Charles Gaza

Charles Gaza has a unique background as an attorney. He is a veteran of both the United States Army and United States Air Force. His roles in the military and private practice have allowed him to accumulate a vast amount of experience in a wide array of fields that are useful for the firm’s clients.

The organizational elements of the military provided Mr. Gaza unique insights into both large and small investigations. He has handled the prosecution and defense of military personnel in matters including violent, drug, family, and computer-related crime. He has also represented the Air Force in negotiations with the State of Florida to settle alleged infractions of environmental laws. As an Air Force officer, he had command duties and interfaced with the top ranks of the military services and joint organizations such as USCENTCOM and USSOCOM. His roles in the Air Force included serving in both the JAG Corps and as a Special Assistant United States Attorney for the Department of Justice.

In civilian life, Mr. Gaza has worked as a local prosecutor, defense lawyer in both criminal and civil matters, and the chief of staff for the district attorney’s office. As chief of staff, he managed an office over 100 employees, oversaw all major criminal investigations, and interacted with federal, state, and local law enforcement at all levels from line officers through commanders. He has unique technical training in crash reconstruction and weapons, and is one of the few lawyers in the nation who has completed a full SWAT school.

Representative matters handled by Mr. Gaza include:

• Drafting law enforcement policies regarding use-of-force, motor vehicle pursuits, traffic stops, and related issues
• Coordination of joint task force law enforcement operations between local, state, and federal agencies
• Negotiated and drafted a multi-million dollar wastewater compliance agreement between MacDill Air Force Base and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection
• Conducted prosecution integrity reviews of murder cases
• Prosecuted homicide by vehicle while DUI case in which defendant had seven prior DUI convictions. Case helped prompt change in DUI legislation in Pennsylvania for offenders with multiple DUI priors 
• Frequent speaker to local schools and municipalities on various topics including safe use of technology, combating drugs and drug addiction, motor vehicle traffic safety, and various classes on firearm safety and safe storage
• Supervised, prosecuted, and defended wide variety of criminal cases, including murder, drug trafficking, motor vehicle crashes, and financial crimes
• Worked with businesses and government agencies to investigate fraud issues and initiate internal financial controls to prevent and discover misconduct 
• Oversight of officer-involved shooting investigations, training of law enforcement for such investigations, review and participation in computer simulations of use-of-force scenarios
• Supervised the implementation of court-approved wire intercepts at the local, state, and federal levels to investigate violent crime, child exploitation, and drug trafficking, assuring that intercepts were both necessary and complied with all legal requirements
• Mr. Gaza received his undergraduate degree from Penn State University and his law degree from the University of Pittsburgh Law School.