KNOXVILLE (AP) — Francis M. "Trey" Hamilton III has been appointed to serve as the interim top federal prosecutor in Knoxville, the U.S. attorney's office said.

Hamilton already was acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee. His interim appointment lasts for 120 days or until a presidential appointment is made, whichever occurs first, a Wednesday news release said.

Hamilton is a Nashville native who joined the office as an assistant U.S. attorney in 2002. Over his career, he has tried many complex prosecutions. They include corporate fraud, health care fraud, mortgage fraud, government-contract fraud, drug-trafficking and civil rights violations, according to the news release.

As a supervisor, he oversaw matters involving national security, public corruption and child exploitation. In 2020, Hamilton was awarded the Attorney General's Claudia J. Flynn Award for Professional Responsibility.