James McTighe Named Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Salt Lake City Division

James McTighe has been named special agent in charge (SAC) of the FBI’s Salt Lake City Division. Director Robert S. Mueller, III appointed him to this position to replace SAC Timothy J. Fuhrman, who was recently named SAC of the FBI’s Mobile Division. Most recently, Mr. McTighe served as special assistant for the deputy director at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Mr. McTighe entered on duty as an FBI special agent on November 27, 1983. Upon completion of training at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia, he was assigned to the Cincinnati Division, where he worked general property crimes, public corruption, fugitives, and drug matters. In February 1986, he was transferred to the Miami Division, where he investigated general property crimes, bank robberies, kidnappings, and extortions. He also served as a pilot with the Special Operations Group and was qualified to operate helicopters and both single and multi-engine fixed-wing aircraft.

In 1998, Mr. McTighe was promoted to supervisory special agent and served as a shift supervisor in the Strategic Information and Operations Center at FBI Headquarters. He was promoted to assistant inspector, Inspection Division in 2000 and served in this capacity for approximately one year before being promoted to team leader.

Mr. McTighe was transferred to the Denver Division in 2002 and served as a field supervisor for the Organized Crime/Drug squad assigned to a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force. In addition to his other duties, he served as the acting assistant special agent in charge for criminal matters.

In August 2005, Mr. McTighe was promoted to assistant special agent in charge for the Cleveland Division. While there, he was responsible for the cyber, counterterrorism, counterintelligence, and surveillance and technical programs. In April 2007, he was selected to serve as the special assistant for Deputy Director John. S. Pistole.

Mr. McTighe was born in Washington, D.C. As the son of a CIA case officer, he received his early education in The Hague, Netherlands; Paris, France, and Quito, Ecuador. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in liberal studies from the University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana in 1976. After graduating, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps and completed flight training in Pensacola, Florida, earning his naval aviator wings in 1978. He served as a helicopter pilot with the Marines from 1978 through 1983. During his service with the Marines, he completed graduate work for his master’s degree in systems management at the University of Southern California.