April M. Leon has been appointed as the Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Louisiana, succeeding Ronald C. Gathe, Jr., who served in the role since 2021. In her new position, Leon will act as the chief federal law enforcement officer for a nine-parish region with around one million residents. She will oversee both criminal and civil cases on behalf of the United States in this district.
Leon expressed her dedication to public service in her statement: “I am honored to continue my commitment to public service as Acting United States Attorney and fulfill the mission of the Department by collaboratively working with our federal, state, and local partners.”
Before this appointment, Leon was the First Assistant United States Attorney and an Assistant United States Attorney within the Special Matters Unit. Her career spans over fifteen years in prosecutorial roles at both federal and state levels.
Leon earned her Juris Doctor from Southern University Law Center, where she participated in moot court and mock trial competitions. As a law student, she externed at East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney's Office as a Special Assistant Rule 20 Prosecutor and tried her first case before graduating. She also graduated magna cum laude from Howard University.