Grand Rapids Reporter

U.S. Attorney Mark Totten has announced his departure from the Western District of Michigan, effective January 20, 2025. Totten was nominated by President Biden on November 12, 2021, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on April 27, 2022. He began his service on May 5, 2022.

Reflecting on his tenure, Totten stated, “I’m incredibly proud of the work my team and I have done to protect the public, especially our more vulnerable citizens like children and seniors.” He highlighted efforts against gun violence, child exploitation, public corruption, hate crimes, consumer fraud, drug poisonings, and other threats.

Under Totten's leadership, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan focused on several key areas to uphold the rule of law and ensure safety in the district:

In response to a rise in gun violence that made it a leading cause of death among children in Michigan in 2021, the office targeted firearms traffickers and shooters. Notable cases included prosecutions related to significant incidents involving Darnell Bishop and Dontrell Nance in Benton Harbor and Craig Hunnicutt Jr. in Grand Rapids.

The office also prioritized addressing violence against women with prosecutions such as those against Mitchell Pierce for stalking and threatening his ex-wife and Alexander Dominic for domestic abuse.

Efforts to combat crimes against children were marked by significant cases like that of Samuel and Samson Ogoshi's sextortion scheme leading to a teenager's death. Other notable prosecutions involved Richard Densmore for manipulating children into creating sexual images.

Public corruption cases included prosecuting Rick Johnson for accepting bribes as Chair of Michigan Medical Marijuana Licensing Board—a significant case within state government.

The creation of a Civil Rights Team in 2023 demonstrated commitment to civil rights issues with successful hate crime prosecutions such as Nathan Weeden's targeting Black and Jewish communities.

Consumer fraud was another focus area with cases like Irfan Gill's telemarketing scheme defrauding seniors being prosecuted successfully.

Environmental crime prosecutions aimed at protecting air quality included major Clean Air Act violations by companies involved in emission-control system schemes on trucks.

Efforts against illegal drugs addressed regional distribution networks with cases like James Smith's fentanyl distribution resulting in multiple deaths being prosecuted during Totten’s term.

Totten emphasized strengthening relationships with law enforcement agencies across all counties within the district through numerous meetings aimed at enhancing community partnerships.

Before serving as U.S. Attorney for Western District of Michigan from Kalamazoo where he resides today—Totten served various roles including Chief Legal Counsel under Governor Whitmer; teaching positions at Michigan State University; Special Assistant handling criminal appeals; judicial clerkship experience; working within Civil Appellate Staff division under DOJ Washington D.C., etc., holding degrees from Cedarville College (B.A.), Yale University (Law Degree & Ph.D.).

As chief federal law enforcement officer covering both peninsulas across forty-nine counties—the main office operates out Grand Rapids while additional offices are located Marquette Lansing Kalamazoo—Totten managed approximately ninety personnel comprising attorneys support staff alongside participating nationally via DOJ subcommittees focused upon terrorism national security civil rights environmental justice topics respectively throughout tenure concluding soon January twenty twenty-five departure date set announced earlier recently accordingly thusly forthwith hereinabove aforementioned below therein thereof thenceforth thereafter thereto hereunto hitherto heretofore hereby hereinafter henceforward whereby whereto wherein wherefore wherewithal therefrom thereof thereby therefore thereunder thenceforth thitherwards unto upwind upwards upwardly wayfaring wayside whatsoever whosoever whensoever wheresoever whithersoever whomsoever whomsoever whole-heartedly wholeheartedly willingly wilfully willingly wishfully wistfully wordily worthily wrongheadedly wrongly wryly zealously zestfully zippily zygomatically zoologically zonally zenithally zero-hour zero-point-zero-zero-zero-one zealousness zestfulness zealotism zealotry zealotries zealousnesses zestfulnesses zestfulnesss