Jonathan Scharf, an Assistant District Attorney with the Queens County (NY) District Attorney’s Office and a Johnson County native, was named Prosecutor of the Year by the New York Metro Chapter of the International Association of Financial Crimes Investigators on Dec. 6 in New York City.
Scharf was honored for his work as the supervising attorney for “Operation Swiper,” an 18-month investigation with the New York City Police Department’s Financial Crimes Task Force into an organized credit card fraud and identity theft ring that reached all four corners of the United States, as well as Europe and the Middle East, and resulted in more than $13 million dollars in loss to individuals and businesses.
The investigation culminated in the arrest and prosecution of more than 100 defendants, making it the largest single identity theft prosecution in United States history. Scharf was quick to acknowledge the tremendous efforts of the New York City Police Department and his colleagues at the District Attorney’s Office.
“I’m really humbled by this award. A case like this is not made by the efforts of one individual. It is the result of the work of an exceptional team of investigators, attorneys and support staff. I am accepting this award on behalf of everyone who played a part in this monumental case,” he said.
Scharf has been a prosecutor for seven and a half years with the Queens District Attorney’s Office, and is a member of the elite Investigations Division, Economic and Environmental Crimes Bureau. Prior to joining the Queens DA’s Office, he served at the United States Department of Justice and the Philadelphia Police Department. Scharf received his undergraduate degree from Tufts University in Medford, Mass., and his law degree from the Temple University Beasley School of Law in Philadelphia. Scharf also holds a master’s degree in governmental administration from the University of Pennsylvania.
Scharf is the oldest son of Dr. Daniel and Miriam Scharf.
