Stuart is a Certified Fraud Examiner and a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist with more than 25 years of experience conducting and leading audits, quality assurance reviews, examinations, risk assessments, internal controls reviews and testing, and inspections. Stuart possesses strong forensic accounting skills and is highly experienced at implementing proactive data analytics, analyzing records and information, interpreting data, summarizing, and presenting complex financial and commercial-related issues.

Prior to Stuart’s federal law enforcement career, he worked with the Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Securities. He investigated several multi-million dollar unregistered investment promissory note Ponzi Schemes, in Illinois. In addition to Ponzi Schemes, Stuart investigated numerous “churn and burn” and conversion of customer assets cases.

Among Stuart’s many investigative accomplishments, was a five-year GSA OIG, FBI undercover investigation in which numerous consensual recordings were made of GSA officials and contractors by cooperators. By the conclusion of the investigation, approximately 19 individuals composed of contractor employees, GSA employees, a court security officer, and an FBI typist; were charged with various bribery charges and with disclosure of wire and oral communications and pleaded guilty.

In addition to the vast array of investigative experience, GSA OIG’s oversight of the Federal Protective Service prior to the Department of Homeland Security realignment, provided Stuart with expertise in physical, technical and personnel security. This all-important work resulted in Stuart’s experience in site surveys, physical security assessments, threat assessments, and business continuity plans.

In addition to the above, Stuart serves as a Commissioner on the Buffalo Grove, Illinois Board of Fire and Police Commissioners.

Michael led a 5-agency taskforce involving a $23 million dollar fraud against the federal program Computers for Learning. Michael also led a multiagency task force against a company abusing the AbilityOne federal program. Michael has investigated multiple employee misconduct cases involving misuse of property, violation of policy, misuse of travel credit cards, workplace violence, and intoxication while working.

Michael is a Master Analyst in Financial Forensics, MAFF, and is a member of the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts, NACVA. With more than 24 years conducting financial investigations, analyzing records and information, interpreting data, summarizing, and presenting complex financial and commercial-related issues. Michael is also a member of the Illinois Security Professionals Association, ISPA

From 2000 to 2014 Michael served in a number of roles at the U. S. Secret Service. Michael was a group leader in the Financial Crimes squad of 25 agents managing their case progress, protection assignments, and agent development. Michael worked with local law enforcement and bank officials to arrest and convict an Eastern European crime ring who were skimming bank ATMs. Michael also conducted investigations and undercover operations in the counterfeit squad. Michael participated in the Chicago Organized Crime Task Force encompassing the Chicago Police, Illinois State Police, and the Illinois Secretary of State Police. Michael was also a senior agent assigned to the Protective Intelligence and Threat assessments squad (PI). While in PI Michael conducted investigations of individuals who threatened U.S. Secret Service Protectees and provided current intelligence for the President and Vice President of the United States and visiting foreign dignitaries.

A senior agent in the Chicago Field Office, Michael was the lead agent during the 2012 NATO Summit for all foreign First Ladies visiting Chicago. Conducted protective advances for all sites. Identified and mitigated any potential threats, and allocated resources needed to create safe and secure sites.

Noteworthy accomplishments: former President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush protective detail, Dallas, Texas; Jeh Johnson, Secretary of Homeland Security protective detail; Candidate Barack Obama residence security detail; George P. Bush protective detail after 9/11; Major event security for the Winter Olympics, Salt Lake City, Utah.

From 1998 to 2000 Michael was a U.S. Border Patrol Agent assigned to the Rio Grande Valley, McAllen, Texas. Michael worked numerous anti-smuggling cases involving human trafficking and drug smuggling.

As a presentence investigator, Denise gathered social and legal data on individuals; ran background checks, financial status and personal history. A key part of Denise’s responsibilities included interviewing defendants and their verification sources in advance of preparing a pretrial services report or presentence report for the court. She testified at detention, preliminary, presentence and violation hearings as appropriate.

As a supervisor, Denise trained new officers; managed daily assignments; and worked in collaboration with other court employees inclusive of judges, US attorneys, US marshals, and other federal agencies.

In her capacity as a contracting officer, Denise conducted audits on contracted agencies to verify their compliance. She trained new employees as appropriate, and conducted site visits to ensure compliance.

Denise was a member of several national audit teams who gathered to conduct office reviews of pre-trial and probation agencies to ensure compliance with national and local policies and procedures. Denise has been a member and honorary member, since her retirement in 2018, of the Federal Probation and Pretial Officers Association (FPPOA).

PhD CISO/VCISO

S Terry Brugger

Terry Brugger, PhD did his undergrad at Purdue where he first got bitten by the security bug. He went on to Lawrence Livermore National Lab where his work became increasingly security focused, and he concurrently worked on his dissertation “The Quantitative Comparison of Computer Networks” at the University of California at Davis. As he finished his dissertation, he became a contractor for a large Federal agency where he led the build out of their Security Operations Center.

That got him recruited by Booz Allen Hamilton, where he began to perform full-scope information security consulting for a variety of Federal and large corporate clients. After a stint at a big data security analytics startup, Dr. Brugger joined forces with RSA Risk Management to ensure that organizations of all sizes can effectively manage their information security risks.

CFE, Esq., Counsel

Paul Finer

Paul Finer, CFE, Esq., has had a long and storied career as a federal agent and began his career in 1974. Beginning at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Paul had the good fortune of working every type of investigation as he progressed as a Special Agent through the various U.S. Treasury agencies including but not limited to U.S. Treasury Department, IRS Criminal Investigation Division, Intelligence Division, (once known as “The Untouchables”), Internal Security/Inspection Division, Revenue Officer, and Collections Division. 

In addition, Paul was a Special Agent at the Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Transportation; and the Assistant Special Agent In Charge (ASAC), U.S. Treasury Office of Inspector General for Tax Administration. Paul has successfully conducted many criminal and civil investigations involving political corruption, waste, fraud, abuse and mismanagement in all levels of Government, narcotics trafficking, human trafficking and more.

Paul has also held leadership positions, both as in government as an ASAC and as a member of the Board of Directors, Florida Association of Private Investigators (FAPI). Paul has held offices in a large condo/townhome association, multiple offices in the various national Law Enforcement associations, and was a Delegate to a Municipal Caucus. Paul hold Private Investigator licenses in Illinois and Florida.

Whether conducting internal investigations, external investigation, testifying as an expert witness or providing tax return analysis in civil litigation support, Paul brings a wide swath of investigation, analysis, and legal skills to the RSA team.

CFE, Managing Director and Washington, DC Field Investigations Office Practice Lead

Gerald Garren

Gerald “Jerry” Garren, CFE, began his federal career as a Special Agent for the (former) U.S. Customs Service where he built expertise investigating transnational organizations involved in money laundering organizations and customs fraud. During this time, Jerry built close working relationships with several Assistant United States Attorneys and was the investigator responsible for the first “straight” money laundering indictment in the Southern District of Texas.

Following the 911 attacks, Jerry was transferred to the Department of Homeland Security and applied his experience in the effort to create Homeland Security Investigations by serving as Deputy Chief of Staff of the Office of Investigations (which later became Homeland Security Investigations).

Jerry was recruited to be the Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Investigations for the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Inspector General, where he became responsible for the revitalization of the agency’s national investigative strategy. His successes include creating a more effective targeting method, leading to a 300% increase in prosecutions and financial recoveries, along with the identification of vulnerabilities in department programs.

Jerry later accepted the position of Special Agent in Charge of the GSA OIG’s flagship National Capital and Mid-Atlantic regions, where his efforts ultimately led to the recovery of hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars. Jerry was often personally called upon to discreetly investigate allegations of ethics, conflict of interest, whistleblower, employee relations, and miscellaneous matters involving Presidential appointees and other high-ranking government executives.

Jerry is a graduate of Benedictine University in Lisle, Illinois, and the Federal Executive Institute’s in-resident leadership program that is associated with the University of Virginia. He holds and maintains the Certified Fraud Examiner credential.