Charles M. Bartenfeld

Retired federal agent and former military officer

Charles M. Bartenfeld's profile photo
LocationWoodbridgeVirginia, United States
Government service29yrsU.S. Department of Defense (DOD) · U.S. Army · Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

About

Retired supervisory special agent with over 21 years of experience in the successful management and executions of investigations, training, and program management with the FBI and DoD. Consistently recognized for performance and contributions to successful military and Law Enforcement operations. Very experienced in crisis management backed by training in cybersecurity leadership. Former military officer with command and staff experience. IC Joint Duty Certified with an active Top Secret clearance and SCI eligible.

Roles

Sep 2023–Dec 2025
Former role

Chief, Criminal Investigative Policy

U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security

Virginia

Public PolicyManagementProgram ManagementCriminal Investigation

·    Leads a diverse 8 person team of government and contracted law enforcement subject matter experts

·    Identifies necessary changes to policy, training requirements, operating guidance, and Department of Defense (DoD) LE resourcing

·    Increases visibility and standardization, of LE policy and practices across all Office of the Secretary of Defense and DoD Components with LE responsibilities, bring DoD in line with Federal LE practices

·    Addresses requirements for the collection, streamlining, and sharing of LE data across the DoD LE enterprise

·    Develop DoD standards for LE position descriptions and training for LE investigative and intelligence personnel

·    Develops, drafts, or reviews all law enforcement related legislative proposals for the Department of Defense

Aug 2020–Aug 2023
Former role

Chief of Investigative Operations, Transregional Criminal Investigation Unit

U.S. Army, Criminal Investigation Division

Virginia

Law Enforcement / PoliceManagementCriminal Investigation

·    Leads an investigative field office of 35 Special Agents (Military and Civilian), 3 Intelligence Analysts, and 20 Contractors

·    Leads the US Army’s investigative response to terrorist attacks in war zones

·    Successfully led investigations into war crimes committed against US Forces, an organized crime drug trafficking organization, and an attempted infiltration of the US Army by a threat nation

·    Manages CID’s complex investigations that cross field office lines

·    Manage war crimes investigations in direct coordination with the Department of Justice - National Security Division

·    Works directly with the Joint Special Operations Command and the U.S. Army Special Operations Command to develop programs for the protection of sensitive technologies

·    Manages the direct criminal investigative support to Army Special Mission Units

·    Developed the law enforcement component of the DoD Vendor Threat Mitigation program IAW NDAA 2015

·    Cultivated an ongoing working partnership with Army Counter Intelligence to support National Security investigations

·    Developed an ongoing working relationship with DOD Offices for Counter Narcotics and Global Threats; and Acquisition and Sustainment to influence new initiatives and obtain support for existing programs

·    Trained all investigative personnel to operate in the federal judicial system

·    Restructured the Field Office to integrate the intelligence and investigative personnel, giving all investigative personnel a sense of ownership over cases and creating habitual working relationships among analysts and investigators, increasing efficiency and responsiveness

Sep 2019–Nov 2019
Former role

Legal Attache for Bangladesh and Nepal

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), International Operations

International DevelopmentLaw Enforcement / PoliceManagement

·    Led the Law Enforcement coordination between the United States and the law enforcement and intelligence agencies of Bangladesh and Nepal

·    Supported the capacity building efforts of U.S. Agencies to improve the law enforcement capabilities of Bangladesh and Nepal

·    Managed the intelligence collaboration with the host nation police and intelligence agencies

Jul 2018–Aug 2019
Former role

Render Safe Readiness Program Manager

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Critical Incident Response Group

Virginia

Logistics ManagementHR, Training and Organisational DevelopmentProgram Management

·    Provided operational command and control, designed training exercises, and provided logistical support to the FBI render safe teams to maintain readiness to respond to domestic chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear incidents

·    Developed 757 aircraft weather redeployment procedures

·    Managed 757 support of Emergency Support Function 13 deployments

·    Developed presentation and training materials to educate colleagues to manage render safe command and control functions

Dec 2012–Jul 2018
Former role

Crisis Management Program Manager

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Critical Incident Response Group

Virginia

Planning, Policy, StrategyLaw Enforcement / PoliceManagementIncident Response

·    Responded to over 30 major crises domestically and internationally to organize FBI investigative resources and efforts

·    Trained over 180 FBI personnel to manage and plan for crisis operations

·    Led the development of new software to support a common operating picture for daily and crisis operations

·    Managed the FBI's participation in the Domestic and Foreign Emergency Support Teams (DEST and FEST)

·    Managed the FBI's participation in the nationally recognized interagency Joint Counterterrorism Awareness Workshop series, exercising the federal, state, and local response to a complex coordinated terrorist attack

·    Developed the FBI crisis response plan template to standardize and guide field office crisis response operations

·    Managed the Boston Marathon Bombing Investigation command post from the immediate response through the death/capture of the subjects, managing over 6,000 investigative leads in the first 5 days following the attack

·    Established and managed the European Cyber Crime Center command post for the largest child pornography operation to date for the U.S and EuroPol

·    Managed the Mandalay Bay Shooting Investigation command post in Las Vegas, managing over 2,000 investigative leads in one week

·    Determined additional support requirements and coordinated the deployment of those supporting assets

·    Planned and led the FBI support to the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang, Korea to include determining needs, selecting personnel, and briefing executive management

·    Represented the FBI in the USFK Senior Leader Seminar in preparation for the 2018 Winter Olympic Games, discussing interagency response coordination under a variety of terrorism scenarios.

·    Developed the biometric data collection plan in coordination with the Korean National Intelligence Service as part of the CJIS/Korean Prosecution Service agreement to use NCIC and the Known/Suspected Terrorist Database in support of the 2018 Winter Olympic Games

·    Led the FBI cyber coordination talks with the Secretary to the President for Cyber Security at the Blue House (Korean White House), the Korean National Intelligence Service, and the Korean National Police Agency resulting in a joint FBI/Korean Olympic malware response and intrusion mitigation operation

·    Developed the FBI's first risk based special event cyber collection and response plan and supervised the cyber and intelligence teams ensuring that all cyber intrusion information was shared with US Government and US Intelligence Community in support of the 2018 Winter Olympic Games

·    Coordinated with Special Operations Command Korea and the U.S. Embassy to develop the response plans from security operations to incident response

·    Planned and led the FBI support to the 2014 Super Bowl events in New York

·    Served as the division technical program manager, coordinating and deconflicting all technology based projects within the Critical Incident Response Group

Aug 2010–Nov 2012
Former role

Underwater Search and Evidence Response Team Program Manager

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Laboratory Division

Virginia

Program ManagerLogistics ManagementLaw Enforcement / PoliceManagement

·    As underwater evidence program manager, managed four separate field office underwater search and evidence response teams (Miami, New York, Washington D.C., and New York) totaling 60 special agent divers

·    Oversaw all aspects of the teams including operations, training, equipment, policy, and a budget of greater than $5 million dollars annually

·    Simultaneously, managed the administration and planned the operations of the Technical Dive Team while serving as a member

·    Haz-Mat trained for underwater operations

·    Located and recovered two semi-submersible drug boats, seizing over 9 tons of cocaine from the Caribbean Sea

·    Received a U.S. Coast Guard Unit Citation and the Office of Drug Control Policy Award for the semi-submersible operations

·    Lead sonar trainer for the FBI to include sector scanning, side scan, and 3D sonars

·    Led a combined dive team in two recoveries (Alaska and New York) for the Israel Keyes serial killer case

·    Wrote the requirements for and evaluated all bids for equipment to include software

Nov 2003–Jul 2010
Former role

Special Agent

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Washington Field Office

District of Columbia

Criminal Investigation

·    Investigated International and Domestic Terrorism Cases and Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs as a member of the Joint Terrorism Task Force

·    Member of the Washington Field Office Underwater Search and Evidence Response Team

·    Led a successful 5 year RICO prosecution of 26 members of the Outlaws Motorcycle Gang to include the national boss

·    Recruited and managed 2 cooperating witnesses that were the critical to the Outlaws RICO case

·    Lead diver and sonar operator for evidence recovery operation in Yusefiyah, Iraq for rape and murder investigation

·    Planned and led evidence search operation in Curacao for murdered American diplomat

·    Lead planner and instructor of the Belize Police evidence divers

·    As a Joint Terrorism Task Force member, worked with multiple federal and state agencies and officials to conduct investigations and prepare cases for prosecution

·    Organized and executed sixteen undercover surveillance operations using electronic recording equipment

Sep 2001–Oct 2003
Former role

Production Manager and Plant Engineer

Valspar

Jackson, Tennessee

Project EngineerProduction ManagerManagementProcess Engineer

·    Managed the production, warehousing, and shipping/receiving of a powder coatings plant

·    Directed the maintenance and physical upgrades of the plant and its equipment

·    Changed the manufacturing processes to double the output of the plant from 500,000 to 1,000,000 pounds per month with two thirds of the workforce

·    Redesigned the finished goods warehouse for narrow aisle forklifts, doubling capacity without changing the physical building

·    Selected as the manufacturing consultant for the industrial powder division of the corporation to improve the efficiency of the plants within the division

Jun 1993–Aug 2001
Former role

Infantry Officer/Captain

U.S. Army

Logistics ManagementManagementOperations

·    Mechanized Infantry Company Commander

·    Assistant Battalion Operations Officer - S3 Air

·    Chief ROK Army Liaison and Chief Training Officer Eighth US Army

·    Headquarters Company Executive Officer

·    Support Platoon Leader

·    Rifle Platoon Leader