
U.S. Marshal Craig Thayer |
Craig Ellis Thayer was sworn-in as the United States Marshal for
the Eastern District of Washington on September 7, 2010, the same day he
honorably retired as the Sheriff of Stevens County, Washington.
As Marshal, Thayer is responsible for leading and directing operations,
including security and protection of the United States Courts, criminal
investigations, fugitive apprehension, execution of federal court orders
and other law enforcement activities in the District. Further, the
Eastern District of Washington is a member of the Pacific Northwest
Violent Offender Task Force.
Marshal Thayer began his association with law enforcement and the
Sheriff’s office in 1972 as a “Sherriff’s Posse” certified diver for the
Underwater Search and Rescue team. As an Emergency Medical Technician
(EMT), Marshal Thayer worked on the Sheriff’s Ambulance Service for many
years. He came up through the ranks of the Sheriff’s Office and held
numerous assignments including Reserve Deputy Coordinator, Explorer
Advisor, Marine Deputy and Supervisor, Training Officer, initial 911
Project, Deputy Coroner, and Team Member and Supervisor of the Tactical
Response Team (SWAT). Marshal Thayer was initially appointed as Sheriff
in 1994, and then served four terms as the elected Sheriff of Stevens
County Washington. While serving as Sheriff, Craig managed the Sheriff’s
Office, the Ambulance Service, the Jail, the Emergency Services
Department, and the Consolidated Emergency 911 / Dispatch center.
Throughout his career, Marshal Thayer has served on various commissions
and was twice appointed as a Commission member for the Advisory Council
on Criminal Justice Services in Washington State, and twice appointed to
the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission, and served as
the Commission’s Chair prior to becoming Marshal. He served on the Joint
Terrorism Task Force Executive Board for Washington State and is a past
President of both the Washington State Sheriffs’ Association, and of the
Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs.
Marshal Thayer graduated from Gonzaga University with a Bachelor of
Science degree in Criminal Justice and a minor in Sociology, and has a
Juris Doctorate from Gonzaga University School of Law. He has been
admitted to practice by the Washington State Bar Association, the
Federal Bar of the Eastern District of Washington and by the United
States Supreme Court. Marshal Thayer has completed the Northwest Law
Enforcement Executive Command College, the National Sheriffs’ Institute
Executive Development Program, and the FBI National Academy.
Additionally, the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission
awarded him their Executive Management Certification. |