Peter J. Forcelli, a retired Deputy Assistant Director from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), has joined LexisNexis Risk Solutions as Head of Agency Strategy and Engagement for the United States Department of Justice.
In his new role, Forcelli will work directly with agency partners across the DOJ enterprise — including ATF, FBI, DEA, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Office of the Inspector General, the Bureau of Prisons, and other components — to ensure they have access to reliable data, identity intelligence, and risk analytics to support their missions. His focus includes helping investigative and prosecutorial teams connect critical information more quickly, reduce friction in complex workflows, and make informed decisions in high-stakes environments, whether in the field or in the courtroom.
Forcelli brings decades of law enforcement leadership to the position. Before joining ATF, he served 15 years with the New York Police Department, retiring from the Bronx Homicide Task Force. He began his career as a patrol officer and rose to detective before transitioning to federal service.
At ATF, Forcelli served as a Special Agent in New York City and advanced through the ranks to become a Deputy Assistant Director. Over the course of his career, he made more than 1,200 arrests and executed more than 300 search warrants. He was known for developing complex criminal investigations targeting armed gangs and organized criminal groups.
His leadership assignments included serving as Group Supervisor in Phoenix, Assistant Country Attaché in Eastern Canada, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, and Special Agent in Charge of the Miami Field Division.
While leading ATF’s Miami Field Division, Forcelli oversaw the bureau’s response to several mass shootings, including those at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. He also oversaw ATF’s investigation into Omar Mateen and his acquisition of the firearms used in the Pulse Nightclub shooting.
Following his retirement from ATF, Forcelli became an author, public speaker, and advocate for law enforcement and government accountability.
Forcelli is both a survivor of the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks on the World Trade Center and the lung cancer that he later developed because of his work in the rescue and recovery efforts at Ground Zero.
(AI was used in part to facilitate this article.)
