Biden taps prosecutor McMillion for federal bench in Michigan

Washington ― President Joe Biden plans to nominate another Michigan prosecutor to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Brandy R. McMillion, the White House said Wednesday.

Since 2015, McMillion, 43, of Troy has served as an assistant U.S. attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan. She was appointed chief of the office’s General Crimes Unit last year.

That unit handles offenses including firearms trafficking and unlawful firearm possession, bank robbery, counterfeiting, postal violations and federal crimes against children, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

McMillion previously was a senior litigation associate at Bryan Cave LLP from 2012-15, an associate at Perkins Coie LLP from 2007-12 and an associate at Pepper Hamilton LLP from 2006-07, according to the White House. She received her law degree from George Washington University Law School in 2006 and holds engineering degrees from the University of Michigan.

Among the higher-profile cases that McMillion worked on was the prosecution of Dr. Rajendra Bothra of Bloomfield Hills, who faced charges in an alleged $500 million health care fraud scheme. Bothra was acquitted last year after spending three years in jail prior to his trial.

Bothra was found not guilty of more than 40 federal counts along with his former employees, Ganiu Edu, David Lewis, Christopher Russo in what was considered one of the biggest losses for the U.S. Attorney's Office in more than 10 years. The one-year anniversary of the acquittal is Thursday.

The White House said McMillion is part of Biden’s 35th round of nominees for federal judgeships, for a total 176 nominees since taking office.

"This choice continues to fulfill the president’s promise to ensure that the nation’s courts reflect the diversity that is one of our greatest assets as a country — both in terms of personal and professional backgrounds," the White House said in a statement.

If confirmed, McMillion would fill a vacancy left by Judge Gershwin A. Drain taking senior status last year.

Staff write Robert Snell contributed.

mburke@detroitnews.com