John Brownlee - The Prosecutor Who Helped Bring Down Purdue Pharma

John Brownlee is a former federal prosecutor whose prosecution and conviction of Purdue Pharma, the manufacturer of the widely abused opioid, OxyContin, was portrayed in the hit Hulu series Dopesick, starring Michael Keaton, Rosario Dawson, and Jake McDorman. He was appointed United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia in 2001 by President George W. Bush and served in that position with great distinction for nearly 7 years. After his over a decade of service at the U.S. Department of Justice, he became a criminal defense attorney and successfully defended numerous individuals and corporations, including former Governor Bob McDonnell. Prior to law school, he served on active duty in the U.S. Army in the infantry and in the Judge Advocate General Corps (U.S. Army Reserves), and is a graduate of the Army's Airborne and Ranger programs.