GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — It’s been a busy year for federal prosecutors in Michigan. Mark Totten, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan, recently spoke with FOX 17 to reflect on 2023. He also talked about his focus heading into the new year.
During the conversation, Totten touched on a wide range of criminal cases, including the public corruption scandal involving state officials and a sextortion case in Marquette.
One main focus for Totten is trying to disrupt the illegal flow of drugs into the community. Earlier this year, the DEA seized more than 40 pounds of fentanyl from a dealer en route to Detroit from Grand Rapids. Totten says that cases like that are a clear motivator for him.
“Our efforts are almost solely focused on going after those large supply lines that are bringing those drugs up into our communities,” said Totten.
Another top priority for Totten is to continue pressing hard on violent crime. He says that young people are not only getting mixed up in it, but they’re also getting their hands on illegal guns.
“It’s really, really concerning, there is a proliferation of illegal guns like we have never seen before,” said Totten. “I see social media posts quite regularly of young people holding weapons that look like they’ve come off a battlefield. And we, you know, we have to take efforts to address some of our youngest offenders.”
Totten did highlight efforts to prevent violent crime. He cited organizations like Cure Violence in Grand Rapids and the Group Violence Intervention Program in Kalamazoo.
Totten also says that civil rights has been a real priority for his office, especially with a rise in hate crimes throughout the country due to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.
