Scot Rittenberg brings a wealth of experience to Guidepost, with a focus on external reviews and export controls. Additionally, he concentrates his efforts on expanding the Guidepost’s Federal Practice; providing expertise to Federal, state, local and Tribal law enforcement agencies; and liaising with law enforcement agencies on behalf of Guidepost clients.
Mr. Rittenberg served for more than 30 years as a special agent with the Department of Homeland Security and the US Customs Service. He operated as the second in command of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR). During his tenure, OPR created and implemented an expedited contractor preliminary clearance process for critical agency contracts; developed and implemented the agency’s Insider Threat Program that successfully identified individuals attempting to exploit both physical and logical access vulnerabilities; established a threat management process; and increased the success rate of timely and thorough misconduct investigations. Mr. Rittenberg led multiple investigations into employees engaged in criminal and administrative misconduct. These investigations included alleged civil rights violations and membership in anti-tolerant organizations.
Mr. Rittenberg has extensive experience in border security, smuggling, intellectual property rights, national security matters, transnational criminal organizations, internal investigations, insider threats, and employee misconduct. His assignments included land borders, international airports, and seaports. Mr. Rittenberg’s experience in port security includes leadership of investigative and security operations at major international airports, including Dulles International Airport and Baltimore Washington International Airport; major seaports, including the Port of Baltimore and the Port of Norfolk; and major land borders, including San Ysidro, Otay Mesa and Calexico.
During his assignment to the Washington Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations, Mr. Rittenberg oversaw the creation of the Border Enforcement Security Team (BEST) for the Port of Norfolk. The BEST, a multiagency law enforcement team, focused on terrorist and transnational criminal organizations attempting to utilize the port of entry for illicit and terroristic activities.
Additionally, Mr. Rittenberg managed the port security program for the U.S. Customs Service. Under Mr. Rittenberg’s management, enforcement capabilities at the ports of entry were expanded through the assignment of additional personnel, additional funding, and procurement of technology. While in Baltimore, Mr. Rittenberg was a member of the port security group, an executive level group of enforcement, trade and port administration that focused on the efficient and secure operation of the ports.
Mr. Rittenberg received numerous awards during his career, including the Department of Homeland Security Secretary’s Award for Excellence, for his efforts in reviewing U.S. Secret Service operations during an incursion into the White House. The review led to comprehensive enhancements to the security of the White House Complex.
Mr. Rittenberg held numerous key leadership positions within ICE and the US Customs Service including deputy associate director for OPR; division director of OPR Investigations; Homeland Security Investigations; acting and deputy special agent-in-charge (SAC) of the Washington, DC, field office; acting and assistant special SAC of the Baltimore field office; chief of staff for the headquarters of Investigations; interim chief of the headquarters’ Contraband Smuggling Unit; and interim Treasury liaison for the US Customs Service.
