U.S. Attorney’s Office release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson announced on Monday, Nov. 2 that Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Alex M. Scott and Appellate Paralegal Linda Cole were selected as recipients of the 2026 Executive Office for United States Attorneys (EOUSA) Director’s Award. AUSA Alex M. Scott received the Director’s Award for Superior Performance in Indian Country, and Appellate Paralegal Linda Cole received the Lifetime Exceptional Service Award for her decades of service in the Office’s Appellate Division. The Director’s Award recognizes excellence across the U.S. Attorney community and honors the exceptional contributions to the Justice Department’s mission by attorneys and support personnel, serving in the nation’s 94 federal districts.
AUSA Alex M. Scott joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville in 2022, where he leads complex prosecutions involving drug trafficking, firearms, and violent crime, among others. As the Western District’s Tribal Liaison, AUSA Scott serves as the lead prosecutor in cases arising on the Qualla Boundary, home of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), and on the federally recognized trust land of the Catawba Nation in North Carolina. Notably, as part of the Justice Department’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) initiative, AUSA Scott prosecuted U.S. v. Ernest Pheasant, securing a life sentence for the 2013 murder of Marie Walkingstick Pheasant, resolving a long-standing cold case in Indian Country.
AUSA Scott began his career in public service as an Assistant District Attorney in Johnson County, Kan., from 2013 to 2021. He joined the United States Attorney’s Office in Tulsa, Okla. in 2021, where he prosecuted violent crime offenses in Indian Country. AUSA Scott received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Missouri in 2009, and his J.D. with honors from the University of Missouri – Kansas City School of Law in 2012.
“Alex is a stellar example of the best the Justice Department has to offer,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “The Justice Department has recognized his exceptional legal advocacy and trial skills, which have helped make North Carolina communities safer. Alex is also an outstanding representative of the Justice Department in Indian Country. As a relationship-builder and a committed advocate for victims, Alex delivers justice while respecting the sovereignty and laws of the EBCI and the Catawba Nation.”
