James M. Trusty

After 27 years as a prosecutor, James (“Jim”) Trusty brings to Ifrah Law extensive experience in complex, multi-district white collar litigation, especially in matters involving RICO, The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, and The Money Laundering Control Act of 1986.

As the federal government continues to apply increasingly broad interpretations of these statutes in its investigations and prosecutions of white collar defendants, corporations and individuals can face the threat of exponentially higher monetary penalties and added jail time. To clients defending against such allegations, Jim offers the insider’s view on how federal cases are built, investigations pursued, and settlements negotiated. Ranked by Chambers USA as one of America’s leading lawyers for litigation in White-Collar Crime and Government Investigations, the publication notes, “Former prosecutor James Trusty offers deep expertise in white-collar litigation….”; and clients told Chambers researchers, “James has a good personality and kept me at ease,” and that he “is a very strong lawyer who can represent anyone and do a great job…. He is smart, sophisticated and dedicated.”

Jim has represented a wide variety of individuals and corporations in the white-collar space. He regularly represents professional athletes, both criminally and civilly, and during 2022 and 2023 he represented President Trump during pre-indictment litigation relating to the Mar-a-Lago and January 6 cases.

Prior to joining Ifrah Law, Jim had a long career in public service, most recently as Chief of the Organized Crime Section at the United States Department of Justice. For seven years, Jim was ultimately responsible for investigating and prosecuting regional, national, and international cases, supervising significant pleadings, and providing strategic and tactical guidance in investigations and multi-defendant trials. In addition to running the RICO Review Unit, which reviewed and approved all criminal RICO cases brought by federal prosecutors, he also was in charge of establishing and promoting policies focused on immigration reform, firearms trafficking, proposed Congressional testimony for DOJ officials, and internet gambling. Significant and sensitive matters on which he worked include the post-conviction review of the Alaska corruption case related to U.S. v. Theodore Stevens and the investigation into allegations of misconduct by a sitting U.S. Attorney and one of her subordinates.

Prior to his work at DOJ, Jim acted as Assistant U.S. Attorney in Greenbelt, Maryland, where he investigated and prosecuted a wide variety of white-collar and other criminal cases, including The Washington area Sniper investigation. He also prosecuted three death penalty cases and was a member of the Attorney General’s Capital Review Committee, responsible for assessing capital-eligible cases such as the Boston Marathon Bomber and the Charleston Church massacre.

In 2018, Jim was appointed by the Governor of Maryland to serve on The Task Force to Study Maryland’s Criminal Gang Statutes. The Task Force assessed the efficacy of existing state laws as they apply to gang-related criminal activity in the state and presented its  findings and recommendations to the Governor.

Jim regularly speaks at conferences, seminars, and training sessions on topics related to complex litigation and criminal law. In addition to numerous pro bono projects, Jim coached several Mock Trial teams at American University’s Washington College of Law, and he teaches criminal justice courses at the University of Maryland. He also regularly provides commentary for major television networks such as Fox News, CNN, and NewsNation, as well as digital and print media outlets. Jim has been awarded numerous honors over the course of his career including the Attorney General’s Distinguished Service Award, Federal Prosecutor of the Year, Community Prosecuting Award, and the Child Abuse Protection Award, to name only a few.