In January 2024, the Director of the United States Marshals Service (USMS), Ronald L. Davis, appointed Silas V. Darden to serve as the Associate Deputy Director.
Previously, Associate Deputy Director Darden served dual roles as both Chief of Staff and Senior Counsel to the Office of Director. Mr. Darden was selected for these pivotal leadership roles after dedicating nearly his entire career with the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). He has witnessed firsthand the uniquely central position the U.S. Marshals Service occupies in the federal justice system and as the enforcement arm of the federal courts. The U.S. Marshals Service is involved in virtually every federal law enforcement initiative, and as Chief of Staff, Mr. Darden serves as primary liaison to the White House and DOJ’s Office of the Attorney General, Office of the Deputy Attorney General, and all federal, state, tribal and international law enforcement partners. The key missions of the United States Marshals Service include the responsibility for protecting the federal judiciary, apprehending federal fugitives, managing and selling seized assets acquired by criminals through illegal activities, housing and transporting federal prisoners and operating the Witness Security Program. As the Director's Senior Counsel, Mr. Darden coordinates with all mission leadership and nationwide district offices in support of U.S. Marshals Service and United States Department of Justice (DOJ) strategic goals, while also advising on legislation that impacts, or may impact, the U.S. Marshals Service.
Mr. Darden served as Deputy Vice Chairman for the Board of Veterans Appeals at the Department of Veterans Affairs before joining the U.S. Marshals Service. In this position, he led a team of Veterans Law Judges, attorneys and professional administrative staff to ensure the Board’s efficiency and effectiveness in conducting hearings and deciding appeals.
Prior to joining the Board, Mr. Darden served in several senior executive positions at United States Department of Justice (DOJ), including as the Chief of Staff and Senior Counsel in the Office of Justice Programs, where he advised the Acting Assistant Attorney General on the formulation of policy issues and assisted with the implementation of policy initiatives and priorities. Before his Chief of Staff position, Mr. Darden was a DOJ Deputy Associate Attorney General and the Director of the Service members & Veterans Initiative. As Director, he led a newly formed component responsible for extending the expertise and resources needed to enforce the civil and criminal statutes protecting the rights of service members, veterans, and their families, to lawyers and investigators throughout the United States Department of Justice (DOJ), and to expand and coordinate enforcement efforts. He also served in detailed assignments in the Office of the Attorney General, Office of the Pardon Attorney, and supporting the President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing.
Before joining the Justice Department, Silas Darden served in and out of uniform in assignments with the Air Force and Office of the Secretary of Defense. He continues to serve in the Air Force Reserve as the Vice Commander of the 960th Cyberspace Wing.
Mr. Darden holds a Juris Doctorate from the University of North Dakota School of Law, Grand Forks, North Dakota, and has earned two Masters' of Science degrees. The first, a Master's in Management, and a year later, a Master’s in Information Systems. Both Master’s Degrees are from Minot State University, Minot, North Dakota.