First Assistant United States Attorney John C. Kocoras To Depart U.S. Attorney’s Office

DOJ Press

CHICAGO — John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, today announced the resignation of First Assistant U.S. Attorney John C. Kocoras, effective next month.  Mr. Kocoras served as First Assistant U.S. Attorney since May 2018, supervising the Office’s Criminal and Civil Divisions.

“John Kocoras has served the citizens of the Northern District of Illinois and the United States with tremendous distinction,” said U.S. Attorney Lausch.  “John made our office better each and every day with his sharp mind, strong leadership, and enduring humility.  John stands out among a distinguished list of outstanding prosecutors who have served this office as First Assistant U.S. Attorney.  I cannot thank John enough for his humble service and trusted counsel, and I look forward to all that he will achieve in the future.”

“It has been an extraordinary privilege to serve as the First Assistant U.S. Attorney and to work alongside talented colleagues in the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our partner agencies in federal, state, and local law enforcement,” said Mr. Kocoras.  “I am profoundly grateful for the trust placed in me by John Lausch and for the opportunity to serve the Department of Justice during such important times.  I am very proud of all that we have accomplished and excited about the future of this office.”

U.S. Attorney Lausch selected Mr. Kocoras as the First Assistant U.S. Attorney, a position that is second in command in the Office.  Under Mr. Kocoras’s supervision, the Office achieved important criminal convictions in the areas of public corruption, violent crime, national security, civil rights, financial fraud, and many others, while also investigating and prosecuting significant civil fraud and discrimination cases.


Mr. Kocoras also helped supervise the Office’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, which included prosecuting numerous individuals for allegedly defrauding the federal government during a vulnerable time in our nation’s history.


Mr. Kocoras earned his law degree from Loyola University Chicago School of Law and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  He previously served in the U.S. Attorney’s Office as an Assistant U.S. Attorney from 2000 to 2005.

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