For Immediate Release
August 18 , 2004

Washington D.C.
FBI National Press Office

DIRECTOR ROBERT MUELLER ANNOUNCES DEPUTY DIRECTOR BRUCE GEBHARDT WILL BE RETIRING EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 2004

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Director Robert S. Mueller, III, announced today that Deputy Director Bruce J. Gebhardt will retire from the FBI effective October 1, 2004. Mr. Gebhardt entered on duty as a Special Agent on July 7, 1974. He has served as Deputy Director for the past two years and has been a key player in the FBI’s transformation in the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Director Mueller stated: “Over the past thirty years, Bruce has earned the respect and admiration of his FBI colleagues and that of the entire law enforcement community. He has overseen the FBI’s reorganization into a counterterrorism and intelligence-focused agency; and he has made lasting contributions to the FBI and to our national security. As a result of his leadership, the FBI is now more fully prepared to fight terrorism both at home and abroad. His years of dedicated service to our country are deeply appreciated.”

In the course of his career Mr. Gebhardt has served in FBI Field Offices in Denver, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Newark, and Phoenix, and at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. He began his career investigating organized crime and drugs. Mr. Gebhardt is the recipient of the FBI Medal of Valor as a result of action taken during an airplane hijacking event in Denver, Colorado, in 1976.

Mr. Gebhardt’s leadership and dedication quickly moved him into supervisory roles, and in 1995 he became Special Agent in Charge (SAC) of the Phoenix Division. In 1998, Mr. Gebhardt was appointed SAC of the San Francisco Division, where, over the next four years, he oversaw a multitude of operational successes in organized crime, counterintelligence, counterterrorism, cyber crimes, and white collar crimes.

In the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Mr. Gebhardt led the FBI through its greatest period of change. In May of 2002, he became the Executive Assistant Director for Criminal Investigations, and in August of 2002 he was appointed by Director Mueller to serve as Deputy Director, a role he has filled with distinction for the past two years. He has been responsible for restructuring the agency to support our counterterrorism efforts. As a result of his leadership, the FBI is now more fully prepared to fight terrorism both at home and abroad.

Mr. Gebhardt was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and is a graduate of Western Illinois University. He received his M.A. in Criminology from Sam Houston University in Huntsville, Texas. Mr. Gebhardt is married and has two adult sons. He has accepted a position in private industry that will commence after his retirement.

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