Born and raised in Miami, Willy Ferrer, the new US Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, knew early on in his career he wanted to serve South Florida.
Appointed by President Barack Obama to the post in May, Mr. Ferrer is focused on combating fraud, public corruption, and building safer communities.
After a fellowship in Washington DC and several legal positions at the local and federal level, he’s got the tools to take on the job of chief federal law enforcement officer for the Southern region, which ranks high in mortgage and healthcare fraud.
Among Mr. Ferrer’s priorities is partnering more with local, state and federal agencies to conduct investigations and handle cases and get Washington to allocate more resources to the district.
He says his office, which prosecuted a third of all Medicare fraud cases in the country last year, is working with strike forces to dismantle these fraud rings, which cost the healthcare system billions each year.
Money laundering is another concern for the office, especially with all the foreign investment flowing into South Florida, particularly in real estate.
The office is working more closely with financial institutions to prevent criminals from laundering their proceeds here, Mr. Ferrer said.
“I think when we're in a district like we are here, everyone needs to be educated and we need to reach out and let other institutions in the private sector know that we're in it together because no one can fight this type of crime alone,” he said.
Mr. Ferrer discussed his priorities and goals as US Attorney with Miami Today reporter Yudislaidy Fernandez at the Miami Federal Courthouse complex in downtown.