Tom proudly served the United States for nearly 27 years, retiring in May 2022 from the Department of Justice as Associate Deputy Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF). As a career federal agent, he enforced a wide range of federal criminal laws, especially related to firearms, explosives, arson, and violent crime. He worked extensively in undercover assignments and regularly testified in federal court as both a fact and an expert witness. Tom retired as Chief Operating Officer (COO) of ATF and a member of the Senior Executive Service (SES).

From June 2022 to June 2025, Tom was Senior Vice President of Forensic Services at SoundThinking, Inc., the maker of the acoustic gunshot detection system known as “ShotSpotter.” Tom oversaw a team of expert witnesses and experienced professionals who supported the integrated use of data, precision policing tools, and forensic evidence to detect, investigate, and prosecute gun crimes. His team also helped law enforcement and academic researchers use data to better understand, analyze, and report on gun violence and the effectiveness of crime reduction efforts.

He regularly speaks on matters related to criminal justice, law enforcement, and firearms law to cabinet-level and other high-ranking government executives, industry trade groups, law enforcement officials, and in the national media.

As an Adjunct Professor at the William S. Boyd School of Law, Tom teaches “Firearms Law & the Second Amendment,” a viewpoint-neutral examination of the history, constitutional doctrine, and modern state of firearms law in America.

Tom has a BA in Criminal Justice from Marshall University in Huntington, WV; an MS in Criminal Justice from Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, KY; and a JD from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, where he was an Articles Editor on Law Review.

Tom is licensed to practice law in Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky. He sits on the Executive Committee of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) Section on Firearms Law.