It was Tierney who, in March 2010, brought a House subcommittee to Gloucester for a hearing that included testimony from NOAA administrator Jane Lubchenco, federal Inspector General Todd Zinser and NOAA's then-Director of Law Enforcement, Dale J. Jones.

The testimony began the unraveling of Jones' 10-year term at the head of NOAA's cadre of agents.

Zinser's July 1, 2010, report debunked claims by NOAA's Office of Finance that the balance in the fund was $8.4 million, noting that approximately $96 million was taken in over 41/2 years through June 30, 2009, while about $49 million was spent through more than 82,000 transactions. Among those expenditures were overseas travel to exotic destinations unrelated to cases, and a fleet of a larger number of vehicles than the agency had agents.

Jones was reassigned, but never punished or sanctioned, and remains in a $150,000-plus job on the NOAA payroll .