Date: May 3, 2022 Contact: newsroom@ci.irs.gov WASHINGTON — IRS-Criminal Investigation announced Chris Janczewski, a former Washington, D.C., Field Office Cyber Crimes Unit special agent, as a finalist for the 2022 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals, or Sammies, run by the Partnership for Public Service. This is the second time Janczewski was a finalist for the Sammies, which are the premier awards program honoring excellence and innovation in federal service. As an IRS-CI CCU agent, he was part of an interagency investigative team working with agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations that were selected from more than 400 impressive nominations this year. Their "Bitcoin Terror Takedown Team" is a finalist in the Safety, Security and International Affairs Category for stopping global anti-American online terrorism funding. They dismantled a series of sophisticated online fundraising campaigns run by terrorist organizations al-Qassam Brigades (Hamas's military wing), al-Qaeda, and Islamic State of Iraq (ISIS) and the Levant and seized millions of dollars' worth of cryptocurrency. "We are extremely proud and commend the top-notch investigative work Chris and the team did dismantling sophisticated global terrorism financial and communication networks preventing them from causing destruction around the world," said Special Agent in Charge Darrell Waldon, IRS-CI Washington, D.C., Field Office. "IRS-CI agents are the nation's preeminent financial investigators, and this excellent case work is another example of our D.C. Cyber Crimes Unit expertise following the money trail through sophisticated cryptocurrency transactions." Since its inception in 2002, the Sammies have honored over 650 outstanding federal employees. Janczewski is among 30 federal employees across 22 federal agencies honored as 2022 Sammies finalists for their outstanding contributions to safety, public health and sustainability across our nation and the world. Visit 2022 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals website for more information on the awards and the 2022 finalists. You can support IRS-CI by voting for Kyle Armstrong, Chris Janczewski, and Ryan Landers -- the "Bitcoin Terror Takedown Team" for the People's Choice Award. Anyone can vote up to one time per day through July 1, 2022.
