Today, Kelly O. Hayes was appointed and sworn in as Interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland. Prior to her appointment, she served as the Chief of the Southern Division for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland since 2021.
Ms. Hayes began serving the District of Maryland in 2013 as an Assistant United States Attorney. Additionally, she served as Principal Deputy Chief for the Southern Division, Deputy Chief for the Southern Division, and Deputy Appellate Chief for the District.
As Chief of the Southern Division, Ms. Hayes oversaw all criminal investigations and prosecutions in the Southern Division, including prosecutions related to MS-13, violent crime and illegal firearm possession and trafficking offenses, human trafficking, child exploitation, fraud, and illegal immigration offenses.
“I have spent over a decade witnessing the incredible and impactful work my colleagues do every day, and I am beyond honored to lead this Office as we continue to serve and protect the people of Maryland and the United States,” Interim U.S. Attorney Hayes said. “In cooperation with our federal, state, and local partners, I am confident that the outstanding men and women of the U.S. Attorney’s Office will work tirelessly and zealously to combat criminal activity that harms the people of the United States and to steadfastly represent the interests of the United States. I thank the President and the Attorney General for placing their confidence in me. It is the honor of a lifetime to serve in this role.”
Raised in Montgomery County, Maryland, Ms. Hayes completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Maryland at College Park. She then earned her law degree from the University of North Carolina School of Law. Following law school, Ms. Hayes clerked for the Honorable Janis L. Sammartino in the Southern District of California.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
