Special Agent in Charge Joe Chesnut has been assigned to the GBI Region 3 Field Office in Americus. GBI Regional offices assist local law enforcement agencies, when requested, in a variety of felony criminal investigations. These regional offices also investigate criminal violations on property owned by the state or its departments, bureaus, commissions, or authorities. Prior to his transfer, Agent Chesnut established the newly formed Southwestern Regional Drug Enforcement Office in Albany, Georgia which serves 42 counties in Southwest Georgia. Agent Chesnut was previously the Special Agent in Charge of the West Metro Regional Drug Enforcement Office, which serves the Metropolitan area of Atlanta where he was a supervisor for over ten years. Chesnut has been with the GBI for 23 years and was previously assigned to the State Drug Task Force and the GBI Regional Office in Sylvester. Prior to joining the GBI, Agent Chesnut served as a Deputy Sheriff with the Stewart County Sheriff’s Office for six years. Agent Chesnut is a graduate of the 251st Session of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, and holds a Master’s Degree in Administration and a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Georgia Southwestern State University. Currently, Agent Chesnut serves as the Vice President of the Georgia Narcotics Officers Association and is a delegate for the National Narcotics Officers Association. He is an Area Representative for the FBI National Academy Associates Georgia Chapter and a member of the GBI Special Enforcement Team.