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September 30, 2004
CHICAGO FBI CHIEF ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT PLANS
Thomas J. Kneir, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago office of
the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), announced today that he plans to retire
from government service, effective October 31, 2004. Named Special Agent in
Charge of the Chicago office on September 10, 2001, Mr. Kneir has overseen the
operations of the FBI's fourth largest field office, with over 800 investigative and
support employees, for the past three years.
A native of Battle Creek, Michigan, Mr. Kneir entered on duty with
the FBI as a support employee in the Chicago office in May of 1969. He was
appointed to the position of Special Agent on April 9, 1973, subsequently
performing a variety of investigative assignments in the Dallas and Atlanta offices.
Mr. Kneir was promoted to a supervisory position in the Louisville office in 1979,
where he served until 1984.
During two terms at FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C., Mr.
Kneir served in a variety of management positions, including supervising the
Governmental Fraud and Public Corruption units. He also worked with the
Independent Counsel on the Iran/Contra investigation, the FBI's Internal
Inspection staff and served as Deputy Assistant Director in charge of FBI
Organized Crime and Drug investigations nationwide. During his lengthy career,
Mr. Kneir also headed the FBI's Albuquerque office from 1994 - 1996 and the
Jacksonville office from 1998 - 2001.
While at the helm of the Chicago office, Mr. Kneir oversaw a number
of major investigations, including the indictment of former Illinois Governor
George Ryan, the conviction of former Cicero Mayor Betty Loren Maltese, and the
capture of top ten fugitive Michael Alfonso, who hailed from suburban Wheaton.
Agents under his leadership also uncovered a plot to bomb the Dirksen Federal
Building and foiled an attempt to assassinate a U.S. District Court Judge.
Some of Mr. Kneir's non-investigative accomplishments while in
Chicago include finalizing plans and beginning construction of a new building to
house the operations of the Chicago office; establishment of a Regional Computer
Forensic Laboratory (RCFL), the third such facility to become operational in the
country; expansion of the FBI's Joint Terrorist Task Force (JTTF); and creation of
a Chicago FBI Citizen's Academy.
In announcing his retirement, Mr. Kneir said "While the future
remains uncertain due to the constant threat of terrorism, I am confident that the
relationships we have established with our state and local law enforcement
partners will endure and help to both detect and prevent terrorist acts before they
can materialize into catastrophic events."
Mr. Kneir will be assuming the position of Director of Product
Security for North Chicago based Abbott Laboratories.
EDITOR's NOTE: A copy of Mr. Kneir's biography and
photograph are available from the Chicago FBI Press Office at (312)
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