eSleuth AI Appoints Two Decorated ATF Veterans as Subject Matter Experts

Violent Crime ReductionSpecialists Eric Harden and Bernard J. Zapor bring a combined 52 years of federal law enforcement experience to the AI-driven investigative platform.

WALNUT CREEK, Calif., July 28, 2026 — eSleuth AI, the Enterprise AI Investigative Platform for Law Enforcement today announced the appointment of Eric Harden and Bernard J. Zapor as subject matter experts. Together, they bring more than five decades of frontline federal law enforcement experience, deep expertise in violent crime investigations, and a proven record of building multi-agency collaborative frameworks that eSleuth AI is designed to power at scale.

"As we develop the next generation of AI-powered investigative tools, having advisors who understand the operational demands and data challenges of real investigations is invaluable. Eric and BJ bring exactly that perspective. Their insight will help us engineer solutions that work in the field the way investigators actually need them to,” said Scot Thomasson, Chief Product and Strategy Officer, eSleuth, Inc.

Eric Harden, ATF Special Agent in Charge (Ret.)

Eric Harden brings 27.5 years of distinguished service with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, where he rose to Special Agent in Charge and led both the Los Angeles and San Francisco Field Divisions. His career was defined by the pursuit of violent offenders and a commitment to victims — conducting undercover operations and RICO investigations, and architecting ATF’s Violent Crime Impact Team initiative, a nationally replicated model for multi-agency violent crime reduction. A recipient of the Medal of Valor, the highest decoration for bravery in federal law enforcement, and two Attorney General’s Awards for Distinguished Service, Harden also shaped national investigative policy at ATF Bureau Headquarters. He holds a Bachelor of Science in sociology from Stanford University and retired from ATF in December 2017.

"This is not a post-retirement chapter for me. It is a calling. I was a victim of violent crime at the age of ten. I have lost people I love to violent crime. When I saw what eSleuth AI could do, I knew immediately that this was the work I was meant to do next. There are over 350,000 unsolved homicides in this country since 2013, over 8 million unsolved violent crimes, and roughly 12,000 new unsolved homicides added every year. Behind every one of those numbers is a family waiting for answers. eSleuth AI was built to help deliver those answers, and I am honored to be part of the team making that possible," Eric Harden, advisory board member, eSleuth, Inc.

Bernard J. Zapor, ATF Deputy Assistant Director (Ret.)

Bernard J. Zapor is a 26-year ATF veteran who retired as special agent in charge of the Phoenix Field Division following senior leadership roles including deputy assistant director in Washington, D.C., and Special Agent in Charge in Minneapolis. Commissioned as a special agent in 1989, Zapor built his career pursuing violent crime and federal firearms and explosives violations, and conducting deep-cover undercover operations — including murder-for-hire cases, international weapons trafficking, and covert infiltration of outlaw motorcycle syndicates and extremist organizations. He is currently president and CEO of 3 Delta Consulting, a boutique security and threat mitigation firm, and serves as a faculty associate at Arizona State University’s School of Criminology and Criminal Justice. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Northern Colorado and an MBA from Northcentral University, and has completed executive leadership programs at Harvard University, the University of Virginia, and the Center for Creative Leadership.

"Violent crime leaves a wake of loss that stretches far beyond the immediate victims. The investigators who take on these cases carry that weight every day, often with limited resources and mounting caseloads. eSleuth AI changes that equation. It gives investigators the analytical firepower to work smarter and faster, and I’m proud to help advance a platform that puts that capability where it belongs — in the hands of the people doing the work,” Bernard J. Zapor, advisory board member, eSleuth, Inc.

About eSleuth AI

eSleuth AI is an enterprise AI investigative platform that gives law enforcement a team of Virtual Investigators — AI Special Agents that continuously analyze case data, surface connections and leads, and prioritize cases through a solvability matrix score. Every output carries a full chain-of-custody audit trail and meets CJIS compliance standards. Learn more at www.esleuth.ai

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