Pittsburgh might own a reputation as a frigid place to be in winter, but it's got nothing on the new assignment for longtime federal prosecutor Nelson P. Cohen.
The former assistant U.S. attorney in Pittsburgh has been appointed the U.S. attorney in Alaska. Cohen was appointed by U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and not President Bush, meaning his appointment is not Senate-approved. He will serve on an indefinite interim basis, filling the seat vacated in 2005 by former U.S. Attorney Tim Burgess after he became a federal judge.
Cohen, 57, of Richland, arrived in Anchorage on Monday, was announced as the new U.S. attorney Tuesday and spent most of Wednesday attending meetings.
He could not be reached for comment.
This will not be Cohen's first experience in the Last Frontier. For 10 years, he was an assistant U.S. attorney in the office he now heads and worked in private practice in Anchorage before coming to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Pittsburgh in 1987.
Most recently, he served as the deputy criminal division chief in charge of the White Collar Crimes Division for U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan.
"Nelson Cohen is an exceptional prosecutor and manager," Buchanan said. "He will bring his strong management skills, commitment to justice, and sound judgement to his new position as United States attorney for the district of Alaska."
Cohen is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and Duquesne University law school. He also worked as a prosecutor in the Allegheny County District Attorney's Office.
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