William Ihlenfeld is the former two-time United States Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia and an experienced criminal and civil litigator, having tried more than 50 jury trials to verdict in state and federal court. He focuses his practice on defending individuals and organizations in high-stakes litigation and conducting internal investigations for corporations, universities, and municipalities.

Ihlenfeld is experienced in representing clients in highly regulated industries, including healthcare and securities. He has led matters involving False Claims Act violations, Stark Law, public corruption, government contracting fraud, and securities fraud. Having vast government experience at both the state and federal levels, he represents licensed professionals in a variety of matters, to include Controlled Substance Act violations, opioid diversion allegations, and billing irregularities.

While serving as the top federal prosecutor in Northern West Virginia, Ihlenfeld pursued one of the world’s largest banks for its failure to identify money laundering by drug cartels and terror groups and secured nearly $2 billion in penalties. He also brokered a $150M settlement with a large pharmaceutical company for its filling of suspicious orders made by West Virginia pharmacies. Ihlenfeld created a healthcare fraud strike force in his district and prosecuted cases that leveraged sophisticated investigative techniques such as wiretaps and pen registers.

Ihlenfeld led the Northern West Virginia SAR Review team, a specialized multi-agency law enforcement unit that reviewed suspicious activity reports filed by financial institutions and developed complex criminal cases to combat sophisticated financial crimes, bank fraud, money laundering, and elder financial abuse.

Under Ihlenfeld’s leadership, his office was number one in the nation among all U.S. Attorney’s Offices for drug prosecutions. Ihlenfeld served as chairman of the Washington/Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Executive Board as well as the Appalachia HIDTA Executive Board.

In between stints as United States Attorney, Ihlenfeld worked at two prominent law firms where his practice focused on complex civil and criminal litigation. During this time, he led internal investigations for corporate clients and provided trusted counsel to healthcare professionals and business executives who were in the crosshairs of federal agents. Ihlenfeld also represented hospitals, physician groups, and small business owners in a variety of sensitive matters.

Before serving as a federal prosecutor, Ihlenfeld spent thirteen years as a state prosecutor in multiple West Virginia counties, where he prosecuted white collar crime, drug trafficking, and violent crime.

Education

West Virginia University College of Law (J.D.)
Ohio University (B.A., Journalism, Honors Graduate)

Admissions

West Virginia
Pennsylvania
Ohio

Publications/Presentations

Featured in the Netflix documentary Cartel Bank
Parents on Frontlines in Fight Against Online Threats, State Journal/Exponent-Telegram/Wheeling News-Register, 09/2024
Beware Elder Financial Abuse, Martinsburg Journal/Herald-Mail/Wheeling Intelligencer, 06/2024
Community Engagement Needed to Combat Fentanyl Threat, Wheeling Intelligencer-News Register, 03/2022
Cybersecurity: Why It’s More Vital Than Ever, West Virginia Banker, Summer 2017
Death Results Prosecutions Remain Effective Tool Post-Burrage, United States Attorneys’ Bulletin, 09/2016
Focus on Fentanyl: Awareness week shines light on emerging threat, Wheeling Intelligencer/Clarksburg Exponent-Telegram/Martinsburg Journal, 09/2016
The right prescription for West Virginia: Reducing the supply of painkillers to ease the drug epidemic, Wheeling Intelligencer/Clarksburg Exponent, 03/2016
Medical Ethics and the Law: Poor prescribing practices help fuel West Virginia’s drug epidemic, The West Virginia Lawyer, 04/2015

Awards

Honored by WVU College of Law, Lawyers & Leaders Class of 2018
Honored by the White House for outstanding support to the National High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program
Recognized by the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services for outstanding law enforcement service
Received Purple Ribbon Award from WV Coalition Against Domestic Violence for visionary leadership