Internship Spotlight - Michael Lindquist

	From:	Eagle, ID
	Major:	Sociology
	Company:	Idaho State Police
	Location:	Boise, ID

About half-a-year ago in a federal court in Boise, Idaho, one of the most significant terrorism cases in the U.S. took place. Saudi-Arabian Sami Omar Al-Hussayen was tried on charges of terrorism and immigration fraud.

Mikah Lindquist was present at a number of the proceedings in that trial. His father is a Federal Prosecutor and Assistant District Attorney. "I've been around the judicial system for a long time," Mikah said, "and when I saw FBI analysts and agents process this case, I knew what I wanted to do."

One FBI analyst in particular stood out to him named John Polcaster. "He's brilliant," Mikah exclaimed. "I had flirted with other majors, but after seeing Agent Polcaster in this case, I wanted to become an investigator myself," he said.

Mikah obtained an internship position with the Idaho State Police as an assistant investigator. Three basic divisions existed where Mikah worked: one dealt with general crimes, and the other two with narcotics. "I did a lot of paperwork for a case involving the Russian Mafia, which involved the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office. It's kind of boring, but it has to be done," he said.

He also put together a timeline and criminal history for a narcotics case his team was working on, wherein they dealt a lot with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. But, as Mikah put it, "The real fun stuff was going out with the guys."

Buying and selling drugs, Mikah and his team focused more on gathering information and evidence that would lead them to big busts than they were with petty drug dealing. "The department's budget sometimes got really tight. When we made a deal, we had to follow through on it to avoid creating suspicion," Mikah explained.

"I remember one time, we needed $10,000 dollars for a drug purchase. We have an unlisted account, meaning the bank doesn't know we're cops. A plainclothes officer went in one afternoon and withdrew the ten grand. I wish I had seen the teller's reaction to it," he chuckled.

Mikah wants to pursue the investigatory and analytical side of law enforcement. "I liked it a lot better than going out on patrol," he said. Overall, Mikah said "It was an outstanding internship. The practical life experience I gained, the friends I made; I don't think I could've gotten an placement better suited to my interest."

Next summer Mikah is considering an internship with either the FBI or with the U.S. Marshalls. "Eventually I'd like to work for the FBI, especially since U.S. Marshall interns only do paperwork," he said. He is also learning Arabic and Hebrew to improve his capabilities in terrorism investigation.