Western District of Arkansas Staff Honored by Attorney General Todd Blanche at 2026 Director’s Awards

FORT SMITH - Assistant United States Attorney Dustin Roberts and Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Eaton of the United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Arkansas were among 183 Department of Justice employees recognized by Attorney General Todd Blanche and Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA) Director Francey Hakes at the 2026 Director's Awards Ceremony held October 28 in the Great Hall of the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building in Washington, D.C. The awards recognize outstanding achievements by employees of the United States Attorney's Offices.

"I am incredibly proud of Assistant United States Attorneys Dustin Roberts and Kevin Eaton. Their dedication, integrity, and genuine commitment to protecting the people of the Western District of Arkansas shine through in everything they do," said Kevin R. Holmes, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas. "This recognition from the Attorney General is a truly deserved honor, and I'm grateful to serve alongside them."

Excellence in a Managerial Role

This award recognizes an employee who has accomplished superior managerial and supervisory achievements over at least the last three years.

In 2025, Western Arkansas experienced a 7 year high in prosecutions, with Assistant United States Attorney Dustin Roberts serving as Criminal Chief over 13 AUSAs, often serving as second chair in trials. In addition to his supervisory duties, he maintained a full load of criminal cases as lead prosecutor, to include United States vs. Joshua Duggar, which drew national attention.

Excellence as an Appellate Assistant United States Attorney

This award recognizes AUSAs who perform appellate work for their USAO and who have distinguished themselves through the outstanding performance of their duties.

In 2025 Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Eaton handled several high-profile cases, four of which he argued at the Eighth Circuit within a ten-month period. The oral arguments involved defending the constitutionality of the federal ban on machineguns, resisting a defendant's attempts to import the requirements of Apprendi into supervised release hearings, and defending a denial of a suppression motion raising unique issues involving the interplay between Arkansas law and the Fourth Amendment.

Please join us in congratulating these award recipients on their well-earned honors. Their accomplishments demonstrate a strong commitment to excellence in public service and reflect the dedication of the entire Western District of Arkansas team.

EOUSA provides oversight, general executive assistance, and direction to the 94 United States Attorneys' offices around the country. For more information on EOUSA and its mission, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao.