John Fietkiewicz draws on three decades of experience as a federal prosecutor in the District of New Jersey to counsel a wide array of corporate and individual clients in dealing with criminal and civil investigations and litigation. He defends clients in criminal prosecutions and government investigations, conducts internal investigations, counsels on corporate compliance, and litigates complex civil claims. During his career in government and private practice, John has personally handled and supervised a variety of white collar matters from the investigative stage through trial and appeal. These cases have involved bank, corporate, health care, securities, and tax fraud; official corruption; antitrust; money laundering; defense contracting; and cybercrime.
As part of the U.S. Attorney's executive team from 2010 until 2018, John oversaw the full array of criminal and civil cases handled by the approximately 150 attorneys in the Office. Notably, as Counsel to the U.S. Attorney, he created, implemented, and managed an innovative office-wide criminal trial program through which he supervised all criminal trials and provided advice to all trial teams on legal and evidentiary issues, trial strategy and tactics, witness preparation, witness examinations, and jury arguments. In his many years as a supervisor and Senior Litigation Counsel, John trained AUSAs on federal law and practice and in their handling of investigations and prosecutions.
Experience
- Major religious organization in an investigation by federal prosecutors involving allegations of visa fraud and forced labor.
- Fuel testing and inspection company in conducting an internal investigation, leading the company's defense to a federal investigation of past billing practices, and successfully arguing that the government should decline prosecution.
- Prominent New Jersey real estate professional in defending him in a federal criminal tax investigation and successfully persuading the government to drop the investigation without bringing any charges.
- New Jersey medical center and its parent health care system in conducting an internal investigation and coordinating the response to multiple enforcement investigations and regulatory reviews following allegations in the national press that patient care in the hospital's heart transplant program was compromised to improve survival statistics.
- The former CEO of a technology staffing company on a felony visa fraud charge that subjected him to a five year prison sentence, convincing the government to drop that charge and allow a plea to a class B misdemeanor that subjected him to a maximum six month sentence, and successfully advocating for a sentence of probation.
Perspectives
Recognition
Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations (New Jersey) (2023-2025)
Antitrust Law (NJ) (2021)
Credentials
Education
- J.D., Fordham University School of Law, cum laude
- B.A., Montclair State College, magna cum laude
Admissions
- New Jersey
- New York
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
- U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
Government & Military Service
- Counsel to the U.S. Attorney; Chief Litigation Counsel; Professional Responsibility Officer; Senior Litigation Counsel, Special Prosecutions Division; Deputy Chief, Fraud Division; Assistant U.S. Attorney, U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of New Jersey
Clerkships
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, The Honorable Gerard L. Goettel
Activities
- Instructor, National Advocacy Center, Basic Criminal Trial Advocacy Program and Evidence for Experienced Criminal Litigators Program
- Instructor, Legal Writing and Research, Fordham University School of Law
- Master of the Bench, C. Willard Heckel Inn of Court
- Member, ABA and Association of the Federal Bar of New Jersey
- Editor-in-Chief, Fordham Law Review