TAMPA — Roger Handberg had been a federal prosecutor in Orlando for a little more than four years when he was handed one of the biggest cases of his career.
The defendant was Lou Pearlman, the business manager for superstar boy bands like NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys. An investigation had uncovered evidence that Pearlman for years had operated a Ponzi scheme netting a loss of more than $300 million.
It was a monumental case, one that could have easily gone to a more experienced prosecutor. But it fell to Handberg, who came to see it as a model for what federal prosecutors should do, and how they should do it.
“One of the things that I always appreciated about the office is that they trusted me to be able to take a case of that magnitude,” he said.
It’s a case that remains on his mind today, as he now leads the office where he has spent the bulk of his legal career.
In late December, Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Handberg as the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida, a sprawling 35-county jurisdiction stretching from Jacksonville to Naples. It is the second-largest federal judicial district in the nation by population, encompassing the cities of Jacksonville, Orlando and Tampa.
Though the initial appointment was good for 120 days, the local U.S. District court recently extended Handberg’s tenure. He’ll remain until there is a presidential appointment.
Five months into the top job, Handberg, who previously led the office’s Orlando division,…