W 1 G L O B A L

W1 Global provides investigative, risk advisory, intelligence and threat assessment services to clients across the globe. Our approach is tailored to each client's specific needs and executed to exacting standards by a deeply experienced team drawn from premier federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies and the private sector.   

New York | DC | Boston | Chicago | Los Angeles

OUR SERVICES

  • W1 Global provides discreet investigative services to help our clients assess and address internal and external matters — from internal misconduct and regulatory breaches to external fraud, cyber incidents and hostile threats.  Our priority is to provide actionable intelligence to protect our clients' reputations, assets and strategic interests.

  • Where appropriate, W1 Global provides advisory services to clients facing complex immigration challenges, including revocation of U.S. entry visas or designation by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).  Our work is conducted through counsel under the provisions of U.S. law pursuant to 31 C.F.R. Sections 587.404 and 587.506(c).

  • W1 Global provides a variety of services (e.g., opposition research, evidence collection, forensic analysis, etc.) in support of legal teams preparing for complex civil and criminal litigation proceedings. We work with corporate clients directly and through counsel.  

  • W1 Global assists clients in identifying a variety of assets. We leverage proprietary software to identify accounts held at financial institutions (including brokerage accounts and cryptocurrency holdings) and traditional human and open-source intelligence to uncover ownership interests (onshore and offshore) in legal entities, real estate holdings, jewels, artwork, vessels and aircraft.

  • W1 Global provides advisory services to clients in a variety of sectors, including the financial services industry, to proactively identify and address material regulatory risks, including potential violations of anti-money laundering and anti-bribery and corruption laws.

  • W1 Global maintains a team of investigators and analysts focused on collecting and analyzing human and open-source intelligence (including leaked, hacked or otherwise compromised data sets on the dark web) in support of clients in a variety of contexts, including enhanced due diligence in advance of high-value capital market transactions, private equity investments and joint ventures; sensitive C-suite hires; market-entry activity in high-risk jurisdictions; and bespoke investigative and intelligence needs.

  • Threat, Vulnerability and Risk Assessments (TVRAs)

    W1 Global has deep expertise in conducting threat, vulnerability and risk assessments (TVRAs) on behalf of corporations, high-net-worth individuals and family offices.  Our extensive experience in the law enforcement and intelligence communities, combined with access to state-of-the-art technology, exceeds industry best practices.

    Executive Protection

    W1 Global provides highly specialized, discreet security solutions – including pre-travel intelligence assessments – to ensure a high-level of protection for corporate executives, VIPs, and their families, domestically and while abroad. 

  • W1 Global provides confidential reporting channels, protection protocols, investigative services and compliance advice to support whistleblowers and organizations navigating sensitive disclosures.

W1 Global was formed in 2020. 

Since then, we have earned the trust of high-profile clients throughout the world, in the public and private sectors, for our ability to resolve even the most complex challenges quickly, strategically and with complete discretion.

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM

  • Mr. McMurry serves as the CEO of W1 Global. Mr. McMurry is a career law enforcement and intelligence professional and a recognized authority on international corruption, transnational crime, and financial investigations. With a distinguished 24-year tenure with the FBI in both the New York Field Office and at FBI Headquarters, Mr. McMurry was the inaugural Supervisory Special Agent of the FBI’s International Corruption Squad, leading global investigations into Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) violations, complex money laundering, and anti-trust matters. He later served as Unit Chief of the FBI’s International Corruption Unit in Washington, D.C., overseeing hundreds of cases and supervising teams of agents, analysts, and forensic accountants. Mr. McMurry led U.S. investigations into two of the most consequential international corruption cases in recent history – 1MDB, a case that exposed a multibillion-dollar embezzlement scheme involving a Malaysian government fund and resulted in $1.8 billion in recovered assets— the largest civil forfeiture in DOJ Kleptocracy Initiative history and the Odebrecht case, conducted with U.S. and Brazilian prosecutors, uncovered over $700 million in bribes paid to officials across 13 countries, leading to a $3.5 billion global settlement and dozens of indictments. Mr. McMurry also led transnational organized crime investigations across Asia and the Middle East, advised DOJ on national strategy, and briefed the U.S. National Security Council on evolving threats.  Earlier, Mr. McMurry served as a Special Agent in the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations, deploying to Egypt and Somalia.

  • Prior to joining W1, Mr. Bonavolonta was a Managing Partner at a global security firm specializing in solving complex risk-based challenges for multinational corporations, critical institutions, and high-net-worth clients. Mr. Bonavolonta previously served for more than 27 years in the FBI, culminating in his role as Special Agent in Charge (SAC) of the Boston Field Office where he oversaw high-profile criminal and national security investigations and led coordination across federal, state, and local law enforcement in a four-state region through multiple terrorism and violent crime task forces. He also served as the regional lead for the Domestic Director of National Intelligence Program (DDNI) in New England. Additional FBI leadership roles include Deputy Assistant Director of the Counterintelligence Division in Washington, D.C. and Chief of the Cyber and Counterintelligence Branch in Boston.  Mr. Bonavolonta received the Attorney General’s Director’s Award for his role in the Bonanno La Cosa Nostra investigations in New York and led an international organized crime initiative in partnership with the Italian National Police targeting cooperation between U.S.-based LCN families and the Sicilian Mafia. Mr. Bonavolonta is the recipient of the Law Enforcement Distinguished Community Service Award, the Director’s Award for Excellence to the Intelligence Community, and the National Intelligence Meritorious Unit Citation.

  • Mr. Penza is a seasoned professional with over 27 years of experience in law enforcement and national security.  As the Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Violent Crime Threat Branch at the FBI’s New York Office, Mr. Penza managed a substantial annual operating budget of over $5 million and led a team of more than 200 law enforcement professionals. Mr. Penza’s expertise in tactical operations was exemplified during his tenure with the FBI, where he played critical roles in numerous high-risk enforcement operations. As an on-scene commander for SWAT deployments and law enforcement officer-involved shootings, Mr. Penza’s strategic oversight and decisive action were instrumental in the successful resolution of these critical incidents. His collaborative efforts with the New York City Police Department led to the strategic targeting and federal prosecution of over 120 violent offenders, significantly reducing gun violence within an 18-month period. Mr. Penza also gained substantial international experience during his assignment in the FBI’s Legal Attaché Office in Rome, Italy, focusing on transnational organized crime investigations with significant U.S. and Italian connections. Mr. Penza’s leadership and operational acumen have been recognized with multiple prestigious awards, including the US Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service and the Federal Executive Board Award for Outstanding Investigation.

  • Mr. DeStefano is a 25-year veteran of the FBI where he led teams in Crisis Management, Transnational Organized Crime, and Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) in the New York Field Office (NYO). He served as Assistant Special Agent in Charge (ASAC) of a Special Operations Branch within the FBI’s New York Field Office, overseeing crisis preparedness, response, and recovery across both domestic and international areas of responsibility—including Western Europe and Africa. Following his retirement from the FBI, Mr. DeStefano led a team of former law enforcement and security professionals in conducting detailed threat and risk assessments and security planning for private firms and high-net-worth individuals. Mr. DeStefano also provided clients with security planning, design, and implementation support for the construction of several high-profile Manhattan towers. During this period, he earned the Certified Protection Professional (CPP) designation from ASIS International, an internationally recognized authority in private safety and security.

  • Mr. Heuchling has more than 15 years of complex, international investigative experience over his time in federal law enforcement and the private sector. He was most recently the Director of Investigations at a London-based investigative firm, where he led global investigations focusing on frauds and corruption, including for commercial litigation support, asset tracing, and on-the-ground intelligence and evidence collection. Prior, Mr. Heuchling spent more than 13 years in the FBI, finishing his career as the Supervisory Special Agent of the FBI’s New York International Corruption Squad, where he led investigations involving foreign corruption and the FCPA, international money laundering and anti-trust matters. He led meetings with foreign law enforcement and anti-corruption agencies across the globe and devised strategies for cooperation between foreign counterparts. He was the lead investigator of the U.S. investigation into 1MDB, a Malaysian sovereign wealth fund from which more than $4.5 billion was alleged to have been stolen, which resulted in the largest asset recovery in the U.S. Department of Justice history. Mr. Heuchling started his professional career in the Navy as an engineer and communications officer, and he completed three tours in support of Iraqi Freedom and the global war on terrorism.

  • Mr. Bachour is a 22-year veteran of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and served with distinction in various leadership positions, including the DEA Headquarters Sensitive Undercover Operations Unit, the Special Operations Division, and leadership positions within DEA’s Foreign and Domestic Field Offices.  Mr. Bachour is a renowned Subject Matter Expert (SME) in Covert Operations, HUMINT, Financial investigations, and U.S. Attorney General Exempt Operations (AGEO).  He served as DEA’s Country Attaché based in Paris, France and other Diplomatic positions resulting in highly successful impactful investigations in coordination with foreign counterparts and the Diplomatic community. While overseas, Mr. Bachour forged strong partnerships and alliances with European and African law enforcement and intelligence counterparts. He spearheaded numerous record-setting asset seizures from transnational criminal organizations in the United States, South America, Africa, Europe and the Middle East. Mr. Bachour also served as a Supervisory Special Agent in the Miami Field Division where he led a multi-agency task force of Federal Agents and Task Force Officers. He led several highly successful global undercover money laundering investigations, and worked extensively in South America, Central America, the Caribbean and the Levant. Mr. Bachour is also an SME with respect to Lebanon and the Levant region.

  • Mr. Block has over 20 years of experience providing investigative and risk advisory services to clients in the financial services, defense and extractive industries.  He is widely known in the risk advisory space for his ability to assemble teams with highly specialized skills (e.g., human source access, open-source research, dark web analysis, physical surveillance, etc.) to address complex, geographically diverse investigations.  Prior to joining W1 Global, Mr. Block was an executive with the Financial Crimes Compliance (FCC) unit of one of the largest Swiss investment banks in the world. Prior to that, he worked with several top-tier global consultancies, including KPMG. Mr. Block spent the first decade of his career in journalism, producing stories in Afghanistan, Iraq (embedded), Mali, Honduras, Nicaragua, Tierra del Fuego and elsewhere. He holds an M.S. from Columbia University and a B.A. from Vassar College.

  • Mr. McMahon has over 20 years of experience in the intelligence, national security, and law enforcement communities. As the Senior Supervisory Intelligence Analyst for FBI Boston, Mr. McMahon led one of the FBI’s largest field intelligence programs comprised of analysts, linguists, and data specialists. Mr. McMahon led teams, and interagency task forces covering the criminal, counterterrorism, counterintelligence, and cyber programs. Mr. McMahon has extensive experience managing crises and special events. In the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division, Mr. McMahon advanced international terrorism investigations as an operations specialist, collaborating with domestic and international partners. As a tactical specialist on FBI Boston’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, Mr. McMahon conducted communications, network, and threat analysis. As a strategic analyst, Mr. McMahon authored analyses of current and emerging trends, with a focus on emerging technologies. Mr. McMahon is the recipient of two Office of the Director of National Intelligence Meritorious Unit Citation awards for his contributions to the 2006 US/UK Aviation Threat Task Force, and the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing team. Mr. McMahon was a Recanati-Kaplan Fellow with the Harvard Kennedy School of Government’s Intelligence Project, where his research focused on the use of AI in intelligence analysis.

Our Clients

We are proud to include among our clients one of the largest commodities trading firms in the world, a global alternative asset manager with over $50 billion in assets, elite law firms, an emerging blockchain technology firm and a major financial services firm in the Middle East, among many others.

We invite you to contact us at:

inquiries@w1-global.com

w1-inquiry@protonmail.com

Insights & Media

Analytic Tradecraft Standards in an Age of AI | Harvard Kennedy School | Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs | Gerald McMahon

AI Agents in Diplomacy - Promoting Stability or Chaos? | Harvard Kennedy School | Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs | Gerald McMahon

Corruption Trends in Emerging Markets | Landing the Moonshot Guest Podcast | William “Bill” McMurry | Former Supervisory Special Agent, FBI International Corruption Squad

Operation Varsity Blues - Press Conference | Joseph Bonavolonta | Former Special Agent in Charge (SAC), FBI Boston Field Office

Senior Advisor

  • Mr. tinsley is the founder and chairman of 5 Stones intelligence (5Si). In 2020, he and William McMurry founded W1 Global. 

    Mr. tinsley is a retired Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Supervisory Special Agent with a total of 32 years combined law enforcement and intelligence experience. Over 20 of those years were spent as a DEA Supervisory Special Agent and Special Agent based in Miami.  Mr. tinsley was responsible for the development, strategic leadership, management, and execution of myriad financial investigations, undercover money laundering investigations, and related DEA enforcement operations. He also conducted covert and overt investigative and intelligence operations on behalf of the DEA, the CIA and other elements of the U.S. intelligence community.

    Mr. tinsley served as the DEA-Miami principal point of contact for Foreign Liaison Operational Law Enforcement Directors for the United Kingdom, the Caribbean, Central and South America, Europe, the Middle East and Israel.  Mr. tinsley was selected to lead joint DEA/CIA financial intelligence teams that targeted global clandestine networks at the highest echelon of narco-traffickers, money launderers and terrorist organizations. Mr. Tinsley managed and coordinated global investigations that were sanctioned at the highest levels of the U.S. government.

    Mr. tinsley is a world-renowned thought leader regarding emerging financial threats and trends, as well as a leading Subject Matter Expert (SME) on financial investigations, undercover money laundering operations, international banking investigations, clandestine payment systems and Intelligence collection. He has testified before the U.S. Congress and Senate Sub-Committees on money laundering issues, international currencies, monetary risks and Intelligence matters.

    Mr. tinsley maintains an extensive network of contacts with access to global financial intelligence, emerging markets, strategic economic trends and geo-political-shifts.