BOSTON — Three employees of the U.S. attorney's office for the District of Massachusetts in Boston have received the Justice Department's 2026 Director's Award, which recognizes work by attorneys and staff in the nation's 94 federal districts, the office said Monday.

The awards, given by the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, were presented at a ceremony in Washington on Oct. 28, according to U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley's office.

James Nagelberg, who served as a special assistant U.S. attorney from January 2023 until June, was honored for his work on Social Security fraud cases. The office said he helped recover more than $1.4 million in restitution and pretrial diversion payments and secured more than $925,000 in forfeiture judgments. Prosecutors said he also won the district's first voter fraud conviction, in a $400,000 identity theft case, and helped expand the Social Security Administration's special prosecutor program nationwide.

Donald Lockhart, chief of the office's appellate unit, was recognized for his appeals work. The office said his unit has won favorable rulings from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit in several cases, including United States v. Salemme and United States v. Cromwell.

Lizzette Ospina-Yemo, who joined the office as its human resources officer in 2014 and became deputy administrative officer in 2023, received an award for administration. The office said she oversees human resources, finance, technology, security, facilities and purchasing, and guided staff through federal shutdowns, deferred resignation programs, credible threats against employees and the death of a colleague.

The Signal reported Friday that Christopher Marin, a special assistant U.S. attorney in New Hampshire, was among 183 Justice Department employees honored at the same Oct. 28 ceremony, where Attorney General Todd Blanche and Francey Hakes, director of the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, presented the awards.

Earlier coverage: New Hampshire federal prosecutor honored for work with ATF on gun and gang cases

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