Chris Kaltsas is a seasoned trial lawyer and investigator. Before joining DWT, Chris spent seven years with the U.S. Department of Justice, handling significant cases and investigations involving asset forfeiture, cyber scams, cryptocurrency, and complex white-collar matters. He most recently served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California, where he was the office's digital assets investigations coordinator.
Chris's practice focuses on civil litigation, investigations, white collar criminal defense, and cybercrime enforcement. Chris's experience as a federal prosecutor included the investigation and prosecution a broad array of cases, from charging to trial and appeal. Among other things, Chris has charged and tried complex white-collar cases involving pharmaceutical fraud, honest services fraud, wire fraud, forfeiture, national security matters, and the Bank Secrecy Act. He is also a recognized expert in asset forfeiture; Chris has prosecuted numerous forfeiture matters, including one of the largest cryptocurrency seizures in U.S. history.
Chris has put his expertise in investigating and prosecuting cybercrime to use while working with the DOJ's Criminal Division, the SEC, the CFTC, and other federal agencies. He is a frequent speaker on cryptocurrency, forfeiture, and white collar crime, previously acting as a subject matter expert during training for agencies that investigate financial and cybercrimes, including the FBI, the DEA, IRS – Criminal Investigation, and the U.S. Secret Service.
Practice Highlights
Cybercrime investigations
Financial investigations and asset recovery
Civil litigation and government investigations defense
United States v. 69,370 Bitcoin et al.*
Cyber scam investigations and forfeitures*
United States v. Karapedyan et al.*
United States v. Two One-Thousand-Five-Hundred-Pound, Hand-Carved Lintels Removed from Religious Temples in Thailand*
Admitted to Practice
- California, 2025
- New York, 2016
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, 2019
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit, 2020
Education
- J.D., William & Mary School of Law, 2015, summa cum laude
- Order of the Coif
- Notes Editor: William & Mary Law Review
- Chief Justice: William & Mary Moot Court Team
- B.A., Classical Civilization & the College of Letters, Wesleyan University, 2011
- High Honors
Languages
- Greek
Background
- Assistant U.S. Attorney, Northern District of California, San Francisco, 2019-2024
- Trial Attorney, Criminal Division, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, D.C., 2017-2019
- Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, Eastern District of Virginia, Alexandria, Va., 2018
- Law Clerk, Hon. Chief Judge Christopher C. Conner, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, Pa., 2016-2017
- Law Clerk, Hon. Mary Gibbons Whipple, New Jersey Superior Court Appellate Division, Morristown, N.J., 2015-2016