After 34 years with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Wisconsin, U.S. Attorney Timothy M. O’Shea has announced his retirement from the Department of Justice. O’Shea started as an intern in January 1991 and became an Assistant U.S. Attorney in August 1991. He was appointed Senior Litigation Counsel in 2002, First Assistant U.S. Attorney in 2018, Acting Civil Chief from September 2020 to January 2021, and then transitioned to Acting U.S. Attorney in March 2021 before becoming U.S. Attorney in April 2022.
Throughout his career, O’Shea prosecuted various federal crimes including money laundering, tax crimes, fraud, illegal weapons offenses, narcotics-related crimes, bank robbery, murder, and other violent offenses. His work also focused on computer and intellectual property crimes such as trade secret theft and system intrusions. Notably, he led the prosecution in United States v. Sinovel, securing a conviction against a Chinese company for trade secret theft and recovering over $58 million for victims.
As the chief federal law enforcement officer in the Western District of Wisconsin, O’Shea oversaw all federal prosecutions and civil litigation involving the United States within the district. He collaborated with law enforcement on gun violence issues and organized “Protecting Places of Worship” events for law enforcement and religious communities.
Reflecting on his tenure, O’Shea stated: “It’s been a privilege to serve the citizens of the Western District of Wisconsin and to work with such a dedicated and talented group of attorneys and legal professionals.” He added that serving as U.S. Attorney for Western Wisconsin was an honor.
Following his retirement, Assistant U.S. Attorney Chadwick Elgersma will take over as Acting U.S. Attorney until a formal nomination is made by the President and confirmed by the Senate. Elgersma has served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney since 2017 after working as a Special Agent with the FBI.
