CBPCBP IA’s SAREX: Tomsheck’s program goes rogue – Pt. 4
As Congressional legislation addresses multiple issues involving immigration and border security, Customs and Border Protection Internal Affairs (CBP IA) faces increased scrutiny. The widening scandal at CBP IA, the watchdog agency of Customs and Border Protection (CBP), is based upon acrimonious allegations by James Tomsheck against what he labels CBP’s systemic failure to meet professional standards including the proper investigation of criminal behavior by its own employees. According to former CBP IA employees, internal memos, and related government documents and reports, however, it now appears that Tomsheck’s own agency may be guilty of a number of allegations against it. Of particular interest is Tomsheck’s attempt in 2011 and 2012 to fashion the Suspicious Activity Reports Exploitation Initiative (SAREX) program, which at the time appeared as a reasonable strategy to deter CBP employees from corruption and other criminal behavior.
As Congressional legislation addresses multiple issues involving immigration and border security, Customs and Border Protection Internal Affairs (CBP IA) faces increased scrutiny. The widening scandal at CBP IA, the watchdog agency of Customs and Border Protection (CBP), is based upon acrimonious allegations by James Tomsheck against what he labels CBP’s systemic failure to meet professional standards including the proper investigation of criminal behavior by its own employees.
However, according to former CBP IA employees, internal memos, and related government documents and reports, it now appears that Tomsheck’s own agency may be guilty of a number of allegations against it. Before Tomscheck was reassigned and turned federal whistle blower, he supervised over 600 employees at CBP IA. CBP is the largest federal law enforcement agency, with more than 60,000 employees.
To date allegations against Tomsheck include that he blatantly discriminated against a disabled Security Analyst at IPD who was returning to his job after deployment in East Africa. Tomsheck is also charged by employees with masterminding the so-called “July Amnesty,” in which Tomsheck’s handpicked administrators mishandled hundreds of cases alleging criminal behavior by CBP Agents and Customs Officers.
In fact, Tomsheck’s supervisors of the Integrity Program Division (IPD) appear to have failed to provide disability accommodations for at least one, possibly more, of its Senior Security Analysts (see Robert Lee Maril, “Vet alleges supervisors at CBP IA ignored his disability: ‘He Just needed an ounce of compassion’” — Pt. 1, HSNW, 28 October 2014). Lieutenant Commander J. Gregory Richardson, a GS-14 in the IPD, is a 30-year naval career officer who repeatedly informed Tomsheck and his supervisors of the severe back pain he suffered while deployed in 2011. An African American, Richardson summarily was fired by Tomsheck, along with the direct support of Director of IPD Janine Corrado and Deputy Director Jeffrey Matta.
