ATF Executive Staff
ATF Acting Director B. Todd Jones
B. Todd Jones was one of the first five U.S. Attorneys confirmed by the U.S. Senate on August 7, 2009. This is the second time Jones has served as United States Attorney – President Clinton appointed him to the position in 1998 and he served in that capacity until January 2001. Jones also has served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of Minnesota. Prior to becoming U.S. Attorney in 2009, Jones was a partner with a major national law firm in Minneapolis, where his practice focused on criminal defense and complex business litigation. He is also a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. Attorney General Eric Holder appointed Jones to serve as Chair of the Attorney General Advisory Committee (AGAC). This body, consisting of 18 United States Attorneys from around the country, is responsible for advising the Attorney General on a broad array of Department of Justice policy issues.
Jones received his Juris Doctor from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1983 and his B.A. from Macalester College in 1979. Following admission to the Minnesota bar, he went on active duty in the United States Marine Corps, where he served as an infantry officer with the First Marine Division and subsequently as both a trial defense counsel and prosecutor in a number of courts martial proceedings. In 1989, he left active duty and returned to Minnesota with his family. He was recalled to active duty for Operation Desert Storm in 1991.
Most recently, Jones has been asked by Attorney General Holder to serve as the Acting Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). As the Acting Director, Jones is responsible for leading an agency of men and women charged with carrying out the laws related to firearms, explosives, arson and alcohol and tobacco trafficking. These items are frequently used in the commission of crimes of violence. ATF is well-known for combating violent crime and protecting the public.
For Jones, public service has always been important, whether it has been as a U.S. Marine Corps officer, working pro bono matters while in private practice, or with the Department of Justice. All of us who are lawyers should understand that a professional life in the law is, in fact, essentially a life of service to others. It is a duty we have as citizens, professionals and members of the Bar.
ATF Deputy Director Thomas E. Brandon
Thomas E. Brandon was appointed Deputy Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives in October 2011. As the Deputy Director, Mr. Brandon is responsible for leading an agency of men and women charged with carrying out laws and regulations related to firearms, explosives, arson, and alcohol and tobacco trafficking. Explosives and firearms are frequently used in the commission of crimes of violence. ATF is well-known for combating violent crime and protecting the public.
A member of the Senior Executive Service and a seasoned law enforcement professional, Mr. Brandon began his ATF career as a Special Agent in 1989, with Detroit as his first office assignment. Rising through the ranks at ATF, he served in many management positions which included Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Division; Supervisory Special Agent of the Detroit Arson and Explosives Enforcement Group; Special Agent with the Office of Inspection in Washington, DC; Supervisory Special Agent of the Achilles Enforcement Group in Los Angeles, California; and as the Division Intelligence Officer with the Phoenix, Arizona, Field Division. Brandon previously held the position of Chief of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' National Academy, and as the Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Division.
When appointed as Deputy Director, Mr. Brandon was serving as the Special Agent in Charge of the Phoenix Field Division. In that role, Mr. Brandon directed the Field Operations activities for ATF in Arizona and New Mexico. He was responsible for supervising ATF’s law enforcement and industry operations. Special agents under his leadership investigated violations of the Federal firearms, explosives, arson, alcohol, and tobacco laws, and industry operations investigators regulated the firearms and explosives industries.
Mr. Brandon is a member of several professional organizations including the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan, in 1987.
Mr. Brandon proudly served in the United States Marine Corps from 1978 to 1982, where his assignments included Embassy duty in Rome, Italy, and Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. Mr. Brandon is a native of New Jersey.