Ripley Rand brings more than twenty years of federal and state courtroom experience to Womble Carlyle’s White Collar Criminal Defense Team. His practice focuses on white collar criminal defense, health care fraud defense, internal investigations, and regulatory enforcement.
In 2010, Ripley was nominated by President Barack Obama to serve as the United States Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina. After being unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate, Ripley was the United States Attorney for more than six years, serving as the chief law enforcement officer in central North Carolina and the office’s point person in dealing with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including FBI, DEA, IRS, Secret Service, and Homeland Security. During his service as United States Attorney, Ripley oversaw the office’s criminal and civil investigations and litigation, including the prosecution of international terrorism, health care fraud, identity theft, human trafficking, child exploitation, and violent crime. Ripley regularly appeared in court on behalf of the government during his service as United States Attorney, and is one of a handful of President Obama’s United States Attorneys who argued multiple cases in the federal courts of appeal. Ripley worked closely with senior Department of Justice officials in numerous high-profile North Carolina cases, including federal actions involving voting rights and discrimination. He also regularly coordinated with other United States Attorneys throughout the country on issues involving asset forfeiture and controlled substance prosecutions.
