--- category: Law Enforcement & Legal created: 2026-05-22 location: Washington, D.C. summary: Justin Sher is a Trial Attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice National Security Division's Counterterrorism Section and the lead federal prosecutor on 764 Network terrorism cases, including the first-ever terrorism charge against a 764 member in United States v. Martin. tags: - Person - DOJ - NationalSecurityDivision - NVE - TerrorismProsecutor - FederalCase updated: 2026-05-22 --- Justin Sher is a Trial Attorney assigned to the U.S. Department of Justice National Security Division's Counterterrorism Section, where he has served as the lead government attorney on the [764 Network](/organizations/764-network/) prosecution portfolio, including the prosecution of [Baron Cain Martin](/people/baron-cain-martin/) in [United States v. Martin](/events/united-states-v-martin-4-25-cr-00190/), 4:25-cr-00190-TUC-AMM(BGM), D. Ariz., the first federal case in which a 764 member was charged under a terrorism statute. ### 764 Prosecution Portfolio Sher's involvement spans multiple 764 and [Nihilistic Violent Extremism](/concepts/nihilistic-violent-extremism/) (NVE) federal prosecutions across districts, coordinated through the National Security Division in Washington. Alongside James Donnelly, who serves as DOJ's designated NVE domestic terrorism coordinator, Sher represents the National Security Division's institutional investment in treating 764 not as a child exploitation enterprise but as a terrorist network subject to the full range of national security charging tools. In the Martin indictment, Sher advanced the theory that [18 U.S.C. § 2339A](/concepts/18-usc-2339a/) (conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists) is available against 764 operators without any Foreign Terrorist Organization designation from the State Department, by anchoring the charge to an [18 U.S.C. § 956(a)](/concepts/18-usc-956/) conspiracy to kill or maim a victim located outside the United States.[^1] Sher was also the attorney of record on the United States v. Nepal and United States v. Varagiannis prosecutions (D.D.C., case 1:25-cr-00304), which charged [764 Inferno](/organizations/764-inferno/) leaders [Prasan Nepal](/people/prasan-nepal/) and [Leonidas Varagiannis](/people/leonidas-varagiannis/) with participating in a child exploitation enterprise and related offenses but did not include terrorism counts.[^2] ### Public Statements At a panel hosted by the GWU Program on Extremism on December 18, 2025, titled "Holding 764 Accountable," Sher described 764's stated objective as "to cause the downfall of society, cause the downfall of the U.S. government," and characterized the network's ideology as a desire for "a Darwinian society, one that is survival of the fittest." He stated that the conduct documented in 764 cases was so extreme that "I don't think Stephen King is dark enough to come up with some of the stuff that these kids are coming up with."[^3] In a subsequent appearance cited by ABC News, Sher and Donnelly together offered what were described as "rare public comments" for career DOJ prosecutors, characterizing 764 as a threat equal in seriousness to any the department had faced, and noting that network members are increasingly directing victims toward mass-casualty attacks including school shootings.[^3] [^1]: Baumgartner, Luke, and Barry Jonas. "How the DOJ is Prosecuting Nihilistic Violent Extremism as Domestic Terrorism." *Just Security,* December 9, 2025. https://www.justsecurity.org/126226/prosecuting-nihilistic-violent-extremism-domestic-terrorism/ [^2]: U.S. Department of Justice, USAO-DC. "Leaders of 764 Arrested and Charged for Operating Global Child Exploitation Enterprise." April 30, 2025. https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/leaders-764-arrested-and-charged-operating-global-child-exploitation-enterprise [^3]: ABC News. "In rare public comments, career DOJ officials offer chilling warnings about online network 764." 2026. https://abcnews.com/US/rare-public-comments-career-doj-officials-offer-chilling/story?id=128526657; GWU Program on Extremism. "Holding 764 Accountable." December 18, 2025. https://extremism.gwu.edu/holding-764-accountable