In a ceremony held at the Treasury Department on Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2012, James H. Freis, Jr., Director of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), was presented with the U.S. Department of the Treasury Medal. Several Federal, State, and international officials participated in the event, which was held in appreciation of his years of service.
The text of the citation accompanying the Treasury Medal follows:
James H. Freis, Jr. has served under three Treasury Secretaries enhancing the integrity of financial systems as the longest serving Director of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, and previously as the first Deputy Assistant General Counsel for Enforcement & Intelligence.
Mr. Freis joined the Department in September 2005 to help build legal support for the components of the Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence. He contributed significantly to the ongoing national security successes of the Terrorist Finance Tracking Program and outreach to global financial institutions about the risks posed by rogue nations.
Mr. Freis's tenure at FinCEN since March 2007 has witnessed expanded support to law enforcement at the Federal, State, and local levels; new partnerships with Federal and State regulators; and a global approach for the nation's financial intelligence unit. He spearheaded efforts to combat fraud exposed through the financial crisis and risks of emerging payment technologies, and his outreach has helped the financial industry focus on serving their customers, not criminals. His successful modernization of FinCEN's IT systems will leverage information and solutions across hundreds of other government agencies for years to come.