CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. — Long Island’s federal crime-fighting ranks are getting new leadership, as U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. announced Monday the appointment of veteran prosecutor Catherine Mirabile to lead the Long Island Division, alongside Megan Farrell as a top deputy overseeing major criminal cases.
Mirabile has been named Chief of the Long Island Division and Chief of its Criminal Section, while Farrell will serve as a Deputy Chief, joining current leadership in handling some of the region’s most serious federal prosecutions.
Leadership Appointments
Mirabile brings more than two decades of experience with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, where she has served in both civil and criminal roles since joining in 2002.
Farrell, who joined the office in 2018, has worked across multiple sections, including general crimes, organized crime, and human trafficking.
Track Record of Major Cases
Mirabile has led and supervised prosecutions involving public corruption, large-scale financial fraud, violent crime, and drug distribution cases tied to deaths on Long Island.
Among the cases she has handled:
- Prosecution of a Nassau County executive and other public officials in corruption cases
- A Suffolk County correction officer tied to political leadership roles
- A murder-for-hire plot involving a former New York City police officer
- A criminal defense attorney accused of defrauding a minor’s inheritance
- A healthcare fraud scheme exceeding $700 million, one of the largest of its kind nationwide
- A cryptocurrency-related investment fraud scheme involving Bitcoin ventures
- Sex trafficking operations based out of a Sayville motel
- A drug case involving fentanyl-laced heroin linked to a fatal overdose
Focus on Organized Crime and Violence
Farrell has built her career prosecuting gang violence, sex trafficking, and crimes against children, including cases tied to the MS-13 gang and other organized crime groups.
Her work includes:
- Securing convictions in racketeering cases tied to multiple murders connected to MS-13
- Participating in prosecutions involving more than a dozen gang members linked to killings on Long Island
- Helping secure a 50-year sentence in a case involving the murder of four young men lured to a park in 2017
- Leading ongoing prosecutions of MS-13 members, including alleged national leaders charged in Long Island murders
- Prosecuting sex trafficking cases involving minors, including a case that resulted in a 23-year prison sentence
- Leading trial teams that secured convictions in multiple sex trafficking prosecutions
Farrell has also worked on public safety outreach, serving as a Project Safe Child Coordinator and speaking to thousands of students and parents about online safety.
Legal Background and Experience
Mirabile is a graduate of Suffolk University Law School and the University of Pennsylvania. She previously worked as an Assistant Corporation Counsel in New York City before joining the federal prosecutor’s office.
Farrell earned her law degree from St. John’s University School of Law and began her career as a prosecutor in Brooklyn before entering private practice and later joining federal prosecutors.
Stakes and Role Moving Forward
As Chief of the Long Island Division, Mirabile will oversee federal prosecutions involving public corruption, organized crime, fraud, drug trafficking, and violent offenses across Nassau and Suffolk counties.
Farrell, as Deputy Chief, will help lead complex investigations and prosecutions, particularly in cases involving gangs, human trafficking, and child exploitation.
These appointments place both prosecutors at the center of some of the most high-profile and high-stakes criminal cases affecting Long Island communities.
What’s Next
Both appointments are effective immediately, with Mirabile and Farrell expected to take active roles in ongoing federal prosecutions and investigations across the region.
