U.S. Attorney Albritton resigns

A. Brian Albritton, current U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida, will soon resign from his position. Veteran prosecutor Robert O'Neill, whose swearing in is scheduled for next week, will replace him.

Albritton accepted an invitation to join a private legal practice, a release said.

During his tenure as a federal attorney, Albritton oversaw the activities of 110 assistant U.S. attorneys across 35 counties. He took the position Oct. 15, 2008, after a lengthy confirmation process.

When Albritton entered office, one goal was to increase the state's focus on white-collar crime. To that end, Albritton played a significant role in prosecuting alleged fraudsters; in early 2009, he helped lead the federal government's mortgage fraud surge, and in May of that year Albritton announced that WellCare Health Plans Inc. had agreed to pay $80 million to resolve allegations involving health care fraud.

The Business Review profiled Albritton in March 2009, and did an updated story on his professional progress in December of that year.