Director Christopher Wray has appointed Leslie Rodrigues Backschies as the special agent in charge of the Criminal Investigative Division of the New York Field Office. Ms. Backschies brings a wealth of experience to her new role, having served in various capacities within the FBI since joining in 1998.
Ms. Backschies began her career as an intelligence analyst in the National Security Division before becoming a special agent in 2002. She has since worked on a wide range of investigations, including domestic terrorism, hate crimes, and weapons of mass destruction.
In 2011, Ms. Backschies was selected as a supervisory special agent in the Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate at Headquarters, where she managed WMD investigations. She later served as a program manager for the FBI’s legal attaché offices in South, Central, and North America.
Ms. Backschies has also led efforts to combat corruption, serving as the chief of the International Corruption Unit at Headquarters and overseeing investigations of violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, kleptocracy, international money laundering, and antitrust violations.
Most recently, Ms. Backschies served as a section chief in the International Operations Division at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Ms. Backschies earned a master’s degree in international relations from the University of San Diego and a bachelor’s degree in political science from the Catholic University of America in Washington.
In her new role, Ms. Backschies will oversee the Criminal Investigative Division’s operations in the New York Field Office, including investigations into a wide range of criminal activities.
