Experienced criminal defense attorney and litigator, former federal prosecutor, former Associate at national law firm, and former FBI Special Agent and forensic laboratory technician with more than 17 years of legal, investigative, forensic and law-related experience. Represented the United States, individual and corporate clients in civil suits, complex criminal matters, and in large, multi-jurisdictional cases.
Law Office of Amy Sirignano, PC, Albuquerque, NM & San Francisco, CA
2008 – present
Founding Partner and President
- Established and manage solo law firm with six employees (paralegal, associate, law clerks, investigator & bookkeeper).
- Concentrate in federal and state criminal defense, specializing in complex white-collar crime, corruption, fraud and financial crimes, money laundering, Ponzi schemes, National Security investigations, racketeering, narcotics and federal wiretapping, civil and criminal forfeitures, SEC investigations, brand protection and intellectual property enforcement cases, as well as violent crimes including, firearms, assault, rape, murder, and general criminal matters. Draft and argue appeals before federal Courts of Appeals.
- Consultant and specialist for fraud investigation, prevention, reporting and compliance; detection of money laundering and promotion of anti-money laundering (AML) policies and procedures.
- Represent individual plaintiffs in all stages of civil litigation, administrative hearings, and mediations.
- Board Member for NM Criminal Defense Lawyer’s Association. Drafted amendments to proposed NM legislation involving criminal law.
- Interim Top Secret Clearance granted by U.S. Department of Justice, January, 2011 to defend National Security matter.
U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Washington, DC 2006 – 2008
Trial Attorney
- Indicted sixteen gang leaders and members in the Eastern District of Michigan for racketeering, drug trafficking, firearms violations. Criminally and administratively forfeited gang assets.
- Directed investigations and developed the most effective investigative and trial strategies. Coordinated law enforcement agents, paralegals, DOJ entities, state and local prosecutors, and experts with the Gang Targeting, Enforcement and Coordination Center (GangTECC) and intelligence analysts from the National Gang Intelligence Center (NGIC).
- Established and maintained litigation management and separate gang intelligence databases.
U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney’s Office (“USAO”), Albuquerque, NM
2002 – 2006
Assistant United States Attorney
- Represented the United States and tried numerous criminal cases, prepared matters for complaint, indictment, pre-trial motions/hearings, trial, settlement/sentencing, and appeal.
- Investigated and prosecuted domestic and international terrorism, white-collar (federal tax, money laundering, structuring, mail, wire and bank fraud, identity fraud, mail theft, theft of government property), and intellectual property related crimes, firearms and narcotics cases, among others.
- Collected, evaluated, assessed and preserved physical, testimonial, financial and documentary evidence. Managed federal and local investigations and case submissions to the USAO’s White Collar Crime/Fraud Section from various agencies including: Bank/Financial Institutions (Fraud Units), and various federal and state law enforcement agencies including the FBI, IRS, and U.S. Secret Service. Cases reviewed for prosecution included investigations generated by Suspicious Activity Reports (“SARs”), Currency Transaction Reports (“CTRs”), review of bank and federal tax records, FinCEN reports, and source reporting. Familiarity and compliance with the Bank Secrecy Act.
- Drafted and argued two appellate briefs before the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals.
- Established the District of NM Scientific Advisory Group – affiliated experts from the Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratories for disasters; drafted the District’s Critical Incident Response Plan.
Smith, Ellison & Harraka, Irvine, CA
2001 –2002
Associate
- Counseled clients and decision-makers. Conducted case management for individual plaintiffs and insurance company defendants in civil suits involving general business litigation, insurance coverage, construction/environmental lawsuits.
- Drafted complaints, conducted depositions, drafted motions, pleadings, discovery requests and responses.
McDermott, Will, & Emery, Los Angeles, CA 2000 –2001
Associate
- Trial Department, White Collar Crime/Litigation. Conducted privilege review and prepared large-scale document productions involving corporate records for compliance with numerous criminal tax subpoenas. Advised University client on discovery for large False Claims Act/Qui Tam case.
- Prepared witnesses for federal grand jury testimony and civil depositions. Drafted memoranda and pleadings; performed extensive legal research.
U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation
Special Agent
Los Angeles Division, Long Beach, CA and New York Division, New York, NY 1994 –2000
- Acting supervisor and case agent for FBI, multi-agency and international investigations involving white-collar crime (various types of fraud, counterfeiting and piracy, health care), general criminal matters (bank robbery, firearms violations, kidnapping, crimes on the high seas), excessive force/civil rights, domestic and international terrorism, national security and espionage matters pursuant to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).
- Three letters of commendation from FBI Directors for participation in the international investigation of the bombing of Italian Judge Paolo Borsellino in Rome, Italy; the first bombing of the World Trade Center; and the bombing of Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia.
Evidence/Physical Science Technician, FBI Laboratory, Washington, DC 1991 –1994
- Conducted scientific investigation, collected and analyzed evidence from crime scenes; prepared forensic reports for expert testimony. Worked on high profile investigations including: The first bombing of the World Trade Center and Unabomber explosive devices. Instructed law enforcement in crime scene management and evidence collection in Quantico, VA.
