Boston FBI’s Head Agent to Retire
The Boston branch of the FBI announced on Tuesday that its top agent would retire next month. Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Richard DesLauriers announced he would retire on July 13 after 26 years with the agency. DesLauriers took over as Boston’s head FBI agent in July of 2010. During his time with the FBI, he has overseen several landmark investigations, including the 2010 arrests of 10 illegal “sleeper” agents of the Russian government, the arrest of FBI Top Ten Fugitive James “Whitey” Bulger, the terrorism convictions of Tarek Mehanna and Rezwan Ferdaus; the conviction of former Speaker of the Massachusetts House Salvatore DiMasi; the arrest and convictions of Anthony DiNunzio and Luigi Mannochio, former leaders of the New England La Cosa Nostra; and significant progress made in the theft of art from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, among others. DesLauriers is a Massachusetts native, having grown up in Longmeadow, MA. He started with the FBI in 1987, and since then, has served in the Birmingham, New York, and Boston offices, along with several different assignments at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C., including Deputy Assistant Director of the Counterintelligence Division at FBI Headquarters, where he was responsible for nationwide counterintelligence operations and espionage investigations. “It has been a distinct honor and privilege to serve for the past three years as SAC of the Boston Division of the FBI,” said DesLauriers in a statement from the FBI. “I thank the very hard-working women and men of the FBI for their dedicated public service to our great nation, and I thank our many law enforcement and United States Attorney’s Office partners for their enduring friendship and countless contributions to enhancing public safety and security across Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Maine.” DesLauriers will take over as vice president of corporate security with Penske Corporation in Bloomfield Hills, MI. SOUTH END PATCH: Facebook | Twitter | E-mail Updates South End Patch