John H Austin Jr.

John H. Austin Jr. founded iMask Intelligence after a decorated career in federal law enforcement, bringing his singular investigative expertise to the private sector. iMask Intelligence is a full-service private investigative and business intelligence firm experienced in complex investigations. The firm’s services include background, confidential and corporate investigations, merger & acquisitions due diligence, intelligence analysis, and litigation support.

Clients served include universities, corporations, executive recruiting firms, and law firms throughout the U.S. Austin served the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration for over two decades. There, he successfully investigated various aspects of domestic and international crime – from money laundering to narcoterrorism, corruption, and confidential matters, and won numerous awards for his work.

As a DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Austin led complex cases targeting the command and control of transnational criminal enterprises with national security implications. He headed up investigations into financial crimes, corruption, and global drug trafficking cases, all requiring intensive intelligence-gathering oversight. Under his supervision, his DEA team intercepted millions worth of illegal narcotics and drug related money.

Austin is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, alumnus of the Geneva Center for Security Policy – Executive in Residence program, and a member of Business Executives for National Security (BENS). At BENS, Austin worked on several committees in partnership with the Intelligence Community on enterprise-wide challenges including workforce divisions among geographic locations and work disciplines. The committee worked on governance framework, mapping of agencies enterprises and possible approaches for redesign. His consulting and analyses have helped BENS present key policymakers with strategies to
improve operational capabilities.

At the request of the Council on Foreign Relations, Austin appear on Capitol Hill to give a briefing to Senior Congressional Staff on combating the ongoing fentanyl crisis. There he drew on his decades of expertise to deliver policy recommendations to mitigate the impact of illicit fentanyl.

Austin has earned Master’s degrees from the London School of Economics, Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs and John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Prior to those, he earned a B.A. from Temple University.