Squire Patton Boggs partner Vipal Patel was recognized by the Department of Justice as part of the 69th Annual Attorney General's Awards.
Patel, who previously served as acting US Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, received an Attorney General’s Award—the Department of Justice’s highest award--for Outstanding Work in Furthering the Interests of U.S. National Security for his role the Investigation and Response to a Domestic Terrorist Attack in Dayton, Ohio.
The award recognized a team of prosecutors, investigators, and support personnel, led by Mr. Patel, that conducted the investigation following the mass shooting in Dayton’s Oregon District on August 4, 2019, and that successfully prosecuted an individual who illegally acquired and possessed various firearms and who had supplied certain equipment used by the mass shooter in the shooting.
Nine people were killed and 27 others injured before Dayton police fatally shot the shooter.
Federal and local law enforcement agencies worked tirelessly in the hours and weeks after the shooting to determine whether the shooter acted alone, how he acquired the weapons, and his motive, through hundreds of warrants, subpoenas and interviews. They also gathered and analyzed forensic, electronic and physical evidence, according to a release recently issued by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Mr. Patel is a member of Squire Patton Boggs Litigation and White Collar & Government Investigations practices. He joined the firm following two decades of public service that included roles as acting U.S. Attorney, First Assistant U.S. Attorney, and Criminal Chief for the Southern District of Ohio and as Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California in Los Angeles.