Melissa E. O’Boyle is a Partner in Gentry Locke’s Criminal & Government Investigations practice group. Previously, Melissa worked for more than 15 years as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia, litigating some of the District’s most complex fraud and corruption cases, investigating and prosecuting a broad array of criminal matters, and coordinating relationships with law enforcement and regulatory partners. Most recently, she served as the chief of criminal prosecutions for Norfolk’s Criminal Division, where she supervised over 19 federal prosecutors and managed the white-collar unit responsible for authorizing and managing fraud, public corruption, securities, national security, and civil rights investigations. Melissa has handled several high-profile criminal prosecutions, including a public corruption case against former Norfolk Vice Mayor Anthony Burfoot, and a complex bank fraud case against the senior executives responsible for the financial collapse of the Bank of the Commonwealth.
As a member of the firm’s Criminal & Government Investigations practice, Melissa will work with clients on developing and implementing effective regulatory compliance programs, internal controls, and ethics programs across a variety of industries including banking, securities, government contracting, cyber security, insurance, and healthcare. Melissa also will work with clients to conduct internal investigations and will provide strategic advice aimed at mitigating any potential negative impacts on business operations, criminal, civil, or regulatory exposure, and reputational harm. Given her extensive trial experience, Melissa also will assist clients in analyzing and developing successful litigation strategies.
Melissa is admitted to practice in Virginia, the District of Columbia, and New York. In 2022, she was recognized with a Top Prosecutor Award by the Women in Federal Law Enforcement (WIFLE) for exemplary achievements in prosecutions of federal crimes. O’Boyle was also recognized with the EOUSA Director’s Award for Superior Performance as an Assistant United States Attorney in 2011 and 2016 and received the FBI Director’s Citation for Excellence in Prosecution in 2014.
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Kids, including twins
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Weeks of longest trial
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Countries visited
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What is your favorite thing to do outside of work?
When I am not at work, I am spending time with my family. I have three kids – fraternal twin boys and a daughter. They keep me very busy with school and all of their activities. I have always been a proud soccer and basketball mom. As the kids have gotten older, they also have expanded to cross country and volleyball. Our Honda minivan has over 200,000 miles on it primarily from driving kids to all of their activities.
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You have traveled to some amazing places. What are a few of your favorite places that you have visited?
I love to travel and Ireland, London, and Hawaii are a few of my favorite places. My husband’s family is from County Mayo in Ireland, and we recently took the kids there so they could learn about their family history. Wherever we go, we always pick up a Christmas ornament so that we have a special memento of our travels. To date, we have approximately 65 ornaments from our various trips as a family over the years, and always have fun recalling special memories as we trim our tree each Christmas. We are looking forward to adding many more ornaments in the years to come.
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If you had chosen a career other than law, what would you be doing?
I would have been an investigative journalist because it combines three things that I absolutely love. First, I am a curious person and enjoy following leads and tracking down critical information to solve cases and controversies. Second, I enjoy writing and weaving a compelling narrative for an interested reader. And, finally, I love to travel.
Education
- Washington and Lee University School of Law, J.D. cum laude
- Capital University, B.A. summa cum laude
Experience
- Served as the Criminal Chief of the Norfolk Division of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Managed white-collar unit with responsibility for authorizing and managing fraud, public corruption, securities, national security, and civil rights investigations.
- Served as Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia for over fifteen years.
- Investigated and prosecuted a broad array of federal criminal matters including, but not limited to, conspiracy, public corruption, securities fraud, bank fraud, healthcare fraud, wire and mail fraud, money laundering, identity theft and cybercrime.
- Served as lead prosecutor in successful ten-week criminal jury trial involving the former CEO of the Bank of the Commonwealth, other bank executives, and certain favored customers.
- Served as lead prosecutor in numerous successful public corruption jury trials involving local Virginia government officials including a former Vice Mayor, a former Sheriff, a former Police Detective, and a Congressional candidate.
- Served as lead prosecutor in successful five-week criminal securities fraud jury trial involving the CEO of a Virginia-based investment firm.
- Prepared and argued numerous appeals before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
Affiliations
- Member: Virginia State Bar
- Member: New York State Bar
- Member: District of Columbia State Bar
- Member: Federal Bar Association, Norfolk Chapter
- Member: Virginia Beach Bar Association
Awards
- Women In Federal Law Enforcement Association – Top Prosecutor Award (2022)
- EOUSA Director’s Award for Superior Performance as an Assistant United States Attorney (2016)
- EOUSA Director’s Award for Superior Performance as an Assistant United States Attorney (2011)
- FBI Director’s Citation for Excellence in Prosecution (2014)
- Office of the Inspector General Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau – Award for Bank of the Commonwealth Prosecution (2014)
- Office of the Inspector General for the FDIC – Award for Bank of the Commonwealth Prosecution (2014)
- Virginia Bank Security Association – Honorary Award (2014)
- Virginia Bank Security Association – Star Award (2010)
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Events
Feb 2023 -
News
Jan 2023 -
Events
May 2022
