For the first time in the history of the FBI, a woman will lead its New York Division.
Director Robert S. Mueller, III named Janice Fedarcyk as assistant director in charge of the FBI’s New York Division on Thursday, a promotion that places the 23-year FBI veteran in charge of its largest division.
In her new position, Fedarcyk will have six special agents in charge -- the agents who run FBI field offices -- reporting to her. She will be overseeing 2,000 agents in New York.
“Jan Fedarcyk brings both a strong national security and criminal investigative background from her current assignment as head of the Philadelphia Division and from her work at FBI Headquarters, where she managed terrorist financing investigations, served at the National Counter terrorism Center, and oversaw investigations of online exploitation of children,” Mueller said in a statement.
Fedarcyk entered the FBI in 1987 where she investigated organized crime, drugs, money laundering and gangs in Los Angeles. She was promoted to FBI Headquarters nine years later were she coordinated bureau responses to domestic and international crisis’s.
She later was appointed as the first FBI liaison to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Fedarcyk later transferred to the Baltimore Division in 1999 where she oversaw the Innocent Images National Initiative squad that investigates the online exploitation of children.
The former Reno, NV police officer was promoted to serve as the FBI's representative to the National Counter terrorism Center, Directorate of Strategic Operational Planning.
Ms. Fedarcyk helped aided in the development of a classified national strategic operational plan in the war on terrorism. For this she was a group recipient of a Meritorious Unit Citation presented by the Director, NCTC, for contributions to the Interagency Counter terrorism Strategic Planning Community in September of 2006.
Fedarcyk is currently serving as special agent in charge of the Philadelphia Division. During her tenure in Philadelphia, Fedarcyk along with Assistant Attorney General for National Security David Kris and Michael L. Levy, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, secured an indictment charging Colleen R. LaRose, also known as "Fatima LaRose," or "Jihad Jane," with conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, conspiracy
Fedarcyk will be replacing acting special agent in charge George C. Venizelos, who was also under consideration for the position, as head of the New York Division who in turn replaced Joseph Demarest as head of the office. Demarest vacated the position after an internal inquiry into answers he gave about an alleged affair with a subordinate.
The assistant director in New York position is an influential figure in the bureau’s senior managerial ranks. However, the top agent in New York has had to share, and sometimes vie for, the limelight with current New York City Police Department Commissioner Raymond Kelly.
