Criminal Investigator -- Treasury Enforcement Agent, 1811

Department of the Treasury

Individual Occupational Requirements

Education

Undergraduate and Graduate Education:

All Treasury Enforcement Agent (TEA) positions in Treasury bureaus and offices, except Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Special Agent positions: Major study -- any field of study in an accredited college or university.

IRS Special Agent positions: Major study -- any field of study that included or was supplemented by at least 15 semester hours in accounting, and 9 semester hours from among the following or closely related fields: finance, economics, business law, tax law, or money and banking.

or

Experience

General Experience (for GS-5 positions):

TEA positions except IRS Special Agent: Successful, responsible experience in the criminal investigative or law enforcement fields that required knowledge and application of laws relating to criminal violations, and the ability to deal effectively with individuals or groups in stressful or controversial situations, collect and assemble pertinent facts for investigations, and prepare clear, concise written reports.

IRS Special Agent positions:

Successful, responsible accounting and business experience that required knowledge and application of accounting and auditing principles and general business practices, and that demonstrated the ability to analyze and comprehend accounting and bookkeeping records, financial statements, related reports and automated systems.

Nonqualifying General Experience:

Experience as a uniformed law enforcement officer where the principal duties consisted of investigations and arrests involving traffic violations, minor felonies, misdemeanors, and comparable offenses; or in which the major duties involved guarding and protecting property, preventing crimes, and/or legal research without the application of investigative techniques.

Specialized Experience (for positions above GS-5):

TEA positions except IRS Special Agent: Experience in or related to investigation of criminal violations that provided the specific knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include:

• Leadership or membership of a military intelligence or criminal investigative team or component in which the principal duties consisted of security investigation, intelligence gathering, or criminal prosecution.
• Analyzing or evaluating raw investigative data and preparing comprehensive written investigative reports.
• Investigating complex claims involving suspected crimes or alleged fraud.
• Investigating criminal cases requiring the use of recognized investigative methods and techniques and that may have included appearing in court to present evidence.
• Supervising or conducting interviews or interrogations that involved eliciting evidence, data, or surveillance information.
• Law enforcement work in which 50 percent or more of the time involved criminal investigations requiring the use of surveillance, undercover, or other criminal detection methods or techniques.
• Investigating computerized business and/or accounting systems and forming sound conclusions as to related criminal business practices and compliance with Federal laws and regulations.
• Investigative work that required rapid, accurate judgments and sound decision-making in applying regulations, instructions, and procedures.
• Successful completion of formalized programs of inservice training for any of the above.

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IRS Special Agent positions:

Specialized experience required for IRS Special Agent positions is essentially the same as that described above for other TEA positions, except that the experience must have been acquired in investigative work related to the accounting, auditing, business, or commercial practices of subjects investigated.

Certificate As A Certified Public Accountant (CPA)

Proof of possession of a CPA certificate (certificate number and date of issuance) obtained through written examination in a State, territory, or the District of Columbia meets the GS-5 level requirements for positions requiring accounting knowledge. Applicants with such certificates may also qualify for higher grade levels based on their education and/or experience.

Personal Qualities

Appointment is conditional on a satisfactory report of character and background investigation, including a tax audit. This investigation is conducted in order to secure evidence of candidates' loyalty to the U.S. Government, honesty, and integrity. For some positions, a top secret security clearance will be required.

Motor Vehicle Operation

Applicants must possess a valid automobile driver's license at the time of appointment. Candidates must qualify after appointment for authorization to operate motor vehicles in accordance with applicable OPM regulations and related Department of the Treasury requirements.

Use Of Firearms

All positions require basic and periodic qualification in the use of firearms; proficiency with standard issue firearms must be demonstrated for successful completion of training. All agents are required to carry a handgun in the performance of duties.

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Maximum Entry Age

The date immediately preceding an individual's 37th birthday is the maximum entry age for original appointment to a position within the Department of Treasury as a law enforcement officer as defined in title 5 U.S.C. 8331(20) or in 5 U.S.C. 8401(17). Consideration will be restricted to candidates who have not yet reached age 37 at the time of referral for positions.

Medical Requirements

General:

The duties of these positions require moderate to arduous physical exertion involving walking and standing, use of firearms, and exposure to inclement weather. Manual dexterity with comparatively free motion of fingers, wrists, elbows, shoulders, hips and knee joints is required. Arms, hands, legs, and feet must function sufficiently in order for applicants to perform the duties satisfactorily.

Vision:

For all positions, near vision, corrected or uncorrected, must be sufficient to read Jaeger type 2 at 14 inches. Normal depth perception and peripheral vision are required, as is the ability to distinguish shades of color by color plate tests. For all positions covered by this standard, applicants who have undergone refractive surgery (i.e., surgery to improve distant visual acuity) must meet Treasury-approved requirements which include documentation that they have passed specific exam and protocol testing. Visual acuity requirements for each bureau listed below are expressed in terms of the Snellen vision test:

U.S. Secret Service -- Uncorrected distant vision must test 20/60 in each eye, and corrected distant vision must test 20/20 in each eye.

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms -- Uncorrected distant vision must test 20/100 in each eye, and corrected distant vision must test 20/20 in one eye, 20/30 in the other.

All other bureaus -- Uncorrected distant vision must test 20/200, and corrected distant vision must test 20/20 in one eye, and 20/30 in the other.

Hearing:

Hearing loss, as measured by an audiometer, must not exceed 30 decibels (A.S.A. or equivalent I.S.O.) in either ear in the 500, 1000, and 2000 Hz ranges. Applicants must be able to hear the whispered voice at 15 feet with each ear without the use of a hearing aid.

Special Medical Requirements:

Since the duties of these positions are exacting and involve the responsibility for the safety of others under trying conditions, applicants must possess emotional and mental stability. Any condition that would hinder full, efficient performance of the duties of these positions or that would cause the individual to be a hazard to himself/herself or to others is disqualifying.

Appointment will be contingent upon a candidate's passing a pre-employment medical examination and drug test to ascertain possession of the physical and emotional requirements for the position. For certain positions involving particularly arduous or hazardous duties, there are specific medical requirements where a direct relationship exists between the condition and the duties of the position being filled. Certain diseases or conditions resulting in indistinct speech may be disqualifying. Any chronic disease or condition affecting the respiratory system, the cardiovascular system, the gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, digestive, nervous, endocrine or genito-urinary systems that would impair full performance of the duties of the position is disqualifying. Prior to completion of the 1-year probationary period following initial appointment, an incumbent may be required to undergo a physical examination and meet the same medical requirements as those for appointment. Supervisory positions excepted, these medical requirements must be met in inservice placement actions, including reinstatement of former employees and transfers from positions not covered by this standard. The presence of medical conditions that would be aggravated by the environmental conditions of these positions will ordinarily disqualify an applicant for appointment.

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