Jeffrey Ragsdale

Jeffrey Ragsdale was named Counsel in May 2020.

Jeff Ragsdale is the Counsel for the Office of Professional Responsibility, a career position within the Senior Executive Service.  Mr. Ragsdale served as the Principal Deputy Director and Deputy Counsel for the Office of Professional Responsibility from September 2016 to May 2020.  Before joining the Office of Professional Responsibility, Mr. Ragsdale served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Columbia for 29 years, during which time he prosecuted cases and supervised attorneys in numerous litigation sections, including the Homicide, Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking, Federal Major Crimes, Felony Major Crimes, and Grand Jury Sections.  Mr. Ragsdale also served as a state prosecutor in Virginia for five years. 

Mr. Ragsdale has extensive litigation experience, having tried hundreds of bench and jury trials,  including homicides, complex conspiracy cases, and several multi-month RICO trials.  As a prosecutor, Mr. Ragsdale worked closely with numerous federal and local law enforcement agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Metropolitan Police Department for the District of Columbia.  During his career, Mr. Ragsdale received numerous awards, including the Executive Office for United States Attorneys Director’s Award, the United States Attorneys Association Harold Sullivan Award, and the United States Attorney’s Office’s Excellence in Management and Star Awards.

Mr. Ragsdale frequently trained federal attorneys on topics such as prosecuting complex cases, working with cooperating witnesses, the Federal Rules of Evidence, conspiracy, RICO, grand jury practices and procedures, and trial techniques.  Mr. Ragsdale has a Bachelor of Arts from West Virginia Wesleyan College and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Cincinnati.