PROFESSION
Retired NYPD Detective and practicing Forensic Firearms Consultant, Expert Witness, Forensic Instructor and Training Consultant related to the fields of firearms operability, microscopic analysis of ballistics evidence and shooting incident reconstruction. Providing professional assistance for case evaluation, courtroom preparation and trial presentation in both criminal prosecution and civil litigation to attorneys and law enforcement agencies since 1998.
EXPERIENCE
Independent Forensic and Training Consultant - Sept. 1998 to Present
FORENSIC FIREARM CONSULTATION
Conducted independent examination and evaluation for a variety of Firearms and Toolmark related cases using recognized analytical techniques.
Retained as a member of an advisory shooting reconstruction team which traveled to Abu Dhabi, UAE investigating gunshot injuries to United Arab Emirates military personnel assigned to Iraq.
Retained as a forensic consultant in criminal and civil litigation pertaining to police involved shootings in Rochester, Albany and New York City, NY.
Assisted both Defense Counsel and Prosecutors with trial preparation and presentation as an expert witness in the fields of ballistics, firearms operability and microscopic examination of shooting related evidence.
Provided professional assistance for criminal defense, prosecutions and civil litigation involving cases of murder, assault and weapons possession in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Kansas and Florida.
Retained as a forensic consultant by the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team which is internationally recognized by the United Nations and charged with the forensic investigation of discovered mass graves throughout the world.
Examined and analyzed firearms, microscopic evidence, police documents, medical examiner reports and crime scene information.
Retained to research scientific information, gather facts and prepare forensic reports relating to both civil and criminal investigations.
Provided scientific experimentation, forensic examination and case preparation for litigation involving injuries by different paint ball markers.
Conducted field testing and professional evaluation for product development of holsters.
FORENSIC TRAINING
As a training consultant I have created training programs in firearms operability, moot courtroom instruction and microscopic analysis of ballistic evidence.
Retained from 2001 through 2005, by the New York City Police Department as a Firearms Consultant and Training Coordinator responsible for creating three ASCLD and LAB recognized training courses in firearms operability, moot courtroom instruction and microscopic analysis.
Personally compiled an extensive forensic training manual, reviewed by ASCLD/LAB and adopted by the NYPD Laboratory Firearms Analysis Section in 2004.
Created and administered both competency and proficiency tests to a number of NYPD firearm examiners according to ASCLD and LAB standards.
Successful trained thirty New York City Police Department Detectives, Police Officers and Criminalists in the fields of firearms operability and firearms identification.
Served as a member of the Forensic Advisory Group to the Director of the New York City Police Department Laboratory assisting the New York City Police Department Laboratory in attaining a professional level of standards in accordance with the ASCLD and LAB requirements for accreditation.
Retained by the Rockland County District Attorney's Office as a Forensic Instructor, Firearms Consultant and Firearms Examiner and Microscopist effectively training eight members of the Rockland County Sheriff's Department in the fields of firearm operability, testing and identification.
MEDIA AND INSTRUCTION ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Continue to lecture in Continuing Legal Education Seminars, Law Enforcement Forensic Education Training and Criminal Investigation Courses in New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Trained and lectured to members of a variety of State and Municipal Police Agencies, Prosecutors Offices and Sheriffs Departments at training courses sponsored by both Montclair State University of New Jersey and the Perimeter College of Georgia.
Appeared as a forensic firearm examiner on Court TV's Forensic Files Series and the Fox Five News Network.
Provided technical advice relating to the preparation of scripts for the Law and Order television series and assisted a number of authors, writers and journalists in novels, screenplays and articles relating to firearms identification, assassinations and murders.
SCIENTIFIC PRESENTATIONS AND UNIVERSITY LECTURES
Moot Court Instruction Course at
St. Johns University (Queens, NY) November, 1997
NYSIAI Educational Conference (Rochester, NY) March, 2000
NYS Firearms Examiner Scientific Working Group Seminar (Albany, NY) November,
2002
Eastern Regional AFTE Training Seminar (Trenton, NJ) November, 2004
New York Microscopical Symposium at John Jay College (New York City, NY) April,
2005
Association of Toolmark & Firearms Examiners Training Seminar (Indianapolis,
IN) June, 2005
Introduction to Forensic Science Course at Hofstra University (Hempstead, NY)
July, 2005; March, 2006
Homicide & Crime Scene Investigation Course (Atlantic City, NJ) March, 2006
Shooting Reconstruction - Scientific Techniques & Methodology (Lancaster, PA)
May, 2006
Trained and or lectured to members of various law enforcement agencies including:
United States Government
Federal Bureau of Investigation
United States Park Police
New York State
New York City Police Department
New York State Police
Rockland County Sheriff's Department
Nassau County Police Department
Westchester County Sheriff's Department
Town of Carmel Police Department
Schoharie County Sheriff's Department
City of Poughkeepsie Police Department
Riverhead Township Police Department
East Hampton Township Police Department
New Jersey
New Jersey State Police
Hudson County Sheriff's Office
Morris County Sheriff's Office
Plymouth Township Police Department
Fort Lee Police Department
Jersey City Police Department
Essex County Prosecutor's Office
Englishtown New Jersey Police Department
Ewing New Jersey Police Department
Cherry Hill New Jersey Police Department
Monroe Township New Jersey Police Department
South Brunswick New Jersey Police Department
Pennsylvania
Capital Region Forensic Unit
Swatara Township Police Department
West Shore Regional Police Department
New Holland Police Department o Manor Township Police Department
Akron Borough Police Department
Northwest Lancaster Regional Police Department
East Lampeter Township Police Department
West Hampfield Police Department
East Hampfield Police Department
Ephrata Police Department
Warwick Township Police Department
Susquehanna Regional Police Department
Cumberland County District Attorneys Office
EXPERIENCE - NEW YORK CITY BALLISTICS SQUAD - OCT. 1989 TO SEPT. 1998
Assigned as a Detective to this unit, my duties included firearms operability and testing, microscopic examination of ballistics evidence and reconstruction of shooting incidents
Completed over 12,000 cases for operability and microscopic examination of ballistics evidence. Testified and qualified as an Expert Witness in 550 trial cases in United States Federal Court, New York City Supreme, Criminal & Family Courts.
Participated in the investigation and examination of cases with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, Drug Enforcement Agency, New York State Police and a number of Police Departments and Detective Units in the region.
SPECIALIZED TRAINING AND COURSEWORK
Glock Firearms Armorer Course (Westchester,
NY) March, 1995
Crime Scene Reconstruction of Shooting Incidents - FBI Academy (Quantico, VA)
July, 1995
Heckler & Koch Model MP5, USP & Shotgun Armorer Course (Toms River, NJ) March,
1997
Association of Toolmark & Firearms Examiners Training Seminar (Annapolis, MD)
July, 1997
|NYPD Criminal Investigation Course (NYPD Police Academy) November, 1997
Mossberg Shotgun Armorer Course (NYPD Police Academy) August, 1997
NYPD Evidence Collection Team Training Course (NYPD Police Academy) January,
1998
NYSIAI Regional Educational Conference (Williams Lake, NY) November, 1998
Association of Toolmark & Firearms Examiners Training Seminar (Williamsburg,
VA) July, 1999
NYSIAI Regional Educational Conference (Rochester, NY) March, 2000
NY, NJ, and Connecticut Tri-State Training Conference (Atlantic City, NJ) March,
2000
Shooting Incident Reconstruction Training Course (NYPD Lab) May, 2000
Digital Imaging of Evidence Training Course (NYPD Lab) April, 2002
Association of Toolmark & Firearms Examiners Training Seminar (San Antonio,
TX) May, 2002
Ricochet Analysis Training Workshop (San Antonio, TX) May, 2002
Wound Ballistics Training Workshop (San Antonio, TX) May, 2002
National Integrated Ballistic Information Network Training Course (Largo, FL)
June, 2002
Shooting Reconstruction & Firearms and Toolmark Examination Protocols (Albany,
NY) November, 2002
BATF Firearm Serial Number Restoration School (NYPD Lab) January, 2003
Association of Toolmark & Firearms Examiners Training Seminar (Philadelphia,
PA) May, 2003
NYSIAI Regional Educational Conference (Williams Lake, NY) December 2003
New England Firearm Examiners Educational Conference (Meriden, CT) September,
2004
Forensic Shooting Reconstruction Training Course (Prescott, AZ) November, 2004
Eastern Regional AFTE Training Seminar (Hamilton, NJ) November, 2004
New York Microscopical Symposium at John Jay College (New York City, NY) April,
2005
Association of Toolmark & Firearms Examiners Training Seminar (Indianapolis,
IN) June, 2005
Wilson Arms Factory Familiarization Tour & Instruction (Branford, CT) January,
2006
Expert Testimony & Evidentiary Law related to the Daubert Decision (Hamilton,
NJ) April, 2006
Association of Toolmark & Firearms Examiners Training Seminar (Springfield,
MA) June, 2006
F.B.I. Toolmark Examination & Evaluation Training Course (Springfield, MA) June,
2006
Ruger Firearms, Model G100 Revolver Armorer Course (Springfield, MA) June, 2006
Gunshot Residue Chemical Testing & Evaluation Course (Springfield, MA) June,
2006
International Association of Identification (IAI) Training Conference (Boston,
MA) July, 2006
Sig Sauer Firearms, Model 220, 229 Pistol Armorer Course (Hamilton NJ) August,
2006
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Association of Firearms and Toolmark
Examiners (Regular Membership) (AFTE)
Association of Crime Scene Reconstruction (ACSR)
International Association of Identification (IAI)
International Association of Wound Ballistics (IAWB)
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (Associate member)
(NACDL) National Rifle Association (NRA)
New York State Identification Association (NYSIAI)
New Jersey State Identification Association (NJAIA)
New York Microscopical Society (NYMS)
NYS Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (Associate member) (NYSACDL)
Northeastern Association of Forensic Scientists (NEAFS)
KEYWORDS
Firearms Expert Witness, Microscopy Expert Witness, Toolmarks Expert Witness, Crime Scene Investigations Expert Witness, Shooting Reconstruction Expert Witness, Ballistics Expert Witness, Trajectory Expert Witness, Gunshot Distance Determination Expert Witness, Toolmarks Expert Witness, Firearms and Cartridge Cases Expert Witness, Gunshot Wounds Expert Witness, Trajectory Expert Witness, Impression Marks Expert Witness, Gunshot Distance Determination Tests Expert Witness, Pattern Tests Expert Witness; Homemade Firearms Expert Witness, Altered and Modified Firearms Expert Witness; Rifles Expert Witness, Handguns Expert Witness, Shotguns Expert Witness, Single Shot Expert Witness, Semi-Automatic Expert Witness, Full Automatic Expert Witness; Fatal Expert Witness, Non-Fatal Shootings Expert Witness, Voluntary Expert Witness, Involuntary Expert Witness, Accidental Expert Witness, Neglect Expert Witness, Police Officer Involved Shootings Expert Witness, Suicide Expert Witness, Homicide Expert Witness