| | William M. | Baker | NC - Durham; FL - Jacksonville; FBIHQ; OR - Portland; CA - Los Angeles | 1965 - 1991 | Mafia Commission, COINTELPRO, Iran-Contra, Talladega Prison Takeover, Pan America Fight 103, ABSCAM | Ku Klux Klan, Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), Forgery, Mary Jo Kopechne, Black Liberation Army, Andrew Jackson, Twyman Myers, Joanne Chesimard, Skyjacking, D.B. Cooper, Judge Webster, ABSCAM, Rudolph Giuliani, Mafia Commission, William Casey, CIA, John Gotti, Bill Bar, Civil Rights, Organized Crime | For the FBI Oral History Heritage Project sponsored by the Society of Former Special Agents of the FBI, Inc., which holds the copyright to the material.
Special Agent Baker served in the FBI from 1965 to 1991. This interview took place on February 23, 2006. Interviewed by Michael N. Boone.
SA Baker served in the USAF and was in the Office of Special Investigations. His first assignment was in the Durham RA of the Charlotte Field Office chasing Klu Klux Klan members and developing informants in the Klan in addition to investigations of the SDS (Students for a Democratic Society) on the Duke University campus. He was transferred to the Jacksonville Field Office and went to the Ocala RA where he worked fugitive cases. He had one interesting “Hoover Special” while in Ocala concerning Mary Jo Kopechne who worked for a congressman and was cheated by a charming man who stole her checks.
SA Baker was transferred to the New York City Field Office where he worked selective service and fugitive cases. In the early 1970s, he was assigned to work the Black Liberation Army. Members sought included Andrew Jackson, Tyman Myers and Joanne Chesimard. (Chesimard and Myers were on the Top Ten list.) Another New York case was later portrayed in the movie Dog Day Afternoon with Al Pacino.
In 1973, SA Baker was promoted to the Survey and Investigations Staff of the House Appropriation Committee. His next assignment was at FBIHQ in the Administration Division, first in the file section then at the Transfer Unit, and finally as Unit Chief. A tour as Inspector followed and then a transfer to Portland Field Office as ASAC.
SA Baker went to Los Angeles for the pre-Olympics build-up. Then he went back to Portland as SAC. Skyjacking was a new crime at the time. Two weeks later he had a real one which was resolved successfully. The D.B. Cooper case followed a year or so later. His handling of the press at the end of a subsequent incident was noticed by then Director, Judge William H. Webster. In 1984, Baker was transferred back to FBIHQ as Assistant Director of the Office of Congressional and Public Affairs.
He coordinated information for Judge Webster when he was nominated to become Director of the CIA, just as Iran Contra was breaking. When confirmed, Webster asked SA Baker to come with him, which Baker did and he was Director of Public Affairs for the CIA.
After two years, SA Baker was asked to return to the FBI as Assistant Director of the Criminal Division. The division was divided into Organized Crime & Drugs, Violent Crime and Counterterrorism, and White Collar Crime. Two investigations which resulted in convictions were the Pan Am 103 bombing and the Gotti case. | Download PDF 1 | | |