While Chicago is a beautiful city, with towering skylines and magnificent waterways, it also has a long history of violent crime and corruption. Many of America’s most notorious criminals — from gangsters like Al Capone and John Dillinger to serial killers like H.H. Holmes, John Wayne Gacy and the Unabomber, Ted Kaczynski — hailed from its storied streets.

It’s no wonder that the FBI’s fourth-largest field office (behind only New York, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles) is stationed there.

The special agent in charge (SAC) of the Chicago field office is Wes Wheeler Jr. (’93), a Georgia Southern graduate and proud member of Eagle Nation, now serving as the “eagle eye” over major crimes in the historic Windy City.

“I feel the history. It’s a very iconic place,” said Wheeler, who just finished his first year in the leadership role. “It’s iconic in bureau history…and it’s not lost on me. I feel very responsible to our people to represent what we’re doing well. And it’s a pretty special environment.”

A native of Covington, Georgia, Wheeler learned a special reverence for law enforcement early in his life. In his office sits the photo and ID badge of his father, a former police officer in Covington. He says they’re a constant reminder of his mentors, the “quiet professionals” who let their actions speak louder than their words. And while he, too, projects an easy demeanor, his career has brought him to some of the most dangerous places on earth.

After graduating from Georgia Southern with a degree in political science, Wheeler began his career at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), where he honed his skills in a variety of roles including undercover drug buys.

“At the GBI, you get to carry a case through from beginning to end,” said Wheeler. “You go to the crime scene, collect forensic evidence, interview witnesses, develop suspects, and get confessions. It’s figuring out what happened, who did it, how they did it, and why. It’s fullservice and an extremely valuable experience.”

Wheeler’s career in the FBI began in 1999 in Texas, where he tackled a variety of criminal matters before transitioning to counterterrorism duties with the North Texas Joint Terrorism Task Force. His trajectory within the FBI displayed remarkable versatility, from protecting the U.S. Attorney General to teaching new agents at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia.

A significant chapter in Wheeler’s career was his deployment to Afghanistan in 2009, where he worked on kidnapping cases as part of the Major Crimes Task Force. This international experience, combined with leadership roles in the Counter-Improvised Explosive Devices Section and the National Explosives Task Force made him an attractive candidate for a Senior Executive Service position. FBI Director Christopher Wray appointed Wheeler to his current position in January of 2023.

As SAC of the Chicago office, Wheeler oversees about 1,000 agents, analysts and support workers in Chicago and four satellite offices. Chicago agents are working roughly 1,000 cases at any given time and 57% of them involve violent crime in some form or fashion. And while they continue to tackle a broad spectrum of cases, Wheeler says crime continues to evolve, especially in the digital realm.

“I think our people operate in difficult circumstances, and they have a very challenging job. I think it’s been that way for the 115-year history of the Bureau. It’s been challenging, and I don’t see that changing. But we’re very fortunate to have people willing to do it — dedicated people willing to be in that fight to do the mission. And our folks will continue to do that no matter what.”

— Wes Wheeler

“It’s a very fast-moving threat,” he said. “We’ve been in the business for a while, but it’s evolving in a way that’s new. Business email compromise has been a big thing for years, but there are other intrusions and fraudulent schemes that are a part of the cyber environment that keep changing and it keeps us pretty busy.”

Despite the demands of his role, Wheeler remains committed to maintaining a healthy work-life balance, a challenge he acknowledges is shared by many in law enforcement. Married with three children and a springer spaniel named Tex, he cherishes the support of his family, which has been pivotal in his career. “Being a good husband and father while being the agent I want to be has been my biggest challenge,” he admits.

When asked if he would recommend the job to graduates from Georgia Southern, he answered without hesitation.

“Yeah, I do recommend it,” he said. “We need people. We need good people who are willing to do a hard job for the right reasons. And we’re fortunate to have that. And that’s what it takes. What I appreciate most about our people is their willingness to do the mission no matter what. And there’s a lot of job satisfaction that goes along with doing that.

“I think I’ve been in the bureau 25 years and there could have been easier jobs to do, and it’s been a very challenging career,” he added. “But it’s extremely rewarding and a privilege to do it because I believe in it, and I’m surrounded by people that believe in it — to protect Americans and uphold the Constitution.”

Wheeler fondly remembers his days at Georgia Southern and Statesboro, with its familiar, small-town feel that he enjoyed. A member of Sigma Chi fraternity, he says he made lifelong friendships at the University. He remembers many a meal at Snooky’s and Archibald’s, and his political science professor, Professor Emeritus Lane Van Tassell, Ph.D., who instilled in him an appreciation for public service.

What he is not familiar with, however, is the weather in Chicago, which is famously awful.

“Well, I’m not totally built for it,” he said with a laugh. “I do suffer with it. I got here in January and everybody said that this winter was not that bad and I believe them, but I still suffered a little bit.”

— Doy Cave