By WBFO Newsroom
Buffalo, NY – FBI Director Robert S. Mueller, III, has announced his appointment of Christopher Piehota to Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Division.
Piehota most recently served as the Deputy Director for Operations at the Terrorist Screening Center. He officially arrived for duty in Buffalo on July 18.
Piehota takes over for acting special agent Richard Kollmar. Kollmar filled the post after James Roberston retired March 31st, 2011 as special agent in charge. Roberston had held the post since August of 2009.
Piehota began his FBI career in 1995 as a Special Agent in the Newark, New Jersey, Field Office, where he investigated International Terrorism, Domestic Terrorism and Weapons of Mass Destruction matters.
In 2002, the FBI promoted SAC Piehota to a management position in the Counterterrorism Division (CTD) at FBI Headquarters. At CTD, SAC Piehota served as a program manager in the International Terrorism Operations Section I, which provides oversight for terrorism investigations in the continental United States. In 2003, SAC Piehota became a Unit Chief in the Terrorism Reports and Requirements Section in FBI Headquarters. In this role, he managed the collection and dissemination of FBI intelligence in the United States intelligence community.
In 2005, the FBI promoted SAC Piehota to a Counterintelligence Supervisory Special Agent at the Washington, DC, Field Office (WFO). Following another promotion two years later he served as an Assistant Special Agent in Charge at WFO providing program oversight for the Northern Virginia Resident Agency and the Security Operations and Technical Services branches. These branches support technical operations and activities for WFO's Counterterrorism, Counterintelligence and Criminal programs.
In 2010, SAC Piehota joined the Terrorist Screening Center and was responsible for managing the United States Government's Consolidated Terrorist Watchlisting and Screening Database and Terrorist Encounter Operations Center.
SAC Piehota holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from Nova Southeastern University and a Master's Degree in Human Resource Management from Seton Hall University. He earned a Ph.D. in Education from Capella University.