• Colonel Thé Tran
• Deputy Director

Colonel Thé Tran was appointed the Deputy Director in the Division of Internal Investigation in June 2024. Deputy Director Tran has over 26 years of law enforcement experience, which began within the Illinois Department of Corrections and the Will County Sheriff’s Department. In 1997, he joined the Illinois State Police (ISP) as a member of Cadet Class 94. Upon graduation from the ISP Academy, Colonel Tran was assigned to District 15, where he worked as a patrol trooper and an investigator. In 1999, Colonel Tran transferred to the Chicago High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area/Narcotics and Currency Interdiction Team (HIDTA/NARCINT), and then Zone 1 Investigations.

In 2001, Colonel Tran was promoted to Special Agent within the Division of Internal Investigations (DII). From 2003 to 2005, Colonel Tran was assigned to help start up the newly created State of Illinois, Office of Executive Inspector General (OEIG). Colonel Tran returned to DII in 2005, and was promoted to Sergeant, followed by a promotion to Master Sergeant in 2007, where he was assigned as the supervisor of the newly created DII, Priority Investigations Unit. In 2011, Colonel Tran was promoted to Lieutenant, and in 2014, he was promoted to Captain assigned as the DII Northern Commander.

In 2019, Colonel Tran was assigned as the ISP’s liaison to the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA), State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC). His tenure at the SEOC was one of the busiest times in IEMA history, which dealt with unprecedented events such as: record breaking southern Illinois floods, COVID-19 global pandemic, CDC isolation plans, FEMA PPE push out, COVID testing, COVID vaccination security, and Chicago civil unrest/riot operations. In 2020, Colonel Tran was appointed to Major and oversaw the Support Services Command Units, which included the SEOC/Strategic Planning Section, Protective Services Unit, Executive Protection Unit, Commercial Vehicle Section, Safety Education Unit, Motorcycle Enforcement Bureau, Vehicle Identification Office, Crowd Control Team, and the statewide Criminal Patrol Team (CRIMPAT). Most recently in 2021, Colonel Tran was appointed to serve as the Assistant Deputy Director for the Division of Patrol. He is the first Asian-American to be appointed to the rank Lieutenant Colonel and Colonel within the ISP.

Colonel Tran earned a bachelor’s degree from Northeastern Illinois University, and a master’s degree from Western Illinois University. He is also a graduate of the Southern Police Institute from the University of Louisville. Colonel Tran was born in Vietnam, and his family escaped the war-torn country during the Fall of Saigon. Entering the United States as a young refugee with nothing has taught Colonel Tran to always show compassion for others and to never take things for granted.

• Lieutenant Colonel Jose De Jesus
• Assistant Deputy Director

Lieutenant Colonel Jose De Jesus was appointed as Assistant Deputy Director of the Division of Internal Investigation in November 2023. Lieutenant Colonel De Jesus has 18 years of experience with the Illinois State Police and his past assignments include District Chicago Patrol, Medicaid Fraud Investigations, Deputy Chief Public Information Officer, Operations Officer District 21 Patrol, Commander District 5 Patrol, and Northern Commander for the Division of Internal Investigation.

Lieutenant Colonel De Jesus was born in Chicago, Illinois where he attended Lane Tech High School, and earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biochemistry from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Lieutenant Colonel De Jesus is also a veteran, having served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves.

• Commander Natasha Lawson
• Southern DII Commander

Captain Natasha Lawson serves as the Southern Commander of the Division of Internal Investigation (DII), which handles 75 counties in Southern Illinois. Captain Lawson has over 17 years of experience with the Illinois State Police.

In 2006, Captain Lawson joined the Illinois State Police (ISP) and, upon graduation was assigned to District 15 Patrol. Captain Lawson’s diverse background includes the following past assignments with the ISP: The Division of Operations, the Division of Administration, the Public Information Office, the Statewide Recruitment Coordinator under the Equal Employment Opportunity Office, the Chief of Staff for the Legal Office, and as a Bureau Chief at the Division of the Academy and Training.

In 2011, Captain Lawson was a case agent in DII and attended the Basic Investigator Course (BIC). In March 2021, Captain Lawson returned to DII as the Chief of Staff, transitioned into the Springfield Investigative Commander role, and was promoted to the Southern Commander in December 2023.

Captain Lawson was born in Chicago, Illinois, and attended Proviso West High School. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Aviation Administration with a minor in Criminal/Social Justice from Lewis University in Romeoville. She’s a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., which provides community service nationwide. She is also a paralegal, attaining her American Bar Association certification in Paralegal Studies from Roosevelt University in Chicago.

• Commander Jeff File
• Northern DII Commander

Acting Captain Jeff File serves as the Northern Commander of the Division of Internal Investigation, which handles 27 counties in Northern Illinois. Acting Captain File has over 21 years of experience with the Illinois State Police.

In 1997, Acting Captain File began his career in law enforcement as a police officer for Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois. In 2002, he joined the Illinois State Police (ISP) and upon graduation was assigned to District 2 Patrol. From February 2007 through September 2021, he was a member of the Illinois State Police Zone 1 Investigations North Central Narcotics Task Force where he achieved the rank of Master Sergeant and served as the Director of the Task Force. In October 2021, Acting Captain File transferred to the Division of Internal Investigation where he achieved the rank of Lieutenant and served as the Des Plaines Investigative Commander.

Acting Captain File is a graduate of Western Illinois University and has attended numerous Investigative and Leadership courses throughout his career including the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board Executive Institute Police Executive in the 21st Century and the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command.