Mr. Vinton is a 27 year veteran of the FBI, having served primarily in the New York Office where he managed a multi-agency task force and supervised numerous high profile organized crime and international drug cartel investigations.

He began his career as a Special Agent in the Miami, FL office where he conducted national security and general criminal investigations involving white collar crime, violent crime and major thefts.  He then attended the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, CA, and upon being assigned to the New York Office, specialized in national security matters. In a short time he was assigned to the Organized Crime Division where he achieved a supervisory position.  In this capacity he directed investigations involving the infiltration of legitimate business by organized crime, related extortion, and public corruption in New York City and surrounding communities.  

When the FBI received jurisdiction over drug violations, Mr. Vinton assumed the post of Coordinating Supervisor of the Drug Enforcement Program in the New York Office where he directed 130 professionals conducting drug investigations.  He conducted program audits of regional FBI offices, established training programs, and managed complex investigations. Mr. Vinton assisted FBI Headquarters in formulating national investigative strategies and policies for multi-agency national and international drug investigations.  He also obtained and managed funding from the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Mr. Vinton established and trained a joint FBI/NYCPD Drug Task Force, represented the FBI nationally at conferences, and maintained liaison with federal, state, local and foreign drug enforcement officials.
 
Working closely with United States Attorney Rudolph Giuliani and future-FBI Director Louis Freeh, Mr. Vinton helped bring to justice organized crime families both in Italy and in the United States in the famous “Pizza Connection” international heroin importation case. 

Following his retirement from the FBI, Mr. Vinton was appointed the Deputy Commissioner of the Westchester County Department of Public Safety and held that position until 1997.  In this capacity he managed the planning, organization, and coordination of the fiscal and administrative functions of the department and ensured the enforcement of all applicable state and local laws, ordinances, rules and regulations.  He managed the day to day operations of the Patrol, Detective and Civil Bureaus and Training Academy. 

In 1997, Mr. Vinton was appointed an Inspector under the Inspector General of the Laborer’s International Union of North America (“LIUNA”).  In that capacity, he was charged with identifying organized crime infiltration of 15 local New York unions and investigating complaints alleging favoritism, hiring hall violations, abuses of monies, and onsite violations. 

In addition to his work for LIUNA, Mr. Vinton managed his own business and worked with the court-imposed monitor of Suburban Carting Corporation, a Westchester County waste removal company whose principals were convicted in a scheme to control the carting industry in Westchester County.