Carter F. Smith

Dr. Carter F. Smith is an author, researcher, and educator whose work explores the intersections of crime, justice, and history—past and present. He teaches security and criminal justice at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) and is a retired U.S. Army CID special agent with more than two decades of experience in federal investigations, military base security, and counter-gang operations.

While stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, in the 1990s, Dr. Smith identified and addressed the growing influence of gangs in the military, ultimately founding the Army’s first Gang and Extremist Investigations Team. His law enforcement and security work has taken him across the United States and around the world—from Panama to Korea to Germany—where he investigated fraud, cybercrime, and organized criminal activity.

In addition to his academic and field-based research on gang evolution, military-trained offenders, and campus security threats, Dr. Smith has written extensively on historical crime. His most recent books, From Patriot to Pirate and The Trial of Sam Mason, chronicle the rise and fall of a Revolutionary War officer turned river pirate, blending deep historical research with a compelling true crime narrative. These titles appeal to readers of both narrative nonfiction and historical fiction grounded in real-world events.

Dr. Smith holds a Ph.D. in Business Administration (Criminal Justice emphasis) from Northcentral University, a J.D. from Southern Illinois University, and a B.S. from Austin Peay State University. He has taught for MTSU, Austin Peay, the Florida Institute of Technology, and numerous professional organizations including the U.S. Army, U.S. Department of Justice, and the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences.

He is a three-time recipient of the Frederic Milton Thrasher Award for gang research and has been interviewed by NPR, the History Channel, the New York Times, and numerous local and national media outlets.