US District Court, Eastern District of North Carolina (Magistrate Judge Robert T. Numbers II) / US Department of Justice

Fivehouse v. U.S. Department of Defense (AUSA Rudy Renfer)

Sanctioned · 28 April 2026

SectorLegal

CountryUnited States

Document typeGovernment opposition brief

ConsequenceSanctioned

What was fabricated

A brief the federal prosecutor drafted with a generative-AI tool and filed without verifying contained fabricated quotations, misstatements of case holdings, and fabricated regulatory language. The pro se plaintiff — a retired military lawyer — noticed the brief did not read like the sources it cited.

What happened as a result

The Department of Justice terminated Renfer (the day after he offered to resign). The court found he 'knowingly submitted a brief containing fabricated quotations and misstatements of case holdings' and issued a public reprimand on 28 April 2026, limiting further sanction in light of the professional consequences already suffered.

Sources

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