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Jessica Aber

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Jessica Aber
Official portrait, 2021
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia
In office
October 12, 2021 – January 20, 2025
Appointed byJoe Biden
Preceded byRaj Parekh (acting)
Succeeded byErik Siebert (acting)
Personal details
Born1981 (1981)
Walnut Creek, California, U.S.
Died (aged 43)
Alexandria, Virginia, U.S.
EducationUniversity of Richmond (BA)
College of William and Mary (JD)

Jessica Diane Aber (1981 – March 22, 2025) was an American attorney who served as the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia (EDVA) from 2021 to 2025. She was known for prosecuting high-profile cases involving organized crime and national security.

Early life and education

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Born in Walnut Creek, California, in 1981, Aber graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Richmond in 2003.[1] She earned her Juris Doctor from the William & Mary Law School in 2006.[2]

Career

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After clerking for Magistrate Judge M. Hannah Lauck in the EDVA (2006–2007), Aber worked as an associate at McGuireWoods before joining the EDVA U.S. Attorney's Office in 2009 as an Assistant United States Attorney. She later served as Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for the DOJ's Criminal Division (2015–2016) and Deputy Chief of the EDVA Criminal Division (2016–2021).[1]

U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia

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Nominated by President Biden in August 2021, Aber was confirmed by the Senate on October 5, 2021, and sworn in on October 12, 2021.[3][4] Her tenure included several notable cases, including the prosecution of an MS-13 leader for multiple murders,[5] indictments against Russian nationals for operating illicit cryptocurrency exchanges,[6] historic war crimes charges against Russian soldiers for actions in Ukraine,[7] the conviction of an Israeli national for the smuggling of non-citizens into the United States,[8] and the conviction of a former CIA analyst for leaking classified information.[9]

Aber resigned on January 20, 2025, following the presidential transition.[10]

Death

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Aber was found dead in Alexandria, Virginia, on March 22, 2025, at age 43.[11] Family friends said that "her death was believed to be the result of a longstanding medical issue,"[12][13] which was later revealed to be epilepsy.[14] Authorities did not initially release an official cause of death.[2][15][16] Four days later, the Alexandria Police Department said in a statement that Aber likely died of natural causes, but that they would wait for the final ruling of the chief medical examiner.[17]

References

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  1. ^ a b "President Biden Announces Eight New Nominees to Serve as U.S. Attorneys" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: The White House. August 10, 2021. Retrieved March 27, 2025. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  2. ^ a b Rizzo, Salvador (March 22, 2025). "Jessica Aber, former U.S. attorney for Virginia, dies at 43". The Washington Post. ProQuest 3180257920. Archived from the original on March 22, 2025. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
  3. ^ "PN1043 - Nomination of Jessica D. Aber for Department of Justice, 117th Congress (2021-2022)". United States Congress. October 5, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  4. ^ "Meet the U.S. Attorney". United States Department of Justice. Archived from the original on October 19, 2021. Retrieved March 23, 2025.
  5. ^ "Federal Jury Convicts MS-13 Member for Multiple Murders" (Press release). U.S. Attorney's Office for the EDVA. June 15, 2023.
  6. ^ "Two Russian Nationals Charged with Operating Billion-Dollar Money Laundering Platform" (Press release). U.S. Department of Justice. May 3, 2024.
  7. ^ Viswanatha, Aruna (December 6, 2023). "U.S. Charges Russian Soldiers with War Crimes in Ukraine". New York Post.
  8. ^ "Foreign National Sentenced for Human Smuggling and Money Laundering Scheme" (Press release). U.S. Attorney's Office for the EDVA. January 19, 2024.
  9. ^ "Former CIA Analyst Pleads Guilty to Transmitting Top Secret Information" (Press release). U.S. Attorney's Office for the EDVA. February 9, 2024.
  10. ^ "U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber Announces Resignation" (Press release). U.S. Attorney's Office for the EDVA. January 17, 2025. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
  11. ^ Helsel, Phil; Dilanian, Ken; Rohde, David (March 23, 2025). "Former US Attorney in Virginia found dead at 43". NBC News. Retrieved March 24, 2025.
  12. ^ "Ex-US attorney for Eastern District of Virginia Jessica Aber found dead". BBC News. March 24, 2025. Retrieved March 24, 2025.
  13. ^ Rizzo, Salvador (March 24, 2025). "Foul play not suspected in top Virginia prosecutor's death, friends say". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved March 25, 2025.
  14. ^ Deliso, Meredith; Mallin, Alexander (March 26, 2025). "Former US Attorney Jessica Aber suffered from epilepsy, family says". ABC News. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
  15. ^ Yang, Maya (March 23, 2025). "Former US attorney for eastern district of Virginia found dead at age 43". The Guardian. Retrieved March 23, 2025.
  16. ^ Moore, Jack (March 23, 2025). "Former US Attorney Jessica Aber found dead in Virginia at 43". ABC News. Retrieved March 24, 2025.
  17. ^ Lubin, Rhian; Baio, Ariana (March 26, 2025). "Former US attorney Jessica Aber's cause of death is revealed by authorities". The Independent. Retrieved March 26, 2025.
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Legal offices
Preceded by
Raj Parekh
Acting
 United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia
2021–2025 		Succeeded by
Erik Siebert
Acting
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