250: Richard DesLauriers – Boston Marathon Bombing

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Retired agent Richard DesLauriers served in the FBI for twenty-six years. The Birmingham Division was his first office, but he was transferred many times during a career where he primarily worked counterintelligence matters as a street agent and at the executive management level.

In this episode of FBI Retired Case File Review, “Rick” 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.

He also reviews the movie “Patriots Day,” based on the true story of the harrowing manhunt for the Boston Marathon bombers. Rick is portrayed by Kevin Bacon in the movie.

Before his appointment as SAC Boston, Rick had many assignments that had him serving in the New York Division where he continued to work Counterintelligence matters, the Eurasian Section of the National Security Branch at FBI Headquarters as a Supervisory Special Agent, his first stint in the Boston Division where he supervised Counterintelligence investigations as a squad supervisor, and later as an Assistant Special Agent in Charge, overseeing Counterintelligence programs in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island.

Rick was later promoted to Section Chief of the Global Section, Counterintelligence Division and as Special Agent in Charge of the Counterintelligence Division in the New York Division. He served as Deputy Assistant Director of the Counterintelligence Division at FBI Headquarters just before being named SAC Boston.

Prior to his retirement from the FBI, Rick was awarded the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal for his significant contributions to United States national security.

Currently, he serves as Vice President of Corporate Security for Penske Corporation in Bloomfield Hills, MI.

Special Agent (Retired)

Richard DesLauriers

1/1987 – 7/2013

“So at that point, we knew we had visual evidence of both of the bombers. We didn’t know who they were, but we knew these two individuals were the bombers and we had to identify them.”—Retired Agent Rick DesLauriers

The following are articles about the Boston Marathon Bombings:

View SAC Richard DesLauriers’ Boston Marathon Bombing PowerPoint presentation here.

You may also want to listen to 247: Michael De La Pena – Polygraph Examiner, Boston Marathon Bombing Associate

Read my review of the movie here: Review of Patriot’s Day (2016)