News

Acting U.S. attorney for Western North Carolina is named

By Lightning Reports, Published: March 1, 2021

William T. Stetzer has been named as the Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, following the departure of U.S. Attorney Andrew Murray on Sunday.

Stetzer is a career prosecutor who has dedicated his professional life to public service. He joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2018 and has since served as the First Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
During his 20+ years of combined service as a state and federal prosecutor, Stetzer has handled numerous criminal cases and has extensive experience in felony jury trials, including capital and non-capital murder cases.
“It is a great honor to serve the people of the Western District and to work with an incredible group of dedicated public servants,” Stetzer said. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office has a long legacy of fulfilling its mission to seek justice and to protect the rights and safety of the public, which I pledge to continue while serving in this new role.”
Since joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office as the Western District’s second-in-command, Stetzer has maintained an active caseload and has handled a variety of federal criminal prosecutions, including drug trafficking, violent crime, child exploitation, financial fraud, and public corruption cases. Notably, he served on the prosecution team in United States v. Lindberg et al., one of North Carolina’s most prominent bribery cases involving public officials.
Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Stetzer served as Supervisor of the Homicide Prosecution Team at the District Attorney’s Office for Mecklenburg County, which includes Charlotte. During his seven-year tenure as a Supervisor at the DA’s office, Stetzer’s unit achieved significant reductions in the homicide case backlog and in case disposition time, while increasing both the conviction rate of homicide defendants and the sentences they received.
From 2007 to 2010, he  also served as an Assistant District Attorney for the Gaston County DA’s Office. While there, Mr. Stetzer prosecuted serious violent felony cases including violent assaults, homicides, sexual assaults, and crimes against children.

In 2020, Mr. Stetzer received the Justice Department’s Assistant Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Service. He has also been recognized for his lifelong contribution to the pursuit of justice by the FBI, the Crime Victim’s Coalition, and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department Homicide Support Group.
Stetzer, who resides in Gaston County, received his undergraduate degree from the University of Central Florida in 1993. He graduated with honors from Washburn University School of Law in 1996. His spouse, Kelly Stetzer, is a prosecutor assigned to the Violent Crimes Unit with the Mecklenburg County DA’s Office.