Collins was an agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In 1994, he served as a member of a task force that, under the supervision of Agent Frank Burst, was assigned to apprehend Robert Patrick Modell. Collins helped complete this task and was present when Modell was taken into custody, in a grocery store in Loudoun County, Virginia. During the arrest, Agent Burst gave Collins an instruction by name, allowing Modell to learn it.