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AG Nessel Announces Staffing Promotions
June 29, 2022
LANSING – Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is announcing two permanent staffing changes within the Department.
Aubrey Sargent is now Chief of the Criminal Investigations Division after serving as the acting chief of the division.
Veneshia Cezil is now the Chief of Operations after serving as acting chief.
“I am proud to have such dedicated and talented individuals leading aspects of the Department of Attorney General,” Nessel said. “I know Veneshia and Aubrey will be continued assets to this office in their respective roles.”
Their bios are below, along with links to their photos.
Sargent came to the Department of Attorney General in 2019 after retiring as a detective with the Detroit Police Department. He has over 33 years of law enforcement experience working in a variety of capacities.
While at the Detroit Police Department, Sargent served as a member of the Headquarter Surveillance Unit – Homicide, FBI-Violent Gang Task Force, Narcotics Unit, Advanced Narcotic Investigation Unit, Commercial Auto Theft Section, Arson Investigation Unit, and Executive Protection Detail.
Prior to his retirement from the Detroit Police Department, Sargent was detective in charge of operating the Detroit Police Department cell phone tracking truck.
Sargent is a graduate of the Detroit Metropolitan Police Academy and has received specialized training in violent crimes, homicide, robbery, fugitive investigations, financial crimes, narcotics investigations and asset forfeitures.
Cezil received her undergraduate degree from Oakwood College in 2005, now Oakwood University, and her law degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in 2008. Shortly after graduating from Law School, she became licensed in both Illinois and Michigan.
In 2010 she joined the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office’s General Trials Division, prosecuting several hundred cases that included assaultive crimes, larcenies, drug crimes, armed robberies, homicides, motor vehicle crimes, and high profile/media cases. As a direct result of her diligent prosecutions in the General Trials Division, she was specially assigned to the Sexual Assault Unit.
During her time in the Sexual Assault Unit, Cezil was assigned to vertically prosecute very difficult cases. The prosecutions of these cases included, but were not limited to, charging decisions, handling preliminary examinations, and litigating numerous trials. Many of the cases involved DNA evidence, serial rapist suspects, and media attention. Despite the complexity of those assignments, she always rose to the occasion and empowered victims to face their attackers with the primary goal of giving survivors a voice.
Since joining the Attorney General’s Office in 2015, Cezil has continued to give hundreds of children a voice by representing the Department of Health and Human Services in Child Abuse and Neglect proceedings, zealously advocating on their behalf to achieve reunification while ensuring that her actions always promote children’s safety and are in their best interest. She has also served as one of the Department’s Bureau Chiefs and currently serves as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer.
Cezil immigrated from Jamaica to the United States with her mother as an infant. She became a U.S. citizen in 2020 and remains passionate about serving her community through mentoring young people and self-empowerment initiatives.
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