U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst Announces First Assistant U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca Will Serve as Acting U.S. Attorney for Southern District of Mississippi

 LaMarca Brings Decades of Experience, Wisdom to the Acting U.S. Attorney Position

Jackson, Miss. –United States Attorney Mike Hurst announced that, upon his resignation at the end of today, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca will begin to serve as Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi, effective January 20, 2021.

“Darren LaMarca is a dedicated public servant and will serve the people of the Southern District with honor, integrity and distinction. His background in both the private and public sector, including his leadership in this office, makes him the perfect individual to assume the role of Chief Federal Law Enforcement Officer for over half of our state.  He is well-respected by law enforcement, the defense bar and our community, and he will do an outstanding job as Acting U.S. Attorney.  I want to personally thank him for his wise counsel and his character, and I wish him all the best in this role. He will do an incredible job for our citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Hurst.

“I want to thank Mr. Hurst for his outstanding leadership and relentless pursuit of justice over these past three plus years. The Office of the United States Attorney will continue this relentless pursuit until a new presidentially appointed United States Attorney is confirmed.,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca.

Mr. LaMarca is a graduate of Northeast Louisiana University and the Mississippi College School of Law. He began his law career in 1986 as a law clerk to Justice Roy Noble Lee of the Mississippi Supreme Court. He then worked as an attorney with a private law firm in Jackson for four years before opening his own practice in Clinton. During his sixteen years in private practice in Clinton, he also served as Municipal Judge for the City of Clinton from 2002 to 2007. In May 2007, he joined the United States Attorney’s Office prosecuting organized drug trafficking, financial crimes, and public corruption. While at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mr. LaMarca has served as Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division, Chief of the Criminal Division, and First Assistant United States Attorney.

The Vacancies Reform Act (VRA), 5 U.S.C. § 3345(a)(1), provides that when a presidentially appointed U. S. Attorney resigns, the First Assistant U.S. Attorney (“FAUSA”) of that office automatically becomes Acting U.S. Attorney, unless otherwise directed by the President of the United States.