Career of an FBI Agent and Present Day Thoughts

James Lyle Whitmer
 

Areas of Expertise

 Criminal Investigator (Special Agent with the FBI) (26 years)
 Police Oversight Investigator (COPA) (4 years)
 College Teaching: Criminal Justice, Chemistry and Forensics, Law and Legal
Studies
 Legal Experience: Solo Practitioner – Criminal Defense / DCFS Defense
 Surfactant Chemist and Instructor Forensics and Hazardous Materials

Professional Experience:
2018 - Present

Investigator – Civilian Office of Police Accountability (City of Chicago):
(Investigates 4th Amendment Violations, Traffic Stops, Terry Stops, Arrests
and Searches Incident to Arrest, Searches and Search Warrants, Excessive
Force Matters, Gun-Pointing and Taser-Related Matters, Deaths in Lock-Up,
and Attempted Suicides in Custody, and Physical and Verbal Abuse Matters.)

2015 - 2018

Program Coordinator - Northwestern College, Chicago, Illinois (Institute of

Legal Studies – Criminal Justice / Paralegal)

Cook County Department of Revenue, Investigator 2014
Conducted revenue related inspections; wrote tax policies and procedures.

Solo Practitioner (Law) – James Whitmer Law 2006-Present

2
Maintains solo practice in Criminal Law, Family Law (DCFS – Defense), School
Law and Juvenile Law.
Teaching Experience (Criminal Justice, Law and Science) 2007-2020
 DePaul University (Chicago, IL) (Criminal Justice)
 Triton College (River Grove, IL) (Criminal Justice)
 Choir Academy of Chicago – Dean of Students
 Illinois Institute of Art (Chicago, IL) (Chemistry)
 Governor’s State University (University Park, IL) (Criminal Justice)
 Adler School of Professional Psychology / Chicago Police Academy (Police
Psychology Program)
 DeVry University (Addison, IL) (Criminal Justice)
 North Park University (Chicago, IL) (Criminal Law and Procedure)
 Northwestern College (Chicago, IL) (Chemistry, Biology, Criminal Justice)
 Wright College (Chicago, IL) (Biochemistry - Astronomy)
 FBI Academy (Legal Studies – Criminal Investigations)
Courses Taught:
 Criminal Law
 Criminal Procedure
 Laws of Evidence
 Criminal Investigations
 The Psychology of Leadership
 The Psychology of Evil and Criminal Behavior
 Law Enforcement Administration
 Criminology
 Ethics in Criminal Justice
 Forensic Science
 Chemistry
 Federal Law Enforcement Agencies
FBI Special Agent - Chicago Division 1980-2006
 Principal Relief Supervisor: Property Crimes, Organized Crime, Drugs,
Terrorism
 Acting Supervisor: Intelligence Matters and Foreign Police Cooperation
 General Police Instructor: Hazardous Materials, Terrorism, Arson, Russian
Organized Crime, Drugs, Undercover Matters, Taught Courses at the FBI
Academy, Quantico, Va.; Various FBI Field Offices; and at the Naval
Investigative Service, Washington, D.C.
 Foreign Police Instructor: Level II Russian Speaker; Taught General
Investigative Matters to the Georgian National Police, Former USSR.
 Case Agent Major FBI Investigations: Mexican Heroin, Chinese Organized
Crime, Domestic Terrorism, Russian Organized Crime and Drug Matters

3
 Lecturer FBI Academy: Undercover Matters, Electronic Surveillance, Drugs
 Certified Undercover Agent: Undercover Attorney in Operation SOFT
TISSUE (Insurance Fraud); Organized Crime (New York City); Money
Laundering (Chicago); Russian Organized Crime (Zurich, Switzerland)