the Southern District of Indiana.

“I will work closely with our federal, state and local partners to hold offenders accountable and to ensure fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans,” Myers said. “It is an honor and a privilege to serve the people of the Southern District of Indiana and of the United States.”

Myers has spent much of his career in the public sector.

Prior to becoming the new U.S. attorney, he served as assistant U.S. attorney for the District of Maryland, where he worked since 2014. He worked in the Baltimore Division’s Major Crimes Unit and most recently in the District of Maryland’s National Security and Cybercrime Section, serving as the first cybercrime counsel for the district.

From 2011 through 2014, Myers served as assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. He worked in the general crimes unit and led investigations, prosecutions and appeals in a range of federal offenses with a focus on technology-facilitated crime, including cybercrimes, national security offenses, public corruption, violent crimes and sex trafficking.

After Myers completed his bachelor’s degree in 2003 at Stanford University, he worked for the late Indiana Congresswoman Julia Carson. He earned a master’s degree in 2005 from George Washington University and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in 2008.