The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) honored partner Louis “Tony” Pellegrino with the FBI Director’s Award for Excellence in the category of Outstanding Cyber Investigation in a ceremony held at the FBI Academy at Quantico Marine Corps Base in Virginia. The Director’s Awards annually recognize FBI employees and their law enforcement partners for extraordinary performance in furtherance of the FBI’s mission to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution. The award is among the highest honor that can be bestowed by an FBI Director.

Pellegrino was honored for his role as a former federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York (SDNY). While employed by the Department of Justice, Pellegrino played a pivotal role in the FBI’s response to certain Iranian attempts to engage in election interference during the 2020 US presidential election. Working with another SDNY prosecutor and FBI cyber and intelligence agents, the team thwarted Iranian efforts to interfere with the nation’s electoral process by significantly disrupting foreign actors intending to harm the United States through a malicious cyber-disinformation campaign. The FBI stated that this case exemplified the team’s operational excellence and innovative approach in the field of cybersecurity. The Director’s Awards for Excellence recognizes FBI agents, their partners and outstanding prosecutors like Pellegrino, who make exceptional national contributions in various critical areas, including identifying and stopping terrorists and foreign spies, combating child exploitation and countering malign foreign influence campaigns.