Rosenberg Stepping Down as U.S. Attorney

Chuck Rosenberg has resigned as U.S. attorney in Alexandria, one of the most prominent federal prosecutor's jobs in the country, Justice Department officials said yesterday.

Rosenberg, 48, who was appointed in March 2006, sent a resignation letter to President Bush on Sept. 30. His last day on the job will be Oct. 22. An acting U.S. attorney will be named until a permanent replacement is chosen.

"I have been extraordinarily privileged to have had this opportunity. It has been a dream come true,'' said Rosenberg, who declined to say what he will do next. "There is no better U.S. Attorney's Office. There is no better client. There are no better colleagues."

The Alexandria U.S. attorney's job grew increasingly visible as the Justice Department made the office a central front in terrorism prosecutions after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Rosenberg, a courteous and self-effacing man who is considered apolitical, has avoided the limelight, and his office has brought fewer high-profile terrorism cases in recent years.

But Rosenberg has had his share of noteworthy prosecutions. His office brought dogfighting charges against suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, who was sentenced to 23 months in prison after court hearings that drew protesters and animal rights activists.

Rosenberg was also heavily involved in the government's death penalty case against convicted Sept. 11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui, who was sentenced to life in prison in 2006. His office is currently pursuing contempt charges against Sami al-Arian, a former Florida professor who refused to testify in a terrorism investigation.

Other priorities during Rosenberg's term have included child pornography cases, which have been increasing, along with violent crime and mortgage fraud. The U.S. attorney also oversees offices in Richmond, Norfolk and Newport News.