Thomas E. Wheeler II Sworn in as United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana

On March 11^th, 2026, Thomas E. Wheeler II was sworn in as the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana by United States District Court Judge James P. Hanlon. President Donald J. Trump nominated Wheeler to serve as United States Attorney, and he was confirmed by the United States Senate on December 18, 2025. Prior to his confirmation, he served as Interim United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana.

"I am honored to work alongside the dedicated public servants of this office, whose commitment to justice and service to our communities sets the highest standard. It is a privilege to once again serve the people of my home state of Indiana and to continue building on the relationships I've developed throughout my career," said Wheeler. "I deeply value the longstanding partnerships among federal, state, and local law enforcement, and I look forward to strengthening those relationships that have supported our shared mission for so many years. In this role I will focus our efforts on the Department of Justice's core priority of reducing violent crime, while also continuing to lead national initiatives that protect taxpayer-funded research at colleges and universities from theft by foreign adversaries and to safeguard children from online exploitation and threats to school safety as Chair of the Federal School safety Task Force."

As the chief federal law enforcement officer in the district, United States Attorney Wheeler will lead an office of approximately 45 Assistant United States Attorneys and 32 support professionals responsible for criminal prosecutions, civil litigation, and public safety efforts throughout the Southern District of Indiana which comprises approximately two-thirds of the State of Indiana.

The Investiture Ceremony, held at the Indiana War Memorial, was attended by state and federal judges, law enforcement leaders, attorneys, and government officials from across the country. The program included remarks from distinguished speakers:

• The Honorable Mick Zais, Brigadier USA (Ret.) and former Acting United States Secretary of Education;
• The Honorable Nicholas Kent, Under Secretary of Education delegated the duties of the Deputy Secretary of Education, United States Department of Education;
• The Honorable Stanley E. Woodward, Jr., Associate Attorney General, United States Department of Justice; and
• Chaplin Ron May, Commander, USN (Ret.).

Prior to his appointment, United States Attorney Wheeler served as the Acting General Counsel for the United States Department of Education. This appointment marks a return to the Department of Justice, where he previously held the role of Acting Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, overseeing a broad portfolio, including the Appellate, Criminal, Disability Rights, Education, Immigrant and Employee Rights, Housing, and Voting sections.

His prior federal service also includes serving as Senior Adviser to the White House Federal Commission on School Safety as well as Senior Counsel to the Secretary of Education during the COVID-19 pandemic. In that role he worked with the White House Coronavirus Task Force and the Center for Disease Control.

Read more about U.S. Attorney Wheeler's career here.