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Female
I would like to say that I have had the pleasure of knowing Agent Vince Cefalu for about 4 yrs now. I met him at the SF Field Division after the first time they tried to "fire" him and failed I might add.
We became good friends after we learned that I had filed my first EEO complaint against some of the same players, i.e. Al Mabanag and little did I know that I would later file my second EEO case against some of the same managers in the future, SAC Martin, SAC Gleysteen, SAC Herkins, etc. Since the day I have met Vince, he has been one of my heroes. There is never a day for those of you who don't know him, that his phone is not ringing off the hook from ATF agents and employees from around the country. He has devoted his waking hours to helping each and everyone of them and has never said that he is too busy to help anyone fight the cause.
I have had a 20 year law enforcement career and spent the last 8 of it working as an ATF agent. I am not one of the whining malcontents that Mr. Melson spoke of on his CNN interview!! I left the agency when I had to file my second EEO case after I was retaliated against when I helped an Agent they wrongfully terminated whom I am happy to say won his case and has been reinstated. After what I experienced, I believed ATF was going to fire me so I left a job I loved before that could happen. Vince has had my back for the last two years and has been helping me fight my case as well as helping other agents both current and those who were forced to retire early fight theirs. I am personally aware that even though Vince has paid a high price and made some sacrifices to help those of us out, he has chosen this path because he has heart and faith (even when I don't) that this agency can somehow be restored to it's former glory.
I can't help but feel somewhat responsible for what has happened to Vince as my case was starting to heat up and I believe that ATF decided to pull this stunt hoping that if Vince had to worry about fighting his termination, then he would not have time to help the rest of us out. Wrong answer ATF......we are like those lizards whose tails you may cut off, but they will grow a second one!! It makes me sick that the ATF managers and higher can lie to congress, continue to ruin to ruin employees careers and lives yet they can be promoted with many unresolved EEO cases filed against them, which by the way is against ATF's policies.
YES I MEAN YOU MR. GLEYSTEEN, SAC MARTIN and SAC TORRES.
And well, I guess SAC HERKINS you have decided to add yourself in our food chain!! ATF will continue to reward these guys with SES pay as they ruin lives and careers in their wake and lie and say they had no idea what was happening on their watch. Sorry the law doesn't work that way it is your job to know if you want to make the big bucks.
Vince while I know you will prevail (again I might add), I am truly sorry that you must go through this!! God Bless and thank you from the bottom of my heart for what you have done for all your brothers and sister agents! I will say this, I feel so much better the second time around to know that my fellow brother and sister agents and fellow ATF employees are finally starting to take a stand against these injustices and make their voice heard making it known that "No ATF, it is not OK to threaten and discriminate against your own".
Blue Angel
Member Since 24 Jun 2011Offline Last Active Jan 26 2012 02:56 PM
