New York City Chapter of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners

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 BOARD AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Noel Barreto, CFE,CPP 
President

Mr. Barreto is a Vice President and Investigation Manager in the Corporate Security Department at Bank of America. He is the former Chairman of the New York External Fraud Committee and a member of various security associations including the American Society for Industrial Security and the International Association of Financial Crimes Investigators.                                                                                              
                                                                                                             E-mail Address:
Noel@nycfe.org

John F. Matula, CFE
1st Vice President
Mr. Matula, is President of  John F. Matula Investigations which specializes in criminal, civil, matrimonial, due diligence, asset and pre-employment background investigations.
                                                                                                              E-mail Address: execpi@earthlink.net
Michael C. Jaeger, CPA,CFE,CIG
2nd Vice President

Mike Jaeger is an Assistant Inspector General at the Office of the Inspector General, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, State of New York, in charge of the Financial Investigations Unit.  Mike has a BS in Public Accounting from the University at Albany, and is a Certified Public Accountant, a Certified Fraud Examiner, and a Certified Inspector General He has been among other things, Deputy Chief Auditor with the NYS Attorney General’s office, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, a Director at Decision Strategies, and a Managing Director at Kroll Associates.

                                                                                                             E-mail Address: mjaeger@mtaig.org

Ennesto A. "Pete" Castillo,CFE
3rd Vice President
I am presently a Special Investigator assigned to a County Attorney’s Office.  Prior to this assignment, I was a New York City Detective assigned to various fraud squads.  I consider my service with the New York City Police Department one of my major accomplishments in life.  Upon my retirement from the NYPD, I entered the Insurance and Banking Industries.  There I specialized as an investigator, auditor and underwriter.  Additionally, I was a training resource providing instruction in risk avoidance.  Throughout the years, I have augmented my career by completing post graduate work and attained my Master degree in Public Administration. 

I was born and reared in New York City as the youngest of five children.  I have raised and educated my own three children, all of whom hold college degrees, in New York State.  They are, for me, a beacon of hope for the future.

E-mail Address:ecastillo@nassaucountyny.gov

Kristen M.Bertucelli,CFE,CFCI
Treasurer

 
 Ms. Bertucelli is an Assistant Vice President-Senior Fraud Investigator for Commerce Bank.  Ms. Bertucelli has previously worked as a branch manager and as an internal auditor in the banking industry.  Ms. Bertucelli is both a Certified Fraud Examiner and a Certified Financial Crimes Investigator.  Ms. Bertucelli is a member of various fraud organizations including the New York External Fraud Committee and the International Association of Financial Crimes Investigators.

E-mail Address: Kristen@nycfe.org

Maryellen McGrath,CFE,CIA
Financial Secretary

Maryellen McGrath has approximately 18 years of experience in both the private and public sector working on projects involving forensic accounting, risk management, internal audit, sarbanes oxley compliance and system implementations. She has experience in various industries including construction, insurance, energy, manufacturing, retail and financial services. Ms. McGrath has also delivered presentations with regards to internal audit and the Sarbanes Oxley Act.

Ms. McGrath graduated from the University of Maryland with a B.S. in Accounting and is a Certified Fraud Examiner and Certified Internal Auditor.


E-mail Address:jmth2005@yahoo.com

Carol L. Moretti, CPA,CFE,CVA
Recording Secretary

 

Carol Moretti, a Supervisor at Sobel & Co.,LLC brings relevant, real world expertise across a range of assignments - including matrimonial and commercial litigation, forensic accounting, business consulting and business valuation engagements. Throughout her career Carol has assumed a high level of responsibility with various engagements, most recently in the field of forensic accounting and business consulting. Her background in financial services, including over 18 years experience in private banking, enables her to add additional value to client engagements. After working as a CPA specializing in the taxation of high-net worth individuals at a Big Four public accounting firm, Ms. Moretti went on to manage the tax services department for a large private bank in New York City. Her experience also includes project management and product development in connection with mutual funds, as well as risk and control responsibilities within the investment management and finance areas for the same institution.         

Carol is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), a Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA) and an IRS Enrolled Agent (EA). She is currently completing the New York University Certificate Program in Forensic Accounting.  Ms. Moretti attended Boston College where she earned her B.S. in Accounting, Cum Laude; Pace University where she obtained her M.S. in Taxation and Utica College where she was awarded her M.S. in Economic Crime Management. She also earned a Certificate in Financial Planning from New York University.

E-mail Address: moretticl@yahoo.com

Linda Silvestri, CFE
Corresponding Secretary

 

Ms Silvestri, a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), is a senior consultant in the New York office of Deloitte Financial Advisory Services, LLP (Deloitte FAS) in the Forensic & Dispute Services practice. She assists financial services clients in dispute and forensic investigations as well as other consulting matters. Most recently she has participated in the Region 10 rotating manager program in Deloitte FAS’ Hyderabad India offices. During her three month rotation she worked on numerous projects including Forensic Audit Assistance (FAA) as well as Document Review and Business Interruption Consulting (BIC) engagements.      

Ms Silvestri joined Deloitte FAS in 2005 after working for a forensic accounting firm specializing in bankruptcy and litigation support.

Ms Silvestri is a graduate of Pace University - Lubin School of Business, MBA- Finance. She graduated from Marymount Manhattan College with a BS in Accounting - magna cum laude.

She is a member of the following organizations:  

New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA) – member since 2002      

NYSSCPA – Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Committee                                                             

E-mail Address: lsilvestri@deloitte.com

Mary Vavruska, CFE
Historian

Mary Vavruska has been a CFE since 1990, when she also was a founding member of the NYC chapter of ACFE. She was a Vice President of Equitable companies in charge of Internal Control Evaluations in the Internal Audit Department. She is now President and CEO of TCE Systems, Inc. a telecommunications company based in Astoria, Queens. She is Historian of the NYC Chapter ACFE. She is Associate Treasurer of the Queens Chamber of Commerce and serves on its Executive Committee. She also chairs its Information Technology Committee. She was the domain expert for an artificial intelligence project to assess the risk of non-audit.

E-mail Address: tcesystems@bizland.com

Bruce Hulme, CFE
Legislative Liaison

Bruce H. Hulme, CFE, is a past president of the National Council of Investigation and Security Services (NCISS) and of the Associated Licensed Detectives of New York State (ALDONYS). He is also chairman of, or liaison to, several professional association legislative committees representing licensed private investigators, security professionals and certified fraud examiners. He serves as a member of the executive board as legislative liaison of the New York Chapter of Certified Fraud Examiners, and has lectured extensively at seminars presented by the profession’s leading associations. Mr. Hulme assisted in drafting a provision of the federal Drivers Privacy Protection Act of 1994, with respect to obtaining access for licensed private investigators and security firms. He testified before the Federal Trade Commission on behalf of the private investigation industry’s position on consumer information privacy. His participation helped create the record that formed the basis of the FTC’s analysis of computer database services. He has testified before Congressional committee hearings including the House Committee on Banking and Financial Services on Identity Theft and Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act Implementation and the House Committee on Ways and Means with respect to privacy issues. He was appointed by Governor George E. Pataki to serve as a member of the New York State Security Guard Advisory Council, and is an advisory board member of John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Mr. Hulme is president of Special Investigations, Inc., in New York City.          

E-mail Address: specialinvestigations@worldnet.att

Barry M. DeFoe,CFE                              Sgt At Arms

 

Mr. DeFoe is a Director with Thacher Associates, a corporate investigations and integrity risk management firm. Previously he was a Senior Investigator and Coordinator of IPSIG Services with the New York State Organized Crime Task Force.

E-mail Address:barry@thacherassociates.com

Roman Z. Matatov,                    CPA, CVA,CFE                                Director of Training

Roman Matatov joined RosenfarbWinters, LLC the New York City Office in 2004. His experience encompasses commercial and matrimonial litigation support, appraisal of business interests, professional licenses and advanced academic accreditations, investigative accounting cases, and insolvency and reorganization work with troubled business entities.

Mr. Matatov joined RosenfarbWinters with a background in private-industry accounting and taxation, having worked with an eclectic array of small businesses and entrepreneurs.

Mr. Matatov is a graduate of the Zicklin School of Business at Baruch College of the City University of New York (M.S. in Accounting and B.B.A. in Finance and Investments). He completed his undergraduate studies Magna Cum Laude and was inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma during his graduate studies.

Mr. Matatov is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), a Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA), and a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE). Mr. Matatov is also actively involved in the firm’s training and recruiting efforts and the firms Paperless Committee.

E-mail Address:romanmatatov@yahoo.com

Donna Karp, CFE                  Member-at-Large

 

Donna Karp is a Licensed Private Investigator and a Field Inspector with Labor Law Compliance at the New York City School Construction Authority. Ms Karp is a Past President of the Long Island Chapter of The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners and the Treasurer of the Society of Professional Investigators.                                                                                       

Email: DonnaNK@verizon.net

Ronald Semaria CFE,FACFEI,CSC,CHS-III              President Emeritus                 Member-at-Large                      Liaison to National Headquarters of Certified Fraud Examiners

                             

Mr. Semaria is a former IRS agent, and President of Semaria Fraud Consultants, is a graduate of Long Island University. He began his professional career in taxation and fraud as an Internal Revenue Agent examining all types of individuals and companies. Special assignments and expertise included the Strike Force (Organized Crime), Medicaid Fraud, sensitive cases and undercover work with the Inspection Division of the IRS, and cases involving bribery of Internal Revenue Agents.

Mr. Semaria is a self-employed certified fraud examiner, forensic accountant, certified security consultant and tax consultant. Since 9/11, he has had special training by the New York City Police Department in terrorism and has achieved the status as a Certified Homeland Security, Level 3 by the American College of Forensic Examiners International. 

Mr. Semaria has expertise in reviewing office procedures, including fraud investigation, detection and prevention, including the installation of fraud prevention security systems. He specializes in employee and executive embezzlement. He is an expert in the field of Identity Theft. He provides investigative fraud accounting services, including computer & video forensics  involving embezzlement, asset searches, divorces, fraudulent accounting and bookkeeping practices. 

 Some of his cases have included check forging, purchasing of gold bars by people involved with the Taliban and Al Qaeda, identity theft, discovery of embezzlement by third parties, ponzi schemes, payroll embezzlement,  money laundering, and investigating corrupt accountants.                     

E-mail Address: info@semaria.com

Thomas J. Reilly, CFE
President Emeritus                 Member-at-Large

 

 

Mr. Reilly is the President of The Reilly International Group Ltd., a licensed investigative consulting firm offering corporate and individual client certainty through intelligence, investigative, and risk assessment services in civil and criminal investigations, international asset recoveries, and anti-money laundering audits.  As a specialist in financial investigations and litigation support, Mr. Reilly has successfully conducted sensitive corporate financial due diligence inquiries exposing fraud and corruption and enabling clients to evaluate losses, recover assets, avoid damaging publicity, and prevent future frauds.                                                 

Previously, he was a co-founder of Decision Strategies International, the world’s largest independent consultant investigative firm, where he managed numerous corporate and environmental investigations for the legal, business, and insurance communities. Mr. Reilly, is a former U.S. Postal Inspector, who investigated business and securities fraud, organized crime, narcotics trafficking, and official corruption.

E-mail Address: info@reillyinternationalgroup.com

Steven R. Levine, CFE
Chairman of the Board           President Emeritus                Member-at-Large

 

 

He is Director of Labor Law Compliance for the NYC School Construction Authority, the agency that builds and manages the construction and renovation of New York City's public school buildings. He is also Adjunct Professor at the Harry Van Arsdale, Jr., Center for Labor Studies, Empire State College, S.U.N.Y.                                                                                                              E-mail Address: slevine@nycsca.org
Ranier A. Melucci, CFE,CSC,CFC,DABFE,FACFEI,CHS-III
President Emeritus
Mr. Melucci is a licensed Private Investigator in NY and NJ and is the President of E.E.D. Co, Inc which specializes in "Counter-Surveillance" consulting.                                                                                       

Mr. Melucci - is the Past President of the “Associated Licensed Detectives of New York State”, Past President of the “New York Chapter of Certified Fraud Examiners”, Past President of the “Society Of Professional Investigators” , Regional Vice President of the Institute Of Security & Safety Management, Member of  “The Former Intelligence Officers Assoc.”, and was appointed by Governor Pataki to his “Security Guard Advisory Council". 

Mr. Melucci - has been a special guest on the “Alan B. Colmbs, P.M. Magazine, Wall Street Journal, and Discovery Channel, TV shows and has been featured in “Discover”, “Venture”, “Mirabella” and “Peter Mondheiser” Magazines - (Germany). He has also been featured in “Newsday”, “The NY. Times”, and “The NY. Daily News”.

E-mail Address: raypi@aol.com

Alan Ira Blass, CFE,CPA              Member-at-Large

 

Mr. Blass is the President and founder of Alan I. Blass, CPA, CFE, PC . The firm’s practice area includes Forensic Accounting & Litigation Support Services. Alan specializes in Business Disputes, Construction Matters, Insurance Claims, Matrimonial Litigation and Governmental Investigations.     

Mr. Blass has over 25 years of experience in Forensic Accounting.  He has served as Deputy Chief Investigative Auditor for the New York City Dept. of Investigation. He has spent the last 15 years managing and performing Forensic Accounting engagements for prominent consulting groups, including Kroll Associates and Anchin Block and Anchin. 

Alan’s most important cases include monitorships of the Deconstruction of the World Trade Center, the Construction of Grand Central Station and an investigation of the use of New York City funding by the Salvation Army.

He has lectured before attorneys, corporate executives, government officials and CPA’s on topics including Financial Statement Fraud, Construction Liens and Matrimonial Litigation. He has also written several articles for the New York Law Journal., including “To Find A Fraud Find A Frauditor” and “Ten Common Errors in Business Valuations”.    

Alan has been a CPA since 1988 and a CFE since 1992.

E-mail Address:Abcfe515@aol.com

Thomas R. Borgers, CFE              Member-at-Large

Tom Borgers CFE has more than 25 years experience in forensic accounting, investigations, finance, marketing, HR and professional business coaching. During his career, Tom has played key roles at J.P. Morgan for over 21 years, the US government and other leading firms. Tom is the founder of the Felsen Network which is the first executive search firm specializing in forensic accountants and Certified Fraud Examiners, and buying and selling of forensic and accounting practices. 

E-mail Address: tborgers98@yahoo.com

Andrew Sulner, MS,J.D.,CFE        Legal Counsel Mr. Sulner, an internationally renown Forensic Document Examiner, is a former N.Y. State prosecutor.  His publications include The Role of the Forensic Document Examiner in Medical Malpractice Cases published by the NYS Bar Association and A Brief Overview of Forensic Document Examination published by the NJ Institute of Continuing Legal Education.  Mr. Sulner is a Fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, a Diplomate of the American Board of Forensic Examiners, and a member of the American Society for Testing and Materials, the Society of Medical Jurisprudence, and the National District Attorneys Association.
E-mail Address:
andysulner@aol.com

 PAST PRESIDENTS

Steven R. Levine, CFE He is Director of Labor Law Compliance for the NYC School Construction Authority, the agency that builds and manages the construction and renovation of New York City's public school buildings. He is also Adjunct Professor at the Harry Van Arsdale, Jr., Center for Labor Studies, Empire State College, S.U.N.Y.

E-mail Address: slevine@nycsca.org

Ronald Semaria CFE,FACFEI,CSC,CHS-III Mr. Semaria, Semaria Fraud Consultants,  is a former IRS agent, specializing in forensic accounting, computer and digital forensic investigations, computer debugging, and identity theft.

E-mail Address: info@semaria.com

Thomas J. Reilly, CFE
 
Mr. Reilly, a former U.S. Postal Inspector, is the President of investigative firm The Reilly International Group Ltd. Previously, he was a founder of Decision Strategies International.
E-mail Address:
info@reillyinternationalgroup.com
Ranier A. Melucci, CFE,CSC,CFC,DABFE,FACFEI,CHS-III Mr. Melucci is a licensed Private Investigator in NY and NJ and is the President of E.E.D. Co, Inc which specializes in "Counter-Surveillance" consulting.
E-mail Address: raypi@aol.com

Anthony J. Luizzo, Ph.D.,CFE,CST
          

Anthony J. Luizzo, PhD, CFE, CST is the president of L.C. Security Consulting Group, Inc. He has authored over 100 publications for fraud,. security, healthcare, and auditing journals and presently teaches security management and safety courses at the College of Staten Island.
 
E-mail Address: experts@lcconsultants.com

Charles Calhoun, CFE, CPA, CIA     
                        

Mr. Calhoun is the CEO of Twin Circle Consulting Services. His organization offers litigation consulting, forensic accounting and corporate training services.
E-Mail Address: cc@twincircleconsulting.com

New York City Chapter of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners

Executive Offices:

RONALD SEMARIA, CFE,DABFE,FACFEI,CSC,CHS-III
1408 East 66 Street, Brooklyn, NY 11234
Phone: (718)531-1105
E-Mail: info@nycfe.org Internet: http://www.nycfe.org