Gregory M. Gilmore is now officially the top federal prosecutor for much of downstate Illinois, after being sworn in as United States Attorney for the Central District of Illinois on June 1, 2026, at the federal courthouse in Springfield. U.S. Magistrate Judge Douglas J. Quivey administered the oath, handing formal authority to the district’s new chief federal prosecutor.
As reported by the Journal-Courier, Gilmore was nominated by President Donald J. Trump on Jan. 13 and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on May 18. The paper notes he had already been doing the job in an acting capacity after former U.S. Attorney Gregory Harris retired earlier this year, making the ceremony more of a formal handoff than a surprise shakeup.
A long-serving prosecutor takes the reins
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Gilmore has worked in the Central District since 1994, giving him more than three decades inside the same office he now leads. Over those years he has cycled through key leadership posts, serving as First Assistant U.S. Attorney since 2021, Criminal Chief from 2018 to 2021 and Civil Chief from 2013 to 2015.
Before law school, Gilmore worked as a CPA at a Big Four accounting firm and for the FBI, a résumé line that helps explain his comfort with both financial and investigative cases. As an assistant U.S. attorney, he tried more than 25 cases to jury verdict, experience that now backs up his role directing which cases go to trial.
His stated priorities
Gilmore said the office will keep its focus on prosecutions and victims’ rights. “Our Office’s mission is to do justice, ensure community safety, and safeguard the rights of victims,” he said, according to a Department of Justice press release. The statement suggests continuity with recent leadership while putting a clear spotlight on community safety and restitution.
What the office has been doing
The office collected $5,236,030.66 in civil and criminal actions in fiscal 2025 and recovered more than $9.3 million in asset forfeitures, a recent report shows. Those figures underscore the mix of criminal prosecutions and financial enforcement Gilmore inherits as he takes the helm.
He steps into the role as federal priorities continue to evolve, and local law enforcement will be watching how his office balances traditional prosecutions with community-focused initiatives. For now, observers can expect the Central District to keep working closely with state and local partners on cases ranging from fraud and drug trafficking to violent crime.
