First Assistant United States Attorney Reagan Fondren Appointed Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee

Memphis, TN - Effective September 19, 2024, First Assistant United States Attorney Reagan Taylor Fondren will succeed former United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz as the Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee pursuant to the Vacancies Reform Act. Ms. Fondren has served as First Assistant since October 2022.

Fondren, a native Memphian and graduate of Central High School, completed her undergraduate studies at Spelman College and her law degree at the University of Tennessee College of Law. She has worked in federal public service with the United States Department of Justice for her entire career and has served as an Assistant United States Attorney for over 16 years.

Fondren began her career as a Presidential Management Fellow with the Drug Enforcement Administration. There, she served in the Office of the Chief Counsel and was responsible for the investigation and institution of charges against DEA registrants accused of violating federal regulations. In 2008, she joined the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, where she gained significant trial and appellate experience as a violent crime and homicide prosecutor.

In 2014, Fondren returned to Memphis to serve the Western District of Tennessee as an Assistant United States Attorney. She served as senior and lead AUSA in the Civil Rights Unit of the Criminal Division. In this role, she managed complex investigations and trials involving multiple law enforcement partners. She later joined the Civil Division of the United States Attorney's Office, where she served as Senior Litigation Counsel and defended the United States in an array of civil cases, such as employment discrimination, medical malpractice, and prisoner litigation. As head of the Financial Litigation and Bankruptcy Divisions, she worked with government agencies to collect debts and represent the interests of the United States in bankruptcy litigation. Additionally, Fondren served as the District Election Officer and Chair of the Diversity Committee.

Ms. Fondren is married to Rickey Fondren II, and they have two children. She is a Fellow of the Memphis Bar Foundation and active in community and legal organizations including the National Bar Association; the National Black Prosecutors Association; Girl Scouts Heart of the South; The Links, Incorporated; and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.

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