DOJ Honors 183 Employees at Director's Awards
Attorney General Todd Blanche recognized Justice Department staff, including two Arkansas prosecutors, at the 2026 Director's Awards Ceremony in Washington.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Criminal Justice
Attorney General Todd Blanche recognized 183 Department of Justice employees at the 2026 Director's Awards Ceremony, held October 28 in Washington, D.C. Assistant United States Attorneys Dustin Roberts and Kevin Eaton of the Western District of Arkansas were among those honored for outstanding achievements in U.S. Attorney's Offices.
Why it matters
The awards highlight work by federal prosecutors across the nation's U.S. Attorney's Offices, which handle a large share of federal criminal cases. The honorees' recognition comes as the Western District of Arkansas reported a 7-year high in prosecutions in 2025.
Two Western District of Arkansas prosecutors were honored for their work, with Dustin Roberts serving as lead prosecutor in United States vs. Joshua Duggar. Kevin Eaton argued four Eighth Circuit cases involving the federal machinegun ban and an Arkansas-law suppression motion, though the appellate outcomes are not stated in the source.
The players
Todd Blanche
Todd Blanche is the Attorney General of the United States, who presented the 2026 Director's Awards to Justice Department employees.
Francey Hakes
Francey Hakes is the Director of the Executive Office for United States Attorneys, which oversees the 94 U.S. Attorney's offices nationwide.
Dustin Roberts
Dustin Roberts is an Assistant United States Attorney in Arkansas who previously led the prosecution of former reality television personality Joshua Duggar.
The details
The 2026 Director's Awards Ceremony was held in the Great Hall of the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building, with awards presented by Attorney General Todd Blanche and EOUSA Director Francey Hakes. The Managerial Role award recognizes employees with superior managerial and supervisory achievements over at least the last three years.
Timeline
2025: Western Arkansas prosecutions reached a 7-year high and Eaton argued his Eighth Circuit cases.
October 28, 2026: The Director's Awards Ceremony was held in Washington, D.C.
November 4, 2026: The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Arkansas published its announcement.
Legal Context
The awards are administered through the Executive Office for United States Attorneys, which coordinates the work of 94 U.S. Attorney's offices nationwide. Recognition of district-level prosecutors such as those in Western Arkansas reflects the federal system's reliance on individual U.S. Attorney's Offices to carry out the bulk of federal criminal prosecutions.
Residents of federal prosecution districts may see continued emphasis on complex firearms and drug cases, as Eaton's appellate work illustrates. The recognition signals that federal prosecutors in smaller districts are handling caseloads at elevated levels.
The takeaway
Recognition of prosecutors in smaller districts shows that federal criminal justice depends heavily on individual U.S. Attorney's Offices. Readers following federal cases can track how these offices handle rising caseloads and appellate challenges.
Further reading
Explore more on the Criminal Justice system and how federal prosecutors handle cases nationwide.
