U.S. Secret Service agents and agency task force of partners have been named in multiple categories of awards as announced by the International Association of Financial Crimes Investigators. 

The International Association of Financial Crimes Investigators (IAFCI) announced 2021 award recipients for outstanding work in financial fraud investigation. Special Agent James Lamerson of the Phoenix field office is named in the 2021 awards as Law Enforcement Officer of the Year: Special Agent, and Assistant Special Agent in Charge (ASAIC) Roy Dotson of the Jacksonville field office as Law Enforcement Officer of the Year: Special Agent, 2nd Runner-up. These agents made significant contributions in targeting and arresting those responsible for crimes against our financial intuitions, including exploiting pandemic relief programs. Through investigations and cooperation with state and local agencies, ASAIC Dotson was able to recover more than $3 billion in CARES Act funds. These funds were returned to the U.S. government and multiple state workforce agencies.

The IAFCI additionally named the Secret Service Tampa Bay Cyber Fraud Task Force as Task Force of the Year. The Tampa Bay Cyber Fraud Task Force centralizes the efforts of a collection of local, state and federal agencies who are crucial in responding to CARES Act Fraud, account takeovers, elder fraud, business email compromises, ransomware, and other network intrusion investigations. Specifically, this task force prevented Sarasota County from defrauding $3.5 million in fraudulent COVID relief applications.

“The Secret Service aggressively investigates, arrests and prosecutes those who commit financial fraud and victimize the American people,” said U.S. Secret Service Office of Investigations Assistant Director Jeremy Sheridan. “The investigators receiving these awards represent the best and brightest of our agency, and their actions to protect the public and our nation’s financial infrastructure is truly worthy of such recognition.” 

In 1995, the Secret Service established its first electronic crimes task force, modeled after its existing financial crimes task forces. In 2001, Congress directed the Secret Service to develop a national network of electronic crimes task forces to prevent, detect, and investigate various forms of electronic crimes. Today, these task forces are supported by the Global Investigations Center’s headquarters with technical infrastructure, strategic guidance, and expert knowledge. This unified approach towards preventing cybercrime has enabled the Secret Service to prevent millions in financial loss.

To learn more about the investigative mission of the U.S. Secret Service, visit https://www.secretservice.gov/investigation.