By Allan Lengel
ticklethewire.com
Ralph S. Boelter, assistant director of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division at headquarters, who also helped investigate the leak case involving CIA agent Valerie Plame, has landed one of the more coveted spots in the field.
Bolter will take over the Los Angeles division as assistant director in charge.
Boelter began his career in 1991 and was first assigned to the Boston division where he investigated white-collar crime, violent crime, and criminal enterprise cases.
In December 1997, he was promoted to the Criminal Investigative Division at FBI Headquarters, where he oversaw many of the Bureau’s violent crime and fugitive investigations.
In 2000, it was off to Los Angeles to supervise the Violent Crime and Criminal Enterprise squad in the Long Beach Resident Agency.
He later served as acting assistant special agent in charge of the Violent Crime and Criminal Enterprise Branch in November 2001 and was officially named to the position in January 2003.
In April 2005, he was assigned to help direct the sensitive investigation of the unauthorized disclosure of CIA Agent Valerie Plame.
He returned to FBI Headquarters in September 2005 where he was named an inspector.
In 2006, he was named head of the Minneapolis office.
In April 2011, Boelter was appointed deputy assistant director of the newly formed Strategic Operations Branch in the Counterterrorism Division at FBI Headquarters.
In September 2011, he assumed the responsibilities of acting assistant director of the Counterterrorism Division, and a few months later, was formally appointed to the position.
