Questioned Documents Examiner Expert Witness

Expert Witness No.557

California

A retired U. S. Marine Corps Reserve Officer and California Department of Consumer Affairs Certified Forensic Sciences Instructor, Expert 557 has more than 29 years of professional experience involving most aspects of  forensic document examination. He is a former San Diego Police Dept. forensic document examiner and, for the past 21 plus years, a private forensic document examiner, consultant and testifying expert. Expert 557 received his apprenticeship in questioned documents, beginning in 1979, at the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department while employed as a Fraud Investigator (California Peace Officer) by the County of Riverside. While employed as a Special Investigator by the State Bar of California, Expert 557 was also a non-compensated Deputy County Clerk in several California Counties.

In criminal matters, Expert 557 has been retained on such crimes ranging from theft, prescription forgery to murder. In civil litigation, he has been retained on behalf of plaintiffs and defendants in matters ranging from suspected forged promissory notes of a few thousand dollars to suspected forged documents with values in the millions of dollars. His cases, both criminal and civil, have included high profile or highly publicized figures or incidents. Expert 557 has lectured extensively on the subject of questioned documents on a local and international level. He is regarded as an excellent expert witness by those who have retained him to provide expert witness testimony and is respected by his peers.

Formal Education:

Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice (Cum Laude).

Available For & Consulted on Matters Involving:

Real Estate Transactions

Corporate Investigations

General Civil Litigation

Medical Malpractice

Immigration Matters

Anonymous Letters

Sexual Harassment

Probate Matters

Criminal

Family Law

Criminal defense

Insurance Fraud

Areas of Expertise & Services Offered Involving:

Development & Decipherment of Indented Writings

Photocopier Classification & Identification

Typewriting Classification & Identification

Signature & Handwriting Identification

Document Dating & Anachronism

Detection of Altered Documents

Computer-Generated Documents

Decipherment of Obliterations

Photocopy Manipulations

Ink & Paper Analyses

Counterfeit Detection

Expert Witness Testimony

Consulting

Venues where Expert Witness Testimony has been provided in California:

Available upon request

Testified on behalf of:

Available upon request

Teaching & Other Consulting Experience:

1989-1994/2004: U. S. Department of Justice (ICITAP), Washington, D. C. Former chief consultant and instructor of questioned documents courses. Presented formal questioned document and  expert  witness  testimony classes  to law enforcement  and  intelligence agents throughout Central and South America and Caribbean.

1988-1995: Grossmont College, El Cajon, California, Forensic Technology Program.
Adjunct faculty and chief instructor.

Examined Documents & Rendered Conclusions on Behalf of:

Bossier Parish District Attorney’s Office, Benton, Louisiana

San Diego County Office of the Alternate Public Defender

San Bernardino County Office of the Public Defender

Riverside County Office of the Public Defender

U. S. Immigration and Naturalization Service

San Diego County Public Defenders’ Office

City of San Diego City Attorney’s Office

U. S. Postal Service Human Resources

County Counsel, County of San Diego

Naval Criminal Investigative Services

California Attorney General’s Office

Federal Defenders of San Diego, Inc.

Drug Enforcement Administration

Beverly Hills Police Department

Federal Bureau of Investigation

U. S. Postal Inspection Service

San Diego Police Department

Internal Revenue Service

Federal Grand Jury

And numerous private law firms, insurance carriers, corporations and private concerns

Highlights of Specialized Formal Questioned Documents Training:

1971:  Golden  West  College,  Huntington  Beach,  CA,  Examination  of  Questioned Documents course,

1980:  Golden  West  College,  Huntington  Beach,  CA,  Examination  of  QuestionedDocuments course.

1980:  Institute  of  Applied  Science.  Included  the  Identification  of  Handwriting  and Typewriting, Syracuse, NY, Scientific Crime Detection.

1980: U. S. Secret Service, Department of the Treasury, Washington, D.C., Questioned
Documents Course,

1986: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Justice, FBI Academy, Quantico, Virginia,  Fundamentals of Document Examination for Laboratory Personnel,

International Association for Identification (Questioned Document Section)

Evidence  Photographers’  International  Council  School  of  Evidence  Photography  & Imaging (EPIC)

Highlights of Continuing Professional Education:

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Forensic Digital Imaging

Southwestern Association of Forensic Document Examiners, Inc. (SWAFDE)

American Board of Forensic Document Examiners (ABFDE)

American Society of Questioned Document Examiners (ASQDE)

American Academy of Forensic Sciences (Questioned Document Section) (AAFS)

Rochester Institute of Technology

California Department of Justice

Professional Employment:

Document Examiner, Escondido, CA. – A Private Forensic Document Service

Document Examiner, San Diego, CA. – A Private Document Examiner Company

Police Document Examiner, Forensic Sciences Unit, San Diego, CA. – A Local Police Department

Document Examiner, County of Los Angeles, CA. – Controller’s Office

Staff Special Investigator & Document Examiner, Los Angeles, CA. – State Bar of California

Fraud Investigator (California Peace Officer) and Document Examiner. – County of Riverside, CA

Professional Affiliations:

International Association for Identification (Questioned Document Section & Questioned Document Section Committee Member)

American Academy of Forensic Sciences (Questioned Document Section)

Southwestern Association of Forensic Document Examiners, Inc. (Charter Member)

San Diego County Investigators Association (Past President)

Evidence Photographers International Council

Association of Certified Fraud Examiners

Licenses & Certifications:

1970 - Private Investigator’s License: Issued by the Department of Consumer Affairs.

1993 - Certified Fraud Examiner  (CFE) designation: Awarded by the Association of
Certified Fraud Examiners.

1998 - Certified Professional Investigator (CPI) designation: Awarded by the California
Association of Licensed Investigators, Inc.,

2000 - Professional Certificate in Criminal Justice from National University, San Diego, CA. Included the formal presentation of a research paper related to the forensic examination of photocopies to peers and faculty of National University.

2004 - Certified Instructor: California Department of Consumer Affairs: Certified to teach
“Forensic Sciences and Technology” and “Security Services Administration & Management”

2004 - Fraud  Claim Law Specialist  (FCLS):  A  comprehensive  course  of  study  in insurance fraud law and defense investigation resulting in the FCLS professional designation conferred by American Educational Institute, Inc.

Proficiency Testing:

Expert 557 has  participated and continues to participate in voluntary proficiency testing for questioned document examiners administered by a third parties, one of which also administers forensic testing in other disciplines to major law enforcement agencies.

Academic & Military Honors:

Graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from
National University, San Diego, CA.

Award of Recognition.  Recognized by PI Magazine as one of the Nation’s Leading Private Investigators because of contributions made to the private investigation field as a forensic document examiner.

Certificate of Achievement for Outstanding Performance as a Teacher:  Awarded by
Grossmont Community College, El Cajon, CA.

Purple  Heart  Medal:  Awarded  for  “wounds  received  in  action”  against  communist guerrilla  forces while  serving in  the  former  Republic  of South  Vietnam with  U.  S. Marines.

U. S. Army Achievement Medal: Earned for meritorious service while serving as a Marine
Liaison Officer for the U. S. Army Oregon National Guard.

Military Experience:

Criminal Investigator (trainee), Sergeant, USMC.

Criminal Investigations Officer/Military Police Officer, Chief Warrant Officer 4 (Ret), USMCR. As an Officer of Marines, provided training for members of the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) and military policemen in questioned documents and investigations and examined documents for the CID.