Stephen E. Richardson Special Agent in Charge Mobile

Stephen E. Richardson – Special Agent in Charge

Mr. Richardson is a native of East Tennessee, where he received his early education. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in accounting from East Tennessee State University and a Masters of Business Administration degree from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. From 1991 until 1996, Mr. Richardson served as a special agent with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), where he received both the TBI Medal of Valor and the TBI Employee of the Year awards.

Mr. Richardson entered on duty with the FBI as a special agent in 1996. Upon graduation from new agents training, he was assigned to the New Orleans Division-Lafayette Resident Agency, and later the Baton Rouge Resident Agency. He specialized in the investigation of white-collar crime, public corruption, hate crime, violent crime, and gang matters. In addition to being the bank robbery coordinator, he formed the first organized task force in the Western District of Louisiana to combat the most violent criminal offenders. He also served as a member of the SWAT team.

In 2002, Mr. Richardson was promoted to supervisory special agent in the Safe Streets and Gang Unit, Criminal Investigative Division at FBI Headquarters. In 2003, he moved to the Counterterrorism Division as a program manager for terrorism investigations throughout the eastern region of the United States. In 2004, he was promoted to unit chief at the FBI’s Counterterrorism Watch Center, where he oversaw all threats made against the United States.

In 2005, Mr. Richardson reported to the Memphis Division-Nashville Resident Agency as the supervisory special agent overseeing the criminal enterprise/violent crime squad along with the Cookeville, Clarksville, and Columbia Resident Agencies. He also managed the Joint Terrorism Task Force and helped create a stand-alone cyber squad.

Mr. Richardson was promoted in 2009 to assistant special agent in charge of the Richmond Division’s criminal, cyber, and administrative programs. He also had oversight of the Roanoke, Bristol, and Lynchburg Resident Agencies.

In January 2011, Mr. Richardson was promoted into the FBI’s Senior Executive Service in the Inspection Division, where he served as an inspector with the Office of Inspections. In May 2012, Mr. Richardson was appointed special agent in charge of the Mobile Division.