W. Ellis Boyle has been sworn in as the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina. The ceremony took place at the Terry Sanford Courthouse in Raleigh, where United States District Judge Terrence W. Boyle administered the oath. Attorney General Pamela Bondi appointed Mr. Boyle as interim U.S. Attorney on August 7, 2025.
As U.S. Attorney, Mr. Boyle will serve as the chief federal law enforcement officer for the Eastern District of North Carolina, which covers 44 counties in the eastern part of the state. He will oversee a staff of 119 employees, including 58 attorneys and 61 support personnel. The office is responsible for prosecuting federal crimes such as immigration offenses, gang violence, national security matters, drug trafficking, and violent crime. It also represents the United States in civil cases and works to collect debts owed to the government.
Before his appointment, Mr. Boyle worked at Ward and Smith, P.A., focusing on litigation for businesses, government entities, and individuals in complex legal matters. He also served as General Counsel and Deputy Secretary at the North Carolina Department of Public Safety (DPS), an agency with more than 27,000 employees that manages prisons, probation and parole systems, State Highway Patrol, Emergency Management operations, the National Guard, and juvenile justice programs.
Mr. Boyle previously held a position as Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) in the Eastern District’s Civil Division for two years. During this time he tried numerous federal court cases involving negligence and medical malpractice claims under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA), along with bankruptcy cases.
Earlier in his career, Mr. Boyle was an associate at Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice in Winston-Salem where he handled business disputes and dissolution cases on behalf of companies.
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