A lot of bold-faced names on Wall Street and in Washington are playing a role in Bank of America’s reported $16 billion settlement with the Department of Justice, which may be right around the corner.

But for indirectly helping set the stage for the deal—and for directly helping the government win nearly $2 billion from Wall Street—credit goes to David Wasinger, a small firm lawyer in St. Louis who beefed up the government’s allegations of mortgage fraud at BofA’s Countrywide Financial unit.