Welcome to episode 385 of FBI Case File Review with Jerri Williams. I’m a retired agent on a mission to show you who the FBI is and what the FBI does through my books, my blog, and my podcast case reviews with former colleagues. Today we get to speak to. Me! Today is my 10th anniversary solo episode. Can you believe I’ve been doing this for 10 years?
I released my first episode of FBI Case File Review on January 22nd, 2016. I also wrote my first blog post that month, and then later in the year, in September, my first crime novel was published, so 2026 marks my 10th anniversary. As an FBI-focused storyteller, my initial goal was to become a bestselling crime novelist. It still is.
The podcast was an afterthought, simply a way to find people who might be interested in reading my books, but what began. A marketing tool evolved into my purpose-driven mission to preserve the FBI’s institutional knowledge and protect the public’s positive perception of the FBI. The next thing I knew, I wasn’t identifying myself as an author anymore.
I was. A podcaster. Let me tell you more about why I’ve been doing this show for 10 years. Then I’ll talk about how I do this show. The first part is only 15 minutes long, and then in the second half of this episode, I’ll answer all of those “Ask Me Anything” questions you sign in. So shortly after I started the show, specifically in July 2016, the FBI was pulled, kicking and screaming, into the intense public debate of the presidential campaign.
As I witnessed the news and social media questioning the bureau’s integrity, FBI Case File Review became almost like a public service project for me. You hear me say this often – what people know about the FBI. They learn mostly from books, TV shows, and movies. So let me share this clip from the movie, The FBI Story filmed in 1959, to help me explain my why.
Words of former FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover
I am your new director.
I did not ask for the position, but now that I have it, I intend to give it the best I have. I took the position on one condition. That the Bureau would be free of politics and would be operated on a merit basis. This means the Bureau will operate solely on efficiency. The new FBI will not be the product of one individual.
No one man can build it, but one man can pull it down. Henceforth, it will be a “we” organization. This bureau will be dedicated not merely to justice, but to the love of justice. In the end, it will offer you only one reward. You may not die rich men, but you will die men dedicated to fidelity, bravery, and integrity.
Thank you.
I bet you’re surprised that I would use the voice of former FBI director Jay Edgar Hoover to help me explain why I do this show. The mixed emotions felt by minority agents like me regarding Hoover are often misunderstood and often even dismissed. Of course, I reject the illegal and egregious violations of civil liberties committed under his direction, but I also acknowledge the firm foundation he built for the Bureau during his 48-year tenure.
It’s absolutely amazing how Hoover’s words spoken decades ago relate to what’s happening today inside the FBI. Since we’re talking about FBI movies, I wanted to let you know that I just posted my review of Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House, the 2017 political thriller starring Liam Neeson.
It’s an adaptation of the true story of former FBI, deputy Director Mark Felt, who decades after his retirement confessed to being the anonymous whistleblower who helped expose the FBI’s investigation of the Watergate scandal. I encourage you to read my review and watch or rewatch the film. It’s definitely thought-provoking.
Like so many of my former colleagues, I find it vital to the future of the FBI to fight to maintain the well-deserved reputation of the Bureau for integrity and independence earned over nearly 120 years of service to the American people. The true stories presented during each FBI case file review podcast episode contradict the rhetoric of conspiracy theorists.
Who put forth stories that don’t come anywhere close to my experience in the FBI or the experience of the majority of my colleagues, current and retired. So I’m motivated to share true FBI stories for three important purposes to contribute to the positive perception of the FBI, to preserve institutional knowledge, and to memorialize the personal legacies of my guests.
I like to think of my show as a historical record of the FBI. Sadly, in the future we might need to study these recorded case reviews to rebuild the FBI. Now, for those of you who have heard my pledge not to talk about politics, don’t turn this off yet. I believe I’ve done a decent job of refraining from partisan viewpoints.
I try to let the case reviews speak for themselves, but I would be disingenuous. If I didn’t speak up in defense of FBI personnel who have been fired and reassigned without due process, as well as support those who have resigned or retired due to their fear of retribution. When I talk about my purpose, my reason for hosting and producing FBI case file review for 10 years is because I stand with members of the FBI Agents Association and the Society of Former Special Agents of the FBI who push back against unfair actions.
Taken by the current FBI leadership. This is a podcast about the FBI. So let me be unambiguous about where my loyalty is. It’s with the staff and the agents who are working every day in the field doing investigations, because that’s who the FBI is, and that’s what the FBI does. Now, some people (my husband) question whether or not the FBI is a cult and if I had been drinking too much of the Kool-Aid, but no, that’s not true.
I know the FBI is not perfect. I’ve shared with you stories about my difficulties during my early years in the FBI, and I’ve definitely heard my guests speak about issues and problems that they’ve seen, but we can’t keep throwing out the baby with the bathwater. Now that’s an old saying. If you don’t know the meaning, just look it up.
But basically, the bureau’s most important weapon is its employees. I am not obsessed with being a retired FBI agent, but I have made it my job to remind the public about the amazing work the FBI does. Each and every day. Okay, that’s my why. I’m gonna climb down off the soapbox.
But before I talk about how I podcast, here are some of the highlights and proudest moments of my podcast career so far.
- Making the iTunes, now called Apple Podcasts, new and noteworthy list 60 days after posting my first episode and then catapulting from 82 downloads my first week to 25,454 downloads a week after the recognition.
- Another highlight was publishing my nonfiction book, FBI Myth and Misconceptions using excerpts from the podcast episodes to debunk 20 clichés about the FBI.
- Receiving the FBI Agents Association G-Man Honors Distinguished Service Award and 2021 for telling FBI stories.
- Being a guest on My Favorite Murder, one of the top 30 podcasts in all categories, doubled my audience when the episode was released.
- Filming a video for the Insider YouTube channel, reviewing money laundering scenes in TV shows and movies. That video currently has more than 9 million views.
- Creating a three-part series celebrating the 50th anniversary of women FBI agents in July, 2022.
- Interviewing two FBI legends about the history of African American special agents.
- Interviewing former FBI Director Christopher Ray for my 300th episode.
- Serving as the FBI consultant for show creator Tom Rob Smith on the Hulu series Class of ’09. s
- Serving as the FBI consultant for executive producers JJ Abrams and Latoya Morgan on the HBO Max Series Duster.
- Participating in a not yet announced documentary where I speak about the history of the FBI and books, TV, and movies.
All of these because I decided to make a podcast called FBI Case File Review.
Now, let me tell you how I podcast. The first thing listeners usually want to know is, where do I get my guests?
Many are old friends and colleagues, especially those assigned at some point of their career to the Philadelphia Phil office. But I meet most of my guests on Linked. Some of my favorite episodes have been with retired agents who reached out to me because they knew they had a case that needed to be showcased and shared with the public.
Many of my guests, over a hundred of them, have written books about their behind-the-scenes pursuit to catch the bad guys. I’ve also received suggestions from listeners, although it can be difficult to try to review a case if I don’t have the name and contact information for the case agent. Remember, I’m retired.
I don’t do investigations anymore. I record the podcast remotely. Currently, I’m conducting interviews using the Lips and Connect audio-only recording platform. Now, why audio? Only because I just don’t wanna have to do my hair and fix my makeup. I really think that the episodes are more personal, emotional, and in-depth because it’s only audio.
Now, I’m not saying I’ll never do another video case review, but believe me, it’s so much easier to continue doing it the way I’m doing it now. I’ve been doing it this way for 10 years, and I kind of like the original audio-only podcast format. I tell my guests to look at the “quote-unquote” interview. As if they were doing a presentation, factual storytelling from the beginning of the case, the predication through to the sentencing, when hopefully some bad guy goes to prison.
For those guests who have previously presented their investigation to community groups, citizen academies, and the media, they only need to blow the dust off their old notes and PowerPoint slides as an outline for the approximately. 60 minutes plus case review. I try my best to allow them to tell their story with limited interruptions.
I only ask questions or make comments when I think something needs to be clarified or to guide the flow of the case review. By the way, I wanna thank my editors, Dan Kueck and Teddy Oso, who are both listeners who answered my call to action on the show. For editing help, they get the raw audio files and remove non pertinent conversations, stuttering, filler words, loud breathing, mouth clicks, and background noises.
I used the money earned from ads and the buy me a coffee campaign to pay them. You’ll hear me say in earlier episodes that I will never place ads in this podcast. Well, I didn’t for the first six years, but to continue the show without burning out, I need people, systems, and software to help me keep up with the schedule.
I love what I do. But it is a grind when life gets busy. This is not a hobby, not anymore. It’s a job. A job that I absolutely love and feel so blessed to have. Dan is moving on, but he promises to keep listening. Don’t tell him I told you this, but I’m gonna start sending him pop quizzes about every episode to make sure he does keep listening.
I’ve already found an editor, another listener who, along with Teddy, will be working to get the show ready for you each week. I’ll introduce her in my March email to reader team members. Once I get the edited audio track back, I take another run through the not yet ready for prime time episode. I’m making even more surgical cuts, editing content and moving sections around to make sure the case is presented in chronological order, because sometimes my guest and I are having so much fun during our conversation, we get off track a little bit.
So I take care of all of those high-level edits. I beg my retired agent and FBI staff guests to share case-related images and links to news articles to use in the show notes and the short video promo clips and artwork I create using Canva. I work on FBI case file review practically seven days a week.
I’m scheduling and conducting interviews. Editing audio, writing the show notes, creating posts and video clips to promote the show, reaching out to potential future guests, appearing on other people’s shows, which is an essential part of growing a podcast. I try to take the first week of every month off so I can work on my TV and movie reviews, create and publish my monthly email to reader team members.
I’ve also been working on. Another crime novel, my third, and I hope to share a big announcement very soon. Okay. That’s all I got about the why and how I podcast. But before we move on, I almost forgot to thank each one of my guests. It has been my honor to share. Part of your FBI story. Thank you.
Please let your friends and associates know I’m always looking for fascinating cases to review from predication to sentencing. If you’re the case agent of a fascinating investigation, let’s talk. By the way, this 10th anniversary show is transcribed in the show notes for episode 385, along with relevant links and lots of images.
“Ask Me Anything!”
Are you ready for me to answer your ask me anything questions? Now, the following 25 questions were posted everywhere. You emailed them; you wrote in the comments; you sent me DMs. So I hope I found them all. I apologize if I inadvertently missed yours. Okay, here we go. All right. From this point on, this episode will only be lightly edited.
You might hear some ums and some breathing.
Our first question is from Javier from Raleigh, North Carolina. Of course, Javier Eleva is my good friend and the host of the Pretend podcast. Javier asked, did you always want to join the FBI? And would you join the FBI today, given everything that’s happened?
Wow. Okay. I did not always want to join the FBI. I never thought about the FB. I never considered it as a job possibility. Until I saw this newsletter, I was working as a juvenile probation officer, aftercare counselor. I’ll explain that later, and I saw that they were looking for women in minorities. There was no internet for me to do research, so I made a call. And asked a bunch of questions. I’ve been honest. My main motivation was that I was gonna double my salary from $14,000 a year to $28,000 a year. This was in 1982. I looked into it, thought it was an interesting job, and so I applied. The next one’s a hard one. Would I join the FBI today? I would hope so. But I might kind of hang around and wait and see what’s gonna happen.
This may be a question that comes up later, but I would never want to be placed into a compromising position where I was told to do something that I felt was wrong if I didn’t. I think the word is trust, that I wouldn’t be put into a position like that. If I wasn’t sure that I couldn’t trust, I think that’s the right word, that I would be placed into a position like that, then I probably wouldn’t apply at this time.
If you are somebody who’s listening and you’re 35 years old and you don’t have time to wait and see, please apply because the one thing I know, and I’ve said this over and over again, that the FBI. Is what it is because of the people who are there. And if the FBI keeps hiring people with integrity and with values, then the FBI’s future will be fine.
Next up, Mark Bergen from Raleigh, North Carolina. What inspired you to start a podcast? Well, I kind of covered that in the first part. I wanted to build a platform to find potential readers of my crime novels that didn’t work out as planned. Janice Marie Williams, who I think is a retired FBI employee, wanted to know what was happening with the 56 field offices and Legats.
Are they stable, or is there strong leadership under this new administration? You guys are asking me questions that are gonna get me into trouble. First of all, I don’t know. I used to talk to active agents and employees all the time. Now I think they’re fearful of saying something to the wrong person and getting into trouble, so I don’t wanna ask questions.
So, I’m not sure how they’re doing as far as FBI leadership. The person at the very top, I’m just gonna tell you how I feel. I don’t think a conspiracy theorist who spoke untruths about the FBI and who now has the opportunity to look at the files and set the record straight, but hasn’t, should be leading the FBI.
I promised you could ask me anything, so I’m just gonna tell you the truth about how I feel, and I promised after this to continue my pledge to let the case reviews speak for themselves and speak for the FBI.
All right. It looks like MG Miller Hall. I’m not sure where he or she is from has given me another hard question. What would you do if you had a superior who didn’t agree with something that you felt needed to be looked into, or a superior wouldn’t approve an action to be taken? How much approval did you need through the investigative process?
Well, that’s one thing about the FBI is you would be really surprised at the autonomy of a case agent. The most important thing is to get buy-in from the US attorney’s office, prosecutorial merit of a case. Because what’s the use of investigating something if the US attorney’s office is going to refuse to prosecute it?
So that’s usually the only hiccup that you had. Most of the time, your supervisor, your managers understood their assignment, which is to provide you the support that you need to conduct your investigations. Especially if you have a case that you really believe strongly in, all they ask is that you take care of your entire caseload and keep that up to date.
That’s probably one of the most disturbing things for me is hearing about cases that would normally be looked into, that agents are being told they cannot investigate. Of course I don’t work for the FBI anymore, and I just admit it that I haven’t spoken to an active agent. So I don’t know. Is that true?
I hope not. Thank goodness for Jodi, who is from, I dunno, somewhere up there in New England. Jodi asked, how do you stay so youthful? And my answer is. That I take a hot yoga sculpting class at least twice a week, and I walk a lot, four miles, three times a week. Which I enjoy because I listen to audiobooks and podcasts.
While I do that, I will admit, I’m starting to feel my age. I’m gonna be 69 in March, and there’s a lot of creaking of these old bones, so I have to stretch a lot, but thank you. Oh, the other answer is lots of makeup and concealer. I recently had some new. Portraits taken, so I wanna give photo credit to Jillian Clark photos in Durham, North Carolina. She did a fantastic job of making me look youthful.
Bobby Gary from Syracuse, New York wants to know if I ever had the opportunity to interview or to meet the late retired FBI agent Jim Strom, who was the host of the FBI Files. No, I never had the pleasure. He does seem like a very serious and stern person on TV, but I heard he was a good boss, a good person to work for.
Bobby also said that he read a book called Fire on the Levy, written by Jared Fishman, and that he wanted me to interview the FBI case agent. I actually reached out to her. She is still active, but she said that when she retires next October 2027, she would be interested in coming on the show. So, Bobby, stay tuned for that.
Frank Mauer, Frank Meuers from Plymouth, Minnesota asked, will our FBI as we know it to be the preeminent law enforcement agency in the world, survive this era and maintain its integrity to continue to serve our country at the highest level. Ugh. Another tough question, but yes, I believe so. Again, if the type of people who gravitate towards the FBI are the same people that have always wanted to join the FBI, their integrity will carry the FBI into the future. Remember, the FBI has been around for nearly 120 years; it will take more than a few years of instability to knock it off of its drawing foundation.
Kaitlin asked, based on what we see in the news and the way the agency and the bureau have been accused of being politicized. Uh, another hard question. Do you think the FBI is still staying true to their mission statement in the field?
Absolutely. I doubt seriously that the work ethic has changed. Those employees are keeping their head down and trying to do their jobs. Do you think they are still apolitical? Up at the director level? No. At the field level, I hope so, but of course some agents may feel emboldened to share their political views in the office, which, as you’ve heard us say many times, agents never used to do.
Kaitlin also asked if you were in my shoes pursuing a career with the bureau or agency in today’s political climate, would you still pursue it? And I kind of answered that before. If I had time, I might wait it out because again, I don’t wanna be asked to do something that I don’t want to do. And if I join the FBI, it would be my duty to follow orders, even if I don’t like them.
And I’m not very good at doing that.
Hey, Matt Mercier from Saskatchewan, Canada. Wanted to wish you a happy 10th anniversary of your podcast, FBI Case File Review and ask you two questions. My first question is, what is your favorite kind of case to cover on your podcast? And my second question is, what is the most memorable case that you worked in your time as an FBI agent?
I hope you have a wonderful celebration. Thank you for all you do.
Thanks for sending in your question, Matt. My quick answer would be the fraud cases, the cases about corruption and conmen. But really, but really I am, but really, but I am sometimes very surprised about cases that really move me, that really show me what true justice and dedication and personal sacrifices.
Mean, so I have to say I enjoy them all. As far as what was my favorite that I worked, I have to say the check-cashing extortion case because it was something that I wasn’t expected to work on, and I learned so much doing it.
The next question is from Jenny Gallup in Kansas. Jenny says, I’m Ama. Jenny says, I’m amazed at all the different former agents you have had on your program through the years.
How are you able to get so many that want to share their story with us? I have often wondered this. My best wishes for continued success in your wonderful podcast. I’ve been with you from the start. I think in fact, I once won a refrigerator magnet and a contest you had. Thanks for your loyal support, Jenny.
Well, the truth is not everyone I invite to come on the show wants to come on the show. There have been some amazing cases that everyone knows about, and when I reach out to the case agent to have them come on the show, they. Say they’re kind of burned out and are not interested, and that always disappoints me because I’m, I’m a collector, I like to collect things and I’m collecting history here, and it makes me sad when I can’t get all the cases that I would like to have reviewed.
On the show, but for the most part, people want to be on the show. I got a seal of approval when the FBI Agents Association gave me their GMAN Honors Distinguished Service Award. All I need to do is mention that and usually I can get someone to say yes. Even though they know it’s a lot of work, ’cause I put a lot of the responsibility for the episode on my guest, my show averages an hour and 20 minutes long, so I’m hoping to cover a lot of details, facts, and information.
Dave says. I was wondering if you could share how old you were when you first joined the FBI and what made you choose the FBI versus local law enforcement or a different agency such as DEA or a TF. I was 25 years old when I joined the FBI. Although you could say probation was quasi law enforcement, I never thought of joining the local police or any other federal agency.
Although my roommate in college and my best friend today, who later became an FBI agent was a Baltimore police officer, so it wasn’t that I had rejected the idea, but I never dreamed of being in law enforcement or being in the FBI. It just was kind of a fluke that I learned about the opportunity, applied and was selected.
Hi Jerry. How you doing? My name is Lucas. I’m from Brazil, and I just found out about your show recently and haven’t been listening to it ever since. Firstly, I wanted to congratulate you for your work. And for this incredible milestone of 10 years of content. Thank you for bringing forth so many special stories in sharing details about those remarkable cases of yours.
Now, my question for you is a little personal but important nonetheless. You see, over the last years, it is modern times we live. I’ve witnessed. An increased rise in the anti-law enforcement movement, with many youngsters saying that all cops are bastards, that we need to debunk the police, and other terrible things.
Not only that, but we witnessed a rise in things to the internet and social networks of doxing agents in even calling for violence against them. And of course, it’s not like these ideas are new. There have always been people that dislike law enforcement around the world. But things are looking so extreme, recently, so grim.
That to me it must feel like it must be scary, even more so nowadays to be a cop, especially an agent of the bureau. That’s why I wanted to ask you. Would you say that feeling, that anxiety, that fear for safety has increased or decreased inside the bureau over the years? And not only that, how did you deal with those fears and anxieties?
Have there been some crazy stories in regard to these subjects of yours? Anyway, thank you so much for listening to my question. I wish you the best and much success to your projects. Take care,
Lucas. What a great question. I’ve asked myself that question many times because as an FBI agent, I don’t think I ever received a negative response when I announced who I was, when I showed someone my credentials, most of the time they were excited, impressed because they had never met an FBI agent before, and certainly not a black female one.
So I never experienced what, as you so eloquently talked about, what is happening with law enforcement today. Now some people have had bad experiences. Let’s not pretend that that’s not the case. But the distrust and hatred is something that we’ve. Really haven’t seen in a long time. Probably since the 1960s and 1970s.
The reality is that we need law enforcement, and many of those same people who are talking about abolishing law enforcement or defunding the police are the same people who will call 9 1 1. If someone breaks into their home or someone does harm to their loved ones, the responsibility to fix this falls on law enforcement.
By showing the other side with social media campaigns and community programs, law enforcement officers are people too. And when they know that there is animosity towards them, why wouldn’t they be afraid? Why wouldn’t they be scared? But there needs to be training to show officers how to deescalate a situation.
Fear not based on actual threats is never a justification for lethal force training to talk about implicit bias as well as defensive tactics so they can keep themselves safe. We need law and order, we need law enforcement, but we also need fairness and justice. So working together, law enforcement and the community.
Is how we’re gonna fix this. Of course, that’s a very simplistic solution. Fortunately, there are subject matter experts working with law enforcement in the community on real solutions.
Next up is Jennifer. I was wondering if you have to run each case by FBI pre-publication, I am a retired FBI agent and I’m working on a book.
I sent a draft to pre-pub, but I felt stupid doing so because I’m certain I know what’s classified and what’s not. I’ve heard conflicting things about how strict they really are. Well, Jennifer, former employees are supposed to clear all completed to be published books through the pre-pub review office.
Now called Pro. It hasn’t hurt to do so. As far as other things like public presentations and podcasts, interviews and commentary on tv, I just dunno how this tiny unit would be able to keep up with the daily demands. PRO Process (Former Personnel)
Dylan writes. Longtime listener and aspiring 1811 here. I love listening to the various stories you and your colleagues share. They’ve gotten me through hundreds of hours of flying and driving for work, so I like to, so I like to extend my appreciation. I recently found out about the dip, about the Diplomatic Security Service and their equivalent of.
And they’re equivalent of 1811 DSS special agents. It would be very interesting to hear the experience of these agents. Maybe with the case they worked on with the FBI. I think it would bring a fresh perspective to the collaboration and resources the FBI brings to criminal investigations. If you were able to get them on the show.
Well, Dylan, I would also like to learn more about the DSS special agents. What little I know came from the research I did when I was reviewing the movie Rush Hour. I’ll link that review in the show notes to this question. If there is a retired agent listening who has worked directly with the Diplomatic Security Service, let me know if you would be interested in reviewing a case with one of your former colleagues so that we can get Dylan some more information.
The next question is from Joy Jeffries. My granddaughter will be graduating from high school this year and is planning. And is planning on majoring in forensic psychology in college. She would love to work for the FBI someday. Her dream is to be a profiler. My question is due to the fact that she is profoundly deaf, although she does have cochlear implants with the FBI Accepter.
Probably not as a special agent, but there are lots of jobs in the forensic psychology area At the FBI have her visit FBI jobs.gov to take a look at what’s available so that she might prepare her education and her experiences and align them with what the FBI is looking for. Aaron asked, I am thinking of applying to the FBI, but I worry about the current leadership in general, popular view of the bureau, should that weigh into my decision of applying now versus later?
All right, well, I’ve answered that question and now I’m second-guessing myself. Am I really in a position to give you that type of advice, important career-making advice? Probably not. You really need to ask that question. To an active FBI employee and not someone who’s been retired for nearly two decades, I have full confidence that we’re going to set this ship right.
I have Aaron’s email, so if there are retired agents or active agents listening and they want to offer their opinion and advice to him, please let me know. If I were 30 years old. I’d probably go ahead and apply right now because you don’t wanna push up against the age limits. Aaron also asks, how is working for the FBI under different administrations?
Did it really affect your day to day, or is it just noise and you put your head down and work? During my 26-year career, I don’t remember ever thinking it was in the White House. It just didn’t make a difference to me out there in the field who the director was, didn’t make a difference either. And I worked under Webster, Sessions, Louis Freeh, and Mueller, not one of them made us feel we could lose our jobs because somebody new with a different plan was in charge.
Aaron also asks, how does an agent get selected to learn a language at the Defense Language Institute? Do I have a higher chance of becoming an agent if I know a critical language? Does it depend on the level of fluency? Well, I can answer that question very easily. It absolutely depends on the level of fluency.
You must be fluent in the language for them to get credit. I don’t know what type of credit, but to get credit for it. As far as how a person is selected, I take it, they still have the test that assesses your ability to learn languages, and you have to score a high on that before you’d be considered for.
Language school, and of course what the language is that you’re fluent in is very important, but I have no idea what languages the FBI is looking for right now. I guess I need to do another recruitment episode with an FBI applicant coordinator. If someone’s listening, that can make it happen. Let me know.
Hey Jerri, this is Vicki Morris from Arkansas. What did you do before coming to work for the FBI? And how do you think that it helped you in obtaining a position with them?
I was a juvenile probation officer, but it was actually a juvenile aftercare counselor because I got the kids that were adjudicated and sent away to reform schools all over the state of Virginia.
So I would have to travel to visit them to assess their progress and to prepare them for return to the community. Uh, many situations their parents could not afford to travel to visit them, and so I actually drove them to the group homes, placement centers and reform schools where their kids were housed.
It was a lot of responsibility for someone my age. I did that from the age of 22 to 25. It was a position of a lot of responsibility and I think that’s why I was hired as a special agent. Now, the next person asked me not to use his name. His question is, well, your guests generally have nothing but great things to say about the FBI.
I have heard some of your guests express, in slight ways, frustration or concerns about the bureaucracy. Sorry, I’m having trouble pronouncing that word today. This can be expected with any large organization, but I’m trying to better understand what that actually looks like. I’m currently. In a private sector doing some work that is similar to what a special agent does, and work on a lean, very efficient team that produces substantial and meaningful results.
Everyone is all in, and if you’re not. There isn’t a place for you, and you are gone at the meet and greet session. The recruiting agent mentioned an 80/20 situation where 20% of agents do 80% of the work, or something along those lines. That was a fear of mine, but curious how pervasive this is and curious what you and others have experienced in that regard.
Well. I’m shocked because, no, that’s not my experience at all. I know in the Philadelphia office it at least 80 20 as far as effort and commitment and efficiency, so I feel sorry for that recruiter. Who has not seen that level of professionalism that I saw. I was self-motivated. There are a lot of task forces in the FBI violent crime task forces and terrorism task forces, and I just can’t see someone getting away with not pulling their weight.
So, no, that is not what I saw in the FBI and I think the majority of people. Who have been on my show have proven that that is not the level of commitment that we bring to our jobs each day. You’ve listened to the episodes, so you know the truth. I can tell you one thing, that agent should not be a recruiter.
Rts, you’re up. He wants to flip the script and ask me why did I join the FBI. So I’ve told you this story. I could try to make myself look good by saying I wanted to serve the American people, but at the time I wanted to double my salary, but it ended up being a win-win situation for everyone. The FBI got a kick ass agent and I got a wonderful career.
Dwayne Potter from Dallas, Texas, Europe. He says, I’m curious if the bad days at work ever made you actually consider leaving the field, or did you know that this is what you are meant to be? And it just comes with a territory, much like a calling. Thank you for a great show. I’ve shared my story before, during my early years in the Bureau.
Yeah, I wanted to quit. Many times I was broken. I felt dismissed, ignored, undervalued, but I hung in there. And after those really rough early years, I never thought about quitting ever again. I grew to absolutely. Love my job, loved the bureau, loved everything that we stood for as an organization, and I was committed.
I did 26 years and other than those first four years, I’m very, very proud of every day I spent in the FBI. This one’s from Victoria. Marula. Hi Jerry Williams. When retired agents make public their whereabouts should they worry about retaliation from someone they have arrested. For the most part, no. And that’s because we treat everyone with respect.
They know we’re just doing our job. During several of the case reviews. We talk about running into subjects when you’re out at the grocery store or at the park or something like that, and it’s just a matter of a head nod and a acknowledgement. But in most cases, like I said. Bad guys don’t come after the FBI agents.
They have come after attorneys and judges, but very rarely do they. Retaliate or threaten the agents.
Karen Crawford. I know your comment wasn’t a question, but you said, congrats, Jerri. Loving these new pics of you, and I just want to acknowledge that I did have some. Portraits taken at a photography studio.
So I wanna give a shout out to Jillian Clark photos in Durham, North Carolina. She did make this old girl look good. Oh my God.
This is the last question. John James, would you mind looking into the Aaron Schwartz case, the Chicago FBI put surveillance on him and his family here in Illinois. I’m happy to help and learn from your investigative experience.
John did two things. He provided links to the case. And yeah, John, I will look into it, see if we can find the case agent and get that case reviewed. So this is the end of my 10th anniversary, solo episode and listener Q & A. I wanna remind you that in the show notes for episode 3 85, I will have links and photos related to the first part of the episode and answers to your questions.
In this second part, I want to make sure you understand how much I appreciate your support of the FBI and your support of my mission to show you. Who the FBI is and what the FBI does. Thank you for listening. I’ve got more great cases coming, and make sure you also check out that backlist. We’ve got 385-plus episodes for you to listen to, to understand the commitment, dedication, and sacrifices.
FBI employees make each day to keep America safe. Take care. I’m out. I hope you enjoyed the interview and that you’ll share it with your friends, family, and associates. You can show me just how much you liked it by buying me a coffee. There’s a link in your podcast app description of this episode, or you can visit jerriwilliams.com and tap on the little coffee cup icon in the bottom right-hand corner of my website.
Don’t forget to follow FBI retired case file review on your favorite podcast app. Now, this podcast is all about true crime, but if you’re also interested in crime fiction, once a month via my reader team email, I keep you up to date on the FBI and books, TV, and movies. When you join my reader team, you get access to my FBI Reading resource, a colorful list of over 100 books about the FBI written by FBI agents who have been guests on this podcast.
There’s nonfiction, crime fiction, true crime, and memoirs. You’ll also get my FBI reality checklist where I debunk 20 clichés about the FBI, and receive news about what I’m up to and about my FBI nonfiction and crime fiction books. I want to thank you for listening to the very end. I hope you come back for another episode of FBI Retired Case File Review with Jerri Williams.
Thank you.
