James Finch Named SAC Oklahoma City

James Finch has been named Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Oklahoma City Field Office. Director Robert S. Mueller, III appointed him to this position to replace former SAC Michael B. Ward, who is returning to FBI Headquarters as a Deputy Assistant Director of the Counterterrorism Division. Most recently, Mr. Finch served as Assistant Director of the Cyber Division at FBI Headquarters.

Mr. Finch began his career as a support employee with the FBI from 1976 to 1979. He returned to the FBI as a special agent in 1984. Upon completion of training at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia, he served in the Indianapolis, Cleveland, Houston, and Knoxville Field Offices, as well as at FBI Headquarters. His assignments included service as an investigative agent in the FBI's Violent Crimes and Organized Crime/Drug Program, the White Collar Crime Program, and the Undercover Program. He also served as a member of the Indianapolis SWAT team.

Mr. Finch served as a Supervisory Special Agent (SSA) in the Office of Professional Responsibility at FBI Headquarters, where he investigated allegations of serious employee misconduct throughout the FBI. While assigned to the Houston Field Office, he served as an SSA of a drug squad, with investigative responsibility for organized crime investigations, and as supervisor of a group comprised of FBI and DEA special agents. He also created and managed the Houston Field Office’s first National Infrastructure Protection Center Squad.

In 2001, Mr. Finch was appointed as Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Knoxville Field Office, where he assumed management responsibility for all investigative and administrative programs. In 2003, he was promoted to Inspector at FBI Headquarters, where he was responsible for managing the inspections of FBI field offices, FBI Headquarters divisions, and FBI Legal Attaché offices outside the United States.

In 2004, Director Mueller selected Mr. Finch to be Special Agent in Charge of the Milwaukee Field Office. In 2006, he returned to FBI Headquarters as Assistant Director of the Cyber Division.

Mr. Finch was born in Omaha, Nebraska. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln (UNL). He was an active member of the Nebraska Army National Guard from 1978 to 1984. He completed the ROTC program at UNL and was commissioned as a U.S. Army Infantry Officer in 1982. He worked for IBM in sales from 1982 to1984. Mr. Finch is married and the proud father of three children.