On March 16, 2023, Chief U.S. District Judge Jon D. Levy administered the oath of office to Kevin Neal, Acting U.S. Marshal for the District of Maine.
Neal was sworn in as the designated Acting U.S. Marshal (USM) for the District of Maine by order of United States Attorney General Merrick Garland on March 10, 2023. He had been serving in that role since January 30, 2022 at the direction of U.S. Marshals Service Director Ronald L. Davis.
The history of the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) dates to 1789, when both the District of Maine and the Marshals Service were created by the Judiciary Act of 1789, more than 30 years before Maine became the 23rd state. It is the nation’s oldest law enforcement agency. The duties of the U.S. Marshals Service include protecting the federal judiciary, apprehending fugitives, managing and selling seized assets acquired by criminals through illegal activities, housing and transporting federal prisoners, and operating the Witness Security Program.
Acting USM Neal has been with the USMS for more than 20 years, serving in the Districts of Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Maine and most recently serving as the Chief Deputy United States Marshal in Maine. He joined the District of Maine from the District of Massachusetts where he earned the Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Service for his management of the Boston Marathon Bombing trial. His work on the case was also recognized by the U.S. Attorney’s Office with an Investigative Achievement Award. He also earned a second Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service for his work during the prosecution and trial of the largest MS-13 case in the nation.
Acting USM Neal serves on the USMS District Chief’s Advisory Board and is responsible for addressing USMS-wide issues and developing national priorities while providing counsel and recommendations to the Director and executive staff on these topics. He is a member of the USMS National Incident Management Team and is actively involved in the DOJ mentoring program and recruitment efforts.