Team member: Robert Michaelis
Robert Michaelis
HIWU Investigator
Robert Michaelis brings more than three decades of investigative experience to his role as an investigator at the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit (HIWU), where he focuses on enforcing the Anti-Doping and Medication Control Program of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority. Michaelis has been with HIWU since April 2024, after serving as a contract investigator for the same organization since May 2023.
Prior to joining HIWU, Michaelis had a distinguished career tackling international and domestic criminal conspiracies. He served as an investigator at 5 Stones intelligence (5Si), specializing in corruption within Thoroughbred horseracing. His extensive background also includes roles such as a lead investigator and consultant for Guidepost Solutions, an investigator for the Office of the Independent Investigations Office for the Federal Monitor of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, supervisory revenue crimes specialist and acting chief of the Cigarette Strike Force for the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, special investigator for the special commissioner of Investigations for the New York City School District, Manager for Corporate Security at JetBlue Airways, and a 25-year tenure as a special agent and supervisory special agent with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
Michaelis earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in English and criminal justice from Villanova University.