Jessica Aber

Jessica Diane Aber (September 9, 1981 – March 22, 2025) was an American attorney who served as the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia (EDVA) from 2021 to 2025. She was known for prosecuting high-profile cases involving organized crime and national security.^[1]

Jessica Aber
Official portrait, 2021
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia
In office October 12, 2021 – January 20, 2025
Appointed by	Joe Biden
Preceded by	Raj Parekh (acting)
Succeeded by	Erik Siebert (acting)
Personal details
Born	Jessica Diane Aber (1981-09-09)September 9, 1981 Walnut Creek, California, U.S.
Died	March 22, 2025 (aged 43) Alexandria, Virginia, U.S.
Education	University of Richmond (BA) College of William & Mary (JD)

Early life and education

Born in Walnut Creek, California, in 1981, Aber graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Richmond in 2003.^[2] She earned her Juris Doctor from the William & Mary Law School in 2006.^[3]

Career

After clerking for Magistrate Judge M. Hannah Lauck in the EDVA (2006–2007), Aber worked as an associate at McGuireWoods before joining the EDVA U.S. Attorney's Office in 2009 as an Assistant United States Attorney. She later served as Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for the DOJ's Criminal Division (2015–2016) and Deputy Chief of the EDVA Criminal Division (2016–2021).^[2]

U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia

Nominated by President Biden in August 2021, Aber was confirmed by the Senate on October 5, 2021, and sworn in on October 12, 2021.^[4][5] Her tenure included several notable cases, including the prosecution of an MS-13 leader for multiple murders,^[6] indictments against Russian nationals for operating illicit cryptocurrency exchanges,^[7] historic war crimes charges against Russian soldiers for actions in Ukraine,^[8] the conviction of an Israeli national for the smuggling of non-citizens into the United States,^[9] and the conviction of a former CIA analyst for leaking classified information.^[10]

Aber resigned on January 20, 2025, following the presidential transition.^[11]

Illness and death

Aber was found dead in Alexandria, Virginia, on March 22, 2025, at age 43.^[12][13] She died in her sleep from an epileptic seizure.^{[14][3][15][16][17]}