Biography

Lieutenant Colonel Evangelina James is currently employed by the Department of Financial Services, Division of Criminal Investigations, where she oversees statewide criminal investigative operations. She has more than 24 years of law enforcement experience. Her law enforcement career began in 2002 with the Vero Beach Police Department, joining the Department of Financial Services, Criminal Investigations Division, in 2006, where she specialized in major, complex financial and organized fraud investigations. She progressed through leadership roles as Captain, Lieutenant, and Detective in the Bureau of Insurance Fraud, where she managed multi-jurisdictional investigative operations and conducted high-risk enforcement actions. Lieutenant Colonel James later served as Bureau Chief of Insurance Fraud and Bureau Chief of Fire, Arson, and Explosives Investigations within CID. In these roles, she directed statewide investigative operations, coordinated disaster response efforts, and oversaw enforcement of Florida’s Insurance Fraud and Workers’ Compensation statutes. In addition to her command responsibilities, she serves as a Criminal Justice Standards & Training Commission instructor, specializing in high-liability subject areas. She holds a Master of Science in Justice Administration from the University of Louisville and a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Bethune-Cookman College. She is a graduate of the FBI National Academy (Session 273) and the Southern Police Institute Command Officers Development Course Class #73. Additionally, she is a member of the Florida Police Chiefs Association, the State Law Enforcement Chiefs Association, and the FBI National Academy Associates.