Former United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, Carole Rendon possesses a wealth of experience in a range of matters, including criminal prosecution, private defense and civil litigation. As the first woman to serve as the First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, and later as the United States Attorney, Carole both supervised and personally handled high-profile, crisis-level litigation, much of which involved intense public and media scrutiny. As the chief federal law enforcement officer, Carole enforced a wide range of criminal and civil statutes, including False Claims Act litigation and the prosecution of public corruption, civil rights, consumer fraud and violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). She also oversaw and personally handled high-profile civil litigation, including as lead counsel on the Consent Decree providing comprehensive reform for the Cleveland Division of Police. A passionate advocate for the community, Carole helped establish the Northeast Ohio Business Ethics Coalition, the U.S. Attorney’s Heroin and Opioid Task Force, and the Northeast Ohio Cyber Security Consortium.
Carole has significant experience managing crisis-level commercial, regulatory and criminal matters, with a particular depth of knowledge regarding the FCPA, the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), and monitorships, as well as advising clients on structuring compliance programs to help avoid such problems. Previously, Carole served for a decade as a federal prosecutor in the Organized Crime Strike Force and as Chief of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Boston, Massachusetts, and for more than a decade as a litigator in private practice. She has represented companies and individuals in high-stakes criminal, civil, internal and congressional investigations.
In her 30-year career, Carole has been involved in nearly every type of criminal, civil and regulatory investigation, in many circumstances with experience serving as counsel on different sides. Representative matters and areas of experience include:
FCPA
- In conjunction with the Fraud Section of the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice and the SEC, served as lead counsel for the U.S. Attorney's Office on an FCPA investigation in which the target company entered into a Deferred Prosecution Agreement, paid $25 million in fines and agreed to a monitorship to resolve its FCPA violations.
- Represented the controller of a target company in an FCPA investigation.
Healthcare
- Supervised multiple civil and criminal investigations of a large pharmaceutical distribution company involving violations of the False Claims Act and the Controlled Substances Act, resulting in fines totaling more than $150 million.
- Supervised civil and criminal investigations of medical professionals, hospitals and nursing homes for violations of the False Claims Act, wire fraud, mail fraud, Medicare fraud, money laundering and related violations.
Criminal Litigation and Corruption
- Lead counsel on the investigation and prosecution of Suarez Corporation Industries, Chief Executive Officer Benjamin Suarez and Chief Financial Officer Michael Giorgio for violations of the campaign finance laws and obstruction of justice.
- Prosecuted a series of cases and appeals involving corruption in the Boston Police Department resulting in the convictions of more than 30 defendants for paying and receiving bribes in exchange for information and favorable treatment.
Civil Rights
- As lead counsel for the United States Attorney's Office, in partnership with the Civil Rights Division of Main Justice, engaged in an extensive investigation of the Cleveland Division of Police's excessive use of force, and negotiated a consent decree with the city of Cleveland for comprehensive reform of the Cleveland Division of Police.
- As lead counsel for the United States Attorney's Office, in partnership with the Voting Rights Section of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, negotiated a consent decree with the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections requiring the adoption of bilingual ballots, bringing Cuyahoga County into compliance with the Voting Rights Act. Assisted in the negotiation of a similar agreement with the Lorain County Board of Elections the following year.
Cybersecurity
- Oversaw the formation of the Northeast Ohio Cyber Security Consortium, a unique, regional cross-sector information-sharing organization that combines leading private sector institutions, public entities and federal law enforcement in a joint effort to identify and mitigate ongoing cyber threats. Planned the kickoff conference to announce the consortium's creation, at which the FBI director was a keynote speaker.
- Oversaw nearly a dozen national and international cyber prosecutions.
Commercial Litigation
- Co-counsel for Park Corporation in eminent domain litigation between the city of Brook Park and the Brook Park Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation over the planned expansion of Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. Following a three-week bench trial, the judge ruled in favor of the client.
- Represented major corporations and financial institutions in employment, contract and commercial litigation.
Financial Services
- Oversaw the investigation of the largest credit union failure in United States history. The investigation resulted in convictions of more than 20 businesspeople, bank officials and organized crime figures for bank bribery, fraud and obstruction of justice.
- Oversaw a civil False Claims Act enforcement action involving a large bank for its actions leading up to the mortgage meltdown, resulting in a $200 million fine.
Testimony
- Testimony before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs Hearing titled "Examining the Impact of the Opioid Epidemic," April 22, 2016.
- Appearance with City of Cleveland Law Director Barbara Langhenry before the Cleveland City Council on the Consent Decree for comprehensive reform of the Cleveland Division of Police, June 3, 2015.