Behind the Mission

Richard Stout

Richard is the Director of Reform the Bureau (RTB) and a retired FBI Special Agent with 22 years of service. During his career, he specialized in public corruption, financial crimes, terrorism, and international drug cartels, founding the South Florida Public Corruption Task Force and leading high-stakes investigations domestically and abroad. He combines his expertise with a mission to reform the FBI through RTB, addressing the critical challenges facing the Bureau today.

 

Jerry Hester

Jerry Hester is a retired FBI Special Agent, who specialized in investigations involving Organized Crime, Narcotics, Public Corruption and Counter Terrorism matters. Jerry led several hi-profile and successful Undercover investigations as a Special Agent, and worked in the Miami and San Francisco FBI field offices during his distinguished career. Jerry is also the author of “Mafia Miami: FBI Politics and How an Investigation Was Nearly Sabotaged,” published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2024. The book provides an inside look at how an FBI Undercover investigation is conducted, and also describes how and why the FBI culture has changed in recent years. 

 

Brian Jerome

Brian is a seasoned professional with over 32 years of FBI service, specializing in high-profile white-collar crime investigations, including multi-billion-dollar cases like Centrust Savings and Loan and ESM Securities. A Certified Public Accountant with a master’s degree in Public Administration, he also served as FBI Miami's Internal Auditor and Comptroller, managing finances and budgets. Brian was a Miami SWAT member for 31 years, serving as Senior Team Leader, and held leadership roles with the FBI Agents Association and Society of Retired FBI Agents. He brings extensive investigative, financial, and operational expertise, making him a valuable asset to any advisory board.

 

Joe Garbato

Joe is a recently retired FBI Special Agent who is an experienced senior leader, educator, and strategist, with a demonstrated history of working in law enforcement, the private sector, military, and academia. Specialties include leadership, law enforcement, national security investigations, intelligence collection, SWAT, professional law enforcement education, and professional military education.  

 

Edward Mireles

Ed is a retired FBI Special Agent known for his heroism during the infamous 1986 Miami shootout, where he played a pivotal role in neutralizing two violent bank robbers despite being gravely injured. With over 25 years of service, he specialized in violent crimes and major investigations, earning widespread respect for his courage and dedication. Edward is also a decorated veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, further demonstrating his lifelong commitment to public service. Following his FBI career, he has become a sought-after author and speaker, sharing his experiences to inspire and educate others.

 

Jack Garcia

Joaquin “Jack” Garcia is a retired FBI agent renowned for his groundbreaking undercover work, including infiltrating the Gambino crime family in New York. With 24 years of undercover experience during his 26-year career, he participated in over 100 major investigations across the United States. Widely regarded as one of the most successful undercover agents in FBI history, Jack’s efforts have been instrumental in combating organized crime. His expertise and legacy continue to inspire law enforcement professionals worldwide.

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Marilyn Mielke, DPhil 

Marilyn is a retired FBI agent with over 20 years of service at the FBI, specializing in national security and weapons of mass destruction.  She brought extensive scientific expertise to critical operations. As a Supervisory Special Agent in the Inspection Division and the Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate, she improved FBI operations through strategic leadership, risk mitigation, and budget optimization, managing complex investigations and teams across multiple sectors. Known for her ability to navigate high-stakes situations, she played a key role in addressing issues like insider threats and national security hazards, often collaborating with interagency and international partners. Her innovative work, including securing funding and developing training aids, has made the FBI more efficient and effective in handling global security challenges.

 

Don Albrecht

Don dedicated 28 years to the FBI, serving in three field offices and focusing primarily on criminal investigations. While experienced in white-collar crime and intelligence, his expertise centered on violent crime and gang task forces. Beyond investigative work, Don was a SWAT Agent, Firearms Instructor, Tactical Instructor, and a member of the Special Agent Advisory Committee Executive Board during his final three years in the Bureau. Now self-employed, he applies his extensive experience as a private investigator and security consultant.

 

Patrick Dugan

Pat dedicated over 22 years to the FBI's Baltimore Field Office, excelling as both a Special Agent and Supervisory Special Agent. Much of Pat's career was spent tackling violent crime with the Baltimore HQ City Violent Crimes Task Force, where Pat also served as a squad and task force supervisor. Beyond investigative work, Pat was the BA representative to the FBI Agents Association, the Special Agent Advisory Committee, and the Mid-Management Advisory Committee, as well as FBI Liaison to the Commanding Officer at NORTHCOM. Pat’s diverse expertise extended to roles on the Joint Terrorism Task Force and in public corruption and counterintelligence programs. Now retired, Pat channels that experience into work as a private investigator, security consultant, and historical researcher.

 

Sean Cox

Sean A. Cox is a retired FBI Special Agent who spent decades investigating criminal violations, responding to national crisis events and preparing federal, state and local officers to serve their communities. Sean was an instructor, mentor, team leader and FBI Supervisory Special Agents, leading Special Agents in many aspects of high-profile cases, operations and investigations. Sean was able to succeed on the world's stage, by implementing tried and true principles, tactics and protocols. Sean is a tactician, firearms and use of force  expert. He assists corporations, law enforcement agencies with security consulting and private investigations.

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Amber Evans

Amber served the FBI as an Intelligence Analyst, contributing to the Atlanta and San Antonio Joint Terrorims Task Force (JTTFs), the CIA as a Liaison Officer, and the Hostage Rescue Team. She held roles as a Supervisory Intelligence Analyst, Chief Reports Officer, and FBI Certified Intelligence Officer. In 2020, she developed a geo-political threat intelligence program for FedEx Global Security. She later became Senior Ethics Investigator for Gulfstream Aerospace and launched her own business supporting private investigation firms with intelligence analysis.

 

John Fagan

John began his career as an intern in Philadelphia in 1988 before becoming a Special Agent in Minneapolis, focusing on violent crimes and public corruption. From 1995 to 2005, he served as a SWAT team member and Firearms/Tactical Instructor. He continued his work in violent crimes, white-collar investigations, and public corruption from 2005 to 2020. John also served on the Executive Board of the FBIAA from 2013 to 2019.