WHEELING — William Ihlenfeld, United States Attorney of the Northern District of West Virginia, resigned from the Department of Justice Monday morning.

Ihlenfeld announced his resignation at 11:59 a.m., one minute before the scheduled inauguration of President Donald Trump.

“Serving as United States Attorney has been an honor and a privilege,” Ihlenfeld said in a press release from the Department of Justice. “I’m deeply saddened to leave, but as I walk out the door today, I do so with tremendous pride because of  all this team has accomplished over the past four years. Drug overdoses have decreased, national security has increased, child predators have been locked up, and white-collar criminals have been held to account.” 

Ihlenfeld served as U.S. Attorney from August 2010 until December 2016, and then returned to the position in October 2021. 

In his most recent term, according to the press release, Ihlenfeld focused on the investigation and prosecution of drug trafficking, domestic violence and white-collar crimes, with a “special emphasis on health care fraud and COVID fraud.” He also served as chairperson of the executive boards of the Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) and the Washington/Baltimore HIDTA. 

According to the release, efforts to uncover health care fraud were ramped up under Ihlenfeld with the formation of the Mountaineer Health Care Fraud Strike Force. The group has taken a data-driven approach, leveraging sources of information in innovative ways, leading to more new matters. Private sector partnerships were also formed, leading to a “greater sharing of intelligence.”

Ihlenfeld is said to have placed special emphasis on the investigation of elder financial exploitation to better protect older West Virginians. According to the DOJ, Ihlenfeld rejoined the U.S. Attorney’s office “just in time” to help tackle fraud that occurred with the misuse of COVID relief money. 

Ihlenfeld also developed domestic violence initiatives in Berkeley County, Randolph County and in the Northern Panhandle, leading to significant prison sentences for domestic abusers, according to the DOJ. In addition, the DOJ states that the groundwork has been laid for a pro bono program allowing federal prosecutors to aid victims in obtaining family violence protective orders. 

Recent cases of note for Ihlenfeld include Dr. Nitesh Ratnakar, an Elkins doctor who was convicted on 41 counts of tax fraud for failing to pay over withholdings from his employees’ paychecks, and David McCauley, the former mayor and city council member of Buckhannon, who faces 10 years for possession of child pornography. 

“This office is small but mighty, always punching above its weight class, and regularly bringing cases of national and international significance,” Ihlenfeld said. “We can all take comfort in knowing that this cadre of federal prosecutors will continue to keep West Virginia safe no matter who becomes the next U.S. Attorney.” 

Ihlenfeld will return to the private sector. An Acting U.S. Attorney will be announced later.