by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman
October 20, 2024
Ashley T. Johnson is also the first woman to head the division.
Ashley T. Johnson is making history in federal law enforcement. She is the first woman and Black woman to be appointed as the special agent in charge of the St. Louis FBI Field Office.
Director Christopher Wray named Johnson as the lead of this office, as detailed by the FBI’s press release on Sept. 9. Prior to her promotion, Johnson served as the section chief of the International Operations Division at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Before joining the FBI, Johnson obtained her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. She later received a master’s in sociology, alongside another degree for social work in public policy and social welfare. In her early career, she worked as a probation officer and psychiatric social worker.
However, Johnson started her journey with the FBI as a special agent in 2007. Beginning at the New Orleans division, she investigated civil rights violations as well as white-collar crimes impacting the city.
Her efforts then led to become a supervisory special agent in the cyber division. In this role, she helped oversee national cyber investigation across five field offices.
In 2013, she joined the Atlanta division, tackling law enforcement corruption and supervising civil rights issues. While there, she led its domestic terrorism squad, handling all domestic terrorism threats for the state of Georgia. Four years later, Johnson helped develop a squad for Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, continuing her responsibility over criminal, terrorism, cyber, and counterintelligence investigations.
Moreover, her time in Atlanta resulted in her promotion to assistant special agent in charge of the division’s criminal branch. Within this role, she founded the Atlanta Development and Leadership Council. The council created mentorship opportunities, leadership development, and training initiatives within the city.
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