FBI Chicago leadership shifts month out from highly secured 2024 DNC

The ABC7 Chicago I-Team has learned of a shake-up at the top of the FBI in Chicago. The major change comes within a month of the Democratic National Convention.

Chicago's top federal agent, who supervised a year-long ramp-up to the DNC, Robert "Wes" Wheeler, will not be in charge when it starts next month.

After just a year and a half in Chicago, Wheeler has been promoted to Washington, D.C., as assistant director of the Critical Incident Response Group, effective now, according to an FBI news release.

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The DNC is classified as a National Special Security Event, as are Super Bowls. And for the FBI in Chicago, it will be their Super Bowl, with all of the key players in place.

"The venues around the DNC will be some of the most secure places on the planet for this event," Wheeler told the I-Team last month.

Now, Wheeler is headed to FBI headquarters, but officials say it will not impact the DNC's security plans.

Former Special-Agent-in-Charge Rob Grant told the I-Team the new role for Wheeler may still provide back-up for the DNC.

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"(The Critical Incident Response Group) is an important role. It's a support role in many respects," Grant said. "For example, when you have to surge resources to a crisis, and that crisis can be in the United States or it could be anywhere around the globe, they are the 911 of the FBI."

Grant retired from the FBI in 2012, after becoming the longest-serving special-agent-in-charge of the Chicago field office.

Grant said he's well-acquainted with the man that federal law enforcement sources told the I-Team will be named Chicago's new, permanent special-agent-in-charge: Douglas DePodesta.

DePodesta has been leading the bureau's office in Memphis, Tennessee, but cut his teeth working as an agent and supervisor under Grant.

"Doug has tremendous work ethic, great initiative. He's smart. He's personable. He knows Chicago," Grant said. "It's not like he's going to be jumping from a small office to a city he doesn't know. He's coming back to a city that he knows very, very well. So he's actually a very good selection this size."

Officials at the Memphis FBI field office referred the I-Team to the Chicago field office for comment.

A spokesperson for the Chicago FBI field office declined to confirm that DePodesta will soon be named the next new agent in charge.