FBI Case File Review

Special Agent Cerena Coughlin, an FBI Applicant Coordinator and recruiter for the Philadelphia Division and first office agent Special Agent Cassandra Winkel, provide answers to over 40 questions sent in by FBI Retired Case File Review listeners. This is part 2 of this two-part recruitment episode. Also check out Part 1 - 257: FBI Special Agent Hiring and Training Update, where Special Agents Coughlin and Winkle take us through all phases of the FBI special agent hiring process and the FBI Academy training program. SA Coughlin has served with the FBI for 21 years. SA Winkel is a recent FBI Academy graduate. Check out episode show notes, photos, and related articles. https://jerriwilliams.com/258-listener-q-a-fbi-academy-training-sa-and-ia-positions/ Buy me a coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/JerriWilliams Join my Reader Team to get the FBI Reading Resource - Books about the FBI, written by FBI agents, the 20 clichés about the FBI Reality Checklist, and keep up to date on the FBI in books, TV, and movies via my monthly email. Join here. http://eepurl.com/dzCCmL Jerri Williams, a retired FBI agent, author and podcaster, attempts to relive her glory days by debunking FBI cliches. Visit her website to check out her books, available as audiobooks, ebooks and paperbacks wherever books are sold. https://jerriwilliams.com/books/ Episode 258: Audio Timestamps 00:02:56 - Would a kindergarten teacher be considered a serious candidate? 00:04:13 - How does the FBI treat misuse of prescription medication (i.e. taking a prescription that you are not personally prescribed to)? I read on a public forum thread that a candidate heard from his applicant coordinator that it would require no use within one year (similar to the new marijuana policy). Is this correct? 00:06:00 - Is it still the policy of the FBI that a new agent will not return to their applicant field office as their first assignment? For example, if you apply through the Tampa office, is there any chance you could be assigned Tampa (or a resident agency) as your first location? 00:07:11 - Is anyone permitted to be in your government issued vehicle (i.e. spouse or children)? 00:08:00 - Is it still true that the application process takes about one year, or has that increased or decreased? 00:08:27 - How do we find out who the applicant coordinator is for our local office? And what types of questions are appropriate for the AC prior to an application even being submitted? 00:11:13 - Does the FBI still, on occasion, assign new Special Agents to work applicant matters? Or has this function been turned over to the FBI's Background Investigations Contract Services (BICS) Unit? 00:12:58 - Which FBI Division and/or Office at headquarters is responsible for the tracking and analysis of women and minority Special Agent diversity statistics? And how have these numbers changed over the past 3-5 years? 00:17:02 - Are Special Agent job applications now all handled electronically on-line? Or are some still accepted by snail mail and/or hard copy drop-offs at the 56 field offices throughout the United States? 00:18:24 - What changes have been made to the FBI's formal recruitment process over the years in order to attract more women and minorities into the Special Agent ranks? Are there still more hurdles or are you encountering roadblocks? 00:23:13 - What kind of continuing training exists for agents, for tactical-related things learned at the academy? Not just firearms shooting at a static range, but also tactics/shoothouse, car stops, etc. 00:24:19 - What is the process for changing what squad and violations you're working on after entering? 00:27:53 - What is the work/life balance like these days? I've listened to quite a few episodes where the different agents worked 80-100 ish hours a week for months over the course of their careers, which often negatively impacted their family relationships, with some ending in divorces, etc. 00:31:00 - I am 27 years old; I work as the Director of Assessment at a psychiatric hospital. My master's degree is in Psychology. I have been with the hospital for almost 6 years, working in progressively higher positions until obtaining a director-level job. My goal has been to join the FBI at 30. Given the brief overview of my background, is there any general advice you all can give me as I look to apply within the next 2-3 years? Anything that would make me stand out even more as an applicant? 00:32:57 - My grand daughter is 28 and has BA and MA degree in Accounting and four years with a major accounting firm. She has researched FBIJOBS.gov and realizes she meets the basic educational and experience for the SA position but is more interested in the Accounting /Financial Analyst position. Are professional Accounting/Financial Analysts able to choose their office assignments? Are they subject to transfers as are the SA's? Do they receive location pay for high-cost areas? Do they receive overtime (AUO) as do the SA's? 00:37:00 - I am a licensed attorney and I own and run my own law firm. My husband is a Navy JAG officer and so I take my firm with me when we move from state to state. I am a solo practitioner, so I do not have a supervising attorney. Is this still considered "professional" job experience for purposes of the Special Agent position? 00:37:50 - In moving from field office to office, is there any consideration given to being able to live close to my husband who is in the Navy, if possible? Of course, I understand the needs of the Bureau come first. 00:38:47 - I got arrested for driving under the influence. Besides this, I have a clean, spotless record. Would this prevent me from getting accepted? Would that one mistake in my past be enough to prevent me from my dream job? 00:39:56 - What fields of study and experience is the Bureau most looking for and what will give future applicants that edge? 00:42:14 - Is the Intelligence Analyst recruitment process on hold or does it only happen one time per year? 00:44:00 - Do you have to have 20/20 vision to be an agent? Is there a height restriction? 00:45:00 - How long does the hiring process typically take? 00:45:10 - During Quantico, are you able to communicate with/see loved ones? 00:49:37 - How does the FBI determine what your specialization (or unit) will be as an agent? 00:53:00 - I haven't been able to get in touch with my local FBI recruiter or Applicant Coordinator. What should I do? 00:55:02 - In your experience observing and training candidates, what do the most resilient New Agent Trainees do regularly while at Quantico to help them face unknown challenges and experiences while training? 00:57:20 - I've been told or even warned that this job can change you; being exposed to a world of crime and prosecution might do that. What strategies have you used, or seen used, whether mental attitudes or practices, to maintain a healthy optimism when facing even the toughest situations consistently as a special agent? And to follow that question, what practices do you suggest to check-in with yourself throughout one's time serving in the FBI to make sure you haven't lost true north, in a sense? 01:05:44 - I am a military officer considering transitioning in the next 3-5 years and I'm interested in applying to the FBI. Can you speak at all on family life in the FBI? My dream is to coach my kids' little league teams. Is that possible as a special agent? Also, does the FBI respect Sundays for church? 01:10:41 - Are Tattoos allowed? 01:12:05 - What is the graduation rate over the past 5 years? How many people flunk out? 01:14:03 - How do new agent graduates from the Academy handle first assignment living arrangements, especially given when that first assignment location is confirmed while in training and the 2 year probationary period? Are there any services provided at the academy to help locate housing/apartments for new agents or at the field offices themselves? Do most agents look to rent an apartment or do they purchase a house that they have a family? 01:19:44 - When given a new assignment (new city) later in an agent's career, do the individuals have to handle breaking a lease/selling a house or does the government help alleviate some of that stress? 01:22:14 - How does that first week/month look for new agents when they arrive at their first field office?

Special Agent Cerena Coughlin, an FBI Applicant Coordinator and recruiter for the Philadelphia Division and first office agent Special Agent Cassandra Winkel, update us on all phases of the FBI special agent hiring process and the training program at the FBI Academy. This is part 1 of this recruitment episode. Also check out Part 2 – Episode 258: Listener Q & A – FBI Special Agent and Intelligence Analyst Positions, where SAs Coughlin and Winkel provide detailed answers to listener questions. SA Coughlin has served with the FBI for 21 years. SA Winkel is a recent FBI Academy graduate. Check out episode show notes, photos, and related articles. https://jerriwilliams.com/257-fbi-special-agent-hiring-and-training-update/ Buy me a coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/JerriWilliams Join my Reader Team to get the FBI Reading Resource - Books about the FBI, written by FBI agents, the 20 clichés about the FBI Reality Checklist, and keep up to date on the FBI in books, TV, and movies via my monthly email. Join here. http://eepurl.com/dzCCmL Jerri Williams, a retired FBI agent, author and podcaster, attempts to relive her glory days by debunking FBI cliches. Visit her website to check out her books, available as audiobooks, ebooks and paperbacks wherever books are sold. https://jerriwilliams.com/books/ Episode 257: Audio Timestamps 00:06:10 - Qualifications 00:10:05 - Start at FBIjobs.gov 00:12:03 - Phase 1 Testing 00:13:12 - Meet and Greet 00:22:12 - Physical Fitness Test 00:31:37 - Phase 2 Written Test and Interview 00:38:50 - SF-86 Background Investigation 00:40:10 - Polygraph and Drug Policy 00:46:25 - Fitness Test Prior to Report Date 00:48:25 - Firearms Policy 00:49:57 - Mobility/Transfer Agreement 00:54:55 - Beware of Unofficial Resources 00:57:07 - Salary 01:00:55 - Office of Preference Transfers 01:04:09 - FBI Academy Curriculum 01:07:43 - SOS and IA Position (Detour) 01:14:16 - Backgrounds of New Agent Trainees 01:16:06 - Typical Day at the Academy 01:17:35 - Firearms 01:20:26 - Physical Fitness Test 01:24:57 - Academic Tests 01:27:31 - Training Timeframe and Curriculum Changes 01:29:59 - Atmosphere and Dorm Life 01:32:22 - Field Office Assignments 01:41:09 - When and Why They Joined the FBI

Retired Agent Tommy MacDonald reviews the thirty-seven-year manhunt for Top Ten Most Wanted Fugitive cop killer Donald Eugene Webb, wanted for the December 1980 murder of Saxonburg, Pennsylvania Chief of Police Gregory Adams. His multiple interview sessions with Webb's wife, Lillian, were a major component of the many tools and techniques used to resolve the mystery case. Tommy MacDonald served as a Special Agent with the FBI for twenty-five years, 21 as a special agent and four as an investigative specialist. Check out episode show notes, photos, and related articles. https://jerriwilliams.com/256-tommy-macdonald-fugitive-cop-killer-donald-eugene-webb/ Buy me a coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/JerriWilliams Join my Reader Team to get the FBI Reading Resource - Books about the FBI, written by FBI agents, the 20 clichés about the FBI Reality Checklist, and keep up to date on the FBI in books, TV, and movies via my monthly email. Join here. http://eepurl.com/dzCCmL Jerri Williams, a retired FBI agent, author and podcaster, attempts to relive her glory days by debunking FBI cliches. Visit her website to check out her books, available as audiobooks, ebooks and paperbacks wherever books are sold. https://jerriwilliams.com/books/

Retired agent Katherine Schweit reviews three school shootings, Columbine H.S., Virginia Tech University, and Sandy Hook Elementary, which she studied extensively for the FBI's initial research project she authored. The report, A Study of Active Shooter Incidents in the United States Between 2000 and 2013, focused both on research and operational needs. During the episode, also explains the "Run. Hide. Fight." safety campaign. Katherine Schweit served in the FBI for twenty years. Her last assignment was as a senior executive, guiding the formation of the FBI's active shooter initiative. She is the author of Stop the Killing: How to End the Mass Shooting Crisis, and the host of the Stop the Killing Podcast. FBI (VIDEO) - Run. Hide. Fight. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeOdxKozra0 Check out episode show notes, photos, and related articles. https://jerriwilliams.com/255-katherine-schweit-school-shootings-active-shooter-program/ Buy me a coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/JerriWilliams Join my Reader Team to get the FBI Reading Resource - Books about the FBI, written by FBI agents, the 20 clichés about the FBI Reality Checklist, and keep up to date on the FBI in books, TV, and movies via my monthly email. Join here. http://eepurl.com/dzCCmL Jerri Williams, a retired FBI agent, author and podcaster, attempts to relive her glory days by debunking FBI cliches. Visit her website to check out her books, available as audiobooks, ebooks and paperbacks wherever books are sold. https://jerriwilliams.com/books/

Retired agent Dan DeSimone reviews "Operation Thin Crust," a long-term undercover operation (UCO) conducted in 1998. He played the undercover role of the manager of an escort service, covertly set up by the FBI to gather evidence of attempts by associates of the New York Gambino crime family to enter the lucrative Las Vegas escort industry, also known as the outcall industry. Dan and the case agent had to act quickly when, while monitoring electronically intercepted conversations, they learned that three mob enforcers were planning to kidnap, torture and maybe even kill competitors. Dan DeSimone served in the FBI for 23 years. Check out episode show notes, photos, and related articles. https://jerriwilliams.com/254-dan-desimone-ny-mob-las-vegas-escort-industry/ Buy me a coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/JerriWilliams Join my Reader Team to get the FBI Reading Resource - Books about the FBI, written by FBI agents, the 20 clichés about the FBI Reality Checklist, and keep up to date on the FBI in books, TV, and movies via my monthly email. Join here. http://eepurl.com/dzCCmL Jerri Williams, a retired FBI agent, author and podcaster, attempts to relive her glory days by debunking FBI cliches. Visit her website to check out her books, available as audiobooks, ebooks and paperbacks wherever books are sold. https://jerriwilliams.com/books/

Retired agent Charles Stuber reviews his bribery and public corruption investigation of North Carolina Speaker of the House Jim Black. At the time, Black was serving his eleventh term in the House of Representatives and was the most powerful politician in the state. Chuck Stuber served in the FBI for 28 years. Check out episode show notes, photos, and related articles. https://jerriwilliams.com/episode-253-charles-stuber-nc-speaker-jim-black-corruption/ Buy me a coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/JerriWilliams Join my Reader Team to get the FBI Reading Resource - Books about the FBI, written by FBI agents, the 20 clichés about the FBI Reality Checklist, and keep up to date on the FBI in books, TV, and movies via my monthly email. Join here. http://eepurl.com/dzCCmL Jerri Williams, a retired FBI agent, author and podcaster, attempts to relive her glory days by debunking FBI cliches. Visit her website to check out her books, available as audiobooks, ebooks and paperbacks wherever books are sold. https://jerriwilliams.com/books/

Retired agent Charlie Cunningham reviews his investigation of David Lindsay for cocaine trafficking. Lindsay was a highly decorated war hero who had retired from the military after about 21 years in the Marine Corps and the Army. As reflected on Lindsay's DD-214 military record, he had earned over twenty medals of bravery. A pre-trial evaluation determined that, based on his combat missions and time as a POW, he suffered from a severe case of Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD). He used this as his defense during a jury trial with a dramatic conclusion. Charles Cunningham served in the FBI for 22 years. Check out episode show notes, photos, and related articles. https://jerriwilliams.com/252-charlie-cunningham-military-hero-cocaine-case/ Buy me a coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/JerriWilliams Join my Reader Team to get the FBI Reading Resource - Books about the FBI, written by FBI agents, the 20 clichés about the FBI Reality Checklist, and keep up to date on the FBI in books, TV, and movies via my monthly email. Join here. http://eepurl.com/dzCCmL Check out my FBI books, non-fiction and crime fiction, available as audiobooks, ebooks and paperbacks wherever books are sold. https://jerriwilliams.com/books/

Retired agent Kurt McKenzie reviews Operation Oxy Alley, a multi-agency investigation of pill mill clinics illegally distributing pain killers. Christopher and Jeffrey George, twin brothers, operated, managed and financed pain management clinics in Broward and Palm Beach Counties in Florida. The four clinics prescribed more than twenty million pills and profited more than $40 million. It was the first large-scale investigation to target pill mills as an act of organized criminal conspiracy. The investigation resulted in the convictions of 32 individuals, including 13 doctors. Check out episode show notes, photos, and related articles. https://jerriwilliams.com/episode-251-kurt-mckenzie-pill-mill-case-operation-oxy-alley/ Buy me a coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/JerriWilliams Join my Reader Team to get the FBI Reading Resource - Books about the FBI, written by FBI agents, the 20 clichés about the FBI Reality Checklist, and keep up to date on the FBI in books, TV, and movies via my monthly email. Join here. http://eepurl.com/dzCCmL Jerri Williams, a retired FBI agent, author and podcaster, attempts to relive her glory days by writing and blogging about the FBI and hosting FBI Retired Case File Review, a true crime/history podcast. Visit her website to check out her books, available as audiobooks, ebooks and paperbacks wherever books are sold. https://jerriwilliams.com/books/

Retired agent Richard "Rick" DesLauriers reviews the Boston Marathon Bombing investigation which he led as the Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Division. He provides a day-by-day timeline of the Boston FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force's successful efforts to first identify and then capture the bombers, brothers Tamerlan Tsarnaev and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev who were responsible for the deaths of three spectators, the injury of more than two hundred attendees, and the murder of a police officer. Rick also recounts the lessons he learned from working with local, state, and federal law enforcement partners during this major investigation and talks about the movie "Patriots Day," based on the true story of the manhunt for the Boston Marathon bombers. In the film, actor Kevin Bacon portrays Rick DesLauriers. Rick served in the FBI for twenty-six years. Check out episode show notes, photos, and related articles. https://jerriwilliams.com/250-richard-deslauriers-boston-marathon-bombing/ Buy me a coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/JerriWilliams Join my Reader Team to get the FBI Reading Resource - Books about the FBI, written by FBI agents, the 20 clichés about the FBI Reality Checklist, and to keep up to date on the FBI in books, TV, and movies via my monthly email. Join here. http://eepurl.com/dzCCmL Jerri Williams, a retired FBI agent, author and podcaster, attempts to relive her glory days by writing and blogging about the FBI and hosting FBI Retired Case File Review, a true crime/history podcast. Visit her website to check out her books, available as audiobooks, ebooks and paperbacks wherever books are sold. https://jerriwilliams.com/books/

Retired agent Masayo Halpin reviews the case of a 14-year-old girl, who, through manipulation and daily beatings, was forced into sex work. Although initially reluctant to cooperate with law enforcement, Lucy (not her real name) stayed in contact with Masayo with and after five years was finally ready to testify against her trafficker. Masayo served as a Crimes Against Children Coordinator and created the Portland Innocence Lost Task Force, now known as the Child Exploitation Task Force. She served in the FBI for twenty years. Check out episode show notes, photos, and related articles. https://jerriwilliams.com/249-masayo-halpin-human-trafficking-commercial-sexual-exploitation/ Buy Me A Coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/JerriWilliams Join my Reader Team to get the FBI Reading Resource - Books about the FBI, written by FBI agents, the 20 clichés about the FBI Reality Checklist, and keep up to date on the FBI in books, TV, and movies via my monthly email. Join here. http://eepurl.com/dzCCmL Jerri Williams, a retired FBI agent, author and podcaster, attempts to relive her glory days by writing and blogging about the FBI and hosting FBI Retired Case File Review, a true crime/history podcast. Visit her website to check out her books, available as audiobooks, ebooks and paperbacks wherever books are sold. https://jerriwilliams.com/books/