Meet the Examiners

Justin Almanza joined Magnet Forensics as a Forensics Trainer in 2020 and comes from a background in education and law enforcement. Prior to Magnet, he worked as a Digital Forensic Investigator with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation out of the Georgia Cyber Crime Center, where he conducted forensic examinations of digital evidence, assisted with search warrants and operations, testified as an expert witness in court, and consulted with local law enforcement officers and other agencies to provide technical assistance across a wide range of case types.

Justin started his professional career in public education and has experience teaching at the middle school, high school, and collegiate levels, including most recently as an instructor of cybersecurity courses at Augusta Technical College. He holds professional teacher certificates for P-12 Computer Science and P-12 Music.

Justin has a Master of Science in Computer Science/Cybersecurity from Columbus State University as well as an undergraduate degree in education from Georgia Southern University/Armstrong State University. Professional certifications include MCFE, CFCE, EnCE, and iVe/Berla Vehicle Forensics.

Trey Amick is a forensics investigator with a background in both law enforcement and corporate investigations. As a detective with the Rock Hill Police Department in South Carolina, Trey was sworn as a Special Deputy United States Marshal and supported the US Secret Service Electronic Crimes Task Force. Previously, he served in roles in both Patrol and Professional Standards.

Most recently, as a corporate investigator, Trey managed the Enterprise Cyber Education and Awareness Team at Capital One, where he also served as part of the Cyber Technical Investigations Team. Trey is currently a Forensics Consultant at Magnet Forensics, where he assists in the development of Magnet AXIOM and provides skilled support to customers with his combined knowledge of AXIOM and digital forensics.

Martin Barrow started front-line policing doing uniform patrol, and after 3 years into his career started the route to becoming a Detective Constable. Martin then joined the Digital Forensics Unit in the last few years of his police career. He examined both computers and mobile phones, conducting the installation, configuration, training and majority of fault finding on the range of software and hardware used, quickly becoming the unit’s Deputy Technical Manager. Martin also researched processes to improve techniques and provided assistance to persons both inside and outside the unit in their line of work, using software such as Axiom, Internet Evidence Finder, Cellebrite, XRY, ADF, Intella, EnCase, X-Ways, GriffEye, Autopsy, and Passware. Martin is also a member of IACIS and gained CFCE accreditation.

Patrick Beaver’s experience is distinctive to law enforcement as he has experience testifying on Capitol Hill for the House Judiciary Committee and providing written briefs to United States Congress. Patrick worked with Congress to hold electronic service providers accountable for failing to work with law enforcement on legal requests. Patrick’s testimony and written briefs prompted additional hearings on Capitol hill and continues to advocate for law enforcement and victims of serious crimes.

Patrick has a unique experience with digital forensics and cyber investigations. Prior to Magnet Forensics, Patrick was assigned to the Northern Virginia/Washington D.C. Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (NOVA/DC ICAC). While at NOVA/DC ICAC he conducted undercover investigations while part of ICAC. The undercover investigations targeted individuals engaged in the exploitation of children. This included the “Darknet” and other cyber locations hidden from public view. Patrick identified targets, wrote search warrants, executed search warrants, and conducted forensics examinations of the evidence collected from the target.

Patrick has traveled all over the United States investigating exploitation cases. Patrick is currently a Professional Services Consultant & Forensics Instructor with Magnet Forensics. Patrick has worked with Magnet Forensics since January of 2018 after moving on from a rewarding career with the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office as a detective. Patrick has been charged with maintaining the only Magnet Forensics training facility since being hired on. Patrick travels all over the world and teaches law enforcement, private sector, and other entities on how to conduct digital forensics investigations. Patrick provides professional services in digital forensics to private and government agencies.

Patrick has received several awards including the Bronze Medal of Valor for his actions in law enforcement in 2018. Patrick was recognized by United States Congress for this achievement in his law enforcement career. Patrick was named the Veterans of Foreign wars – Outstanding Public Servant Citation – Law Enforcement for 2017-2018. Patrick received an award by the FBI for Commendable Performance During a Joint Task Force Investigation in 2018. This award was signed by FBI Director Christopher A. Wray for assistance in an investigation involving international terrorism and child exploitation in the Washington D.C. region.

Chris joined the Magnet Forensics team in January 2020 as a Forensics Trainer, delivering training on topics such as Cloud investigations, MacOS, Mobile forensics and Incident Response. Prior to joining Magnet, Chris served over 15 years in law enforcement with South Wales Police. This included working in scientific support as a video specialist, and as an Investigator at the Digital Forensics and Cyber Crime Unit (DFCCU). He was also responsible for the management and development of the infrastructure, storage solutions and digital forensic technologies within the DFCCU. Chris now works as a Solutions Consultant, helping customers design and implement digital forensic solutions within their labs.

Chris Bomar started his career in Law Enforcement in 1996 and retired with 25 years of service. Bomar (as most people refer to him) started his career with the City of York Police Department and later moved to the York County Sheriff’s Office where he served as a Detective in Crimes Against Persons Division. While working in this unit, Bomar became part of the South Carolina Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), which created the opportunity for the Sherriff’s Office to begin their Digital Forensics. In 2013, Bomar accepted a position with the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office to run the agency’s Digital Forensics Unit for the ICAC Task Force. While serving as Chief Digital Forensics Investigator, Bomar was able to work with other local, state, federal, and military partners to combat the crimes people perpetrate against our children. Bomar has more than 15 years of digital forensics experience, court room testimonies, and case preparation he brings to the table.

Kim Bradley retired from the Commonwealth of Kentucky where she worked the last nine years of her career as Forensic Computer Examiner with the Kentucky State Police (KSP). She was assigned to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Cyber Crime Task Force and worked for five years at the Kentucky Regional Forensics Laboratory (KRCFL). While at the KRCFL, she earned the Computer Analysis Response Team (CART) Forensic Examiner certification and received training in mobile forensics, video forensics, audio forensics and laboratory management. Kim also served as the Laboratory Quality Manager and assessed many of the other RCFL’s. After returning to KSP’s Electronic Crime Branch Laboratory from the task force assignment, she became a Certified Law Enforcement Instructor with the Kentucky Law Enforcement Counsel and provided numerous training classes for sworn officers, intelligence analysts and dispatchers while also working mainly Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) examinations. Prior to her retirement, she helped to establish and manage a (satellite) KSP Digital Forensics Laboratory on the campus of Eastern Kentucky University (EKU). Her state service before moving into digital forensics included positions in software development and database management. In addition to holding several certifications, Kim has an Associates degree in Early Childhood Education from EKU, a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Kentucky State University and a Master of Science degree in Digital Forensic Science from Champlain College.​

Kate Bressington joined Magnet Forensics as a Forensic Trainer in 2022, coming from a background of law enforcement in the U.K. After achieving a BSc degree in Computer forensics, she joined South Wales police and worked in the ICT department assisting police officers and staff with technical matters. She then moved on to the Digital Forensics and Cyber Crime Unit, examining various types of digital evidence in a range of criminal cases of different severities. Additionally, Kate was able to assist with search warrants for various departments and assist in multiple operational cases, while also providing evidence as an expert witness in Crown court.

Simon Coles joined UK law enforcement in 2005, wanting to drive fast cars and catch bad guys! After joining Northamptonshire Police, he quickly realised that he was far more interested in the investigation side of policing and became a qualified detective in 2007. During the next five years, Simon quickly developed an aptitude for working with large amounts of data, from call records spanning several years, to financial records covering multiple accounts over long periods of time and large amounts of digital evidence. Simon’s analytical thinking helped develop his team and after several years working financial and computer crimes he was asked to lead the Economic Crime Unit as a Detective Sergeant in 2016.  Simon established the Cyber Investigation team for Northamptonshire Police and made it a priority for his team to have the right training to expertly investigate computer crimes, including business employee compromises, malware attacks and dark web investigations.

After sixteen years in law enforcement, Simon has joined Magnet Forensics as a Forensics Trainer. For Simon, the real buzz comes from knowing he has helped others to work more effectively and efficiently and streamline the evidence gathering process. Simon holds professional qualifications for MCFE, CISSP, CEH, GIAC CTI and CompTIA Security+.

Chris Cone began his law enforcement career in 1998, working for local, county and state agencies. He spent most of his career as a criminal investigator specializing in digital forensics and high-tech crimes investigation and was a member of the state’s Internet Crimes Against Children task force. Chris finished his law enforcement career as the Director of Forensic Services for the Arkansas Attorney General’s Office where he managed operations of the digital forensics lab in their Cyber Crimes Unit. In addition to industry recognized digital forensics certifications (IACIS CFCE, ISFCE CCE and both the GIAC GCFE and GNFA), he maintains information technology focused certifications from CompTIA including A+, Network+ and Security+.​

Prior to starting with Magnet Forensics as a Solutions Consultant in 2022, Jarina Cotton served for 15 years within German Customs, both as a uniformed officer at different airports and eventually performing digital forensics. As part of her role, she worked extensively with multiple digital forensic tools and trained many new recruits. Along the way, she also had the opportunity to test software and tools, write concepts, guidelines, and protocols for the lab procedures.

Prior to joining Magnet Forensics, Anthony was a police officer for over 21 years in New York. Beginning his career with the NYPD in 2000, Anthony performed routine patrol before joining the New York State Police in 2005. In 2012, after taking cybercrime training offered by the New York State Police, in conjunction with other national agencies, he was able to perform on-scene triage of computers and mobile devices utilizing forensic tools in the field.

In 2014, he was promoted to investigator, investigating a wide array of felony-level complaints until 2016, when he joined the regional computer crimes unit full time. After completing extensive additional training, he performed forensic examinations of digital evidence full time in a laboratory setting. Upon his retirement in 2022, he was the supervisor overseeing all lab and field personnel assigned to his regional office overseeing cases and personnel in five counties, plus New York City.

Anthony holds a Certified Forensic Computer Examiner (CFCE) certification from the International Association of Computer Investigative Specialist (IACIS). He also has received certifications for numerous forensic tools including Magnet AXIOM, Cellebrite, XMAN XRY, Forensic Explorer, Griffeye, Blacklight and DEI ADF.

Doug has been in his current position of Forensics Trainer with Magnet Forensics since January 2, 2018. In his current position, he provides training in digital forensics and the usage of Magnet’s tools such as IEF and AXIOM to users in North America and worldwide. Doug previously worked as a Senior Special Agent with the Arkansas State Police with over 26 years investigative and instructional experience. While there, he helped develop and maintain the Internet Crimes against Children Task Force. He also worked as a contract instructor with the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C) for about 6 years. Doug has instructed at the United States Secret Service National Computer Forensics Institute (USSS-NCFI) specializing in mobile investigations and forensics. Doug has provided expert testimony in State and Federal Court in mobile forensics and instructed for various other conferences and organized events. ​

Tim Fay comes to Magnet Forensics with an extensive background in law enforcement—including 12 years with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. During his time with his agency, he held a variety of roles, including road patrol deputy, hostage negotiator, as well as a detective and digital forensic examiner. Tim holds multiple industry standard forensic certifications, which have helped solidify his credibility when testifying in both state and federal court as an expert witness. Prior to entering a career in law enforcement, Tim served as an Abrams Tank Gunner in the US Army.

After serving as a member of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Tim felt the enormous impact of his work, and it drove him to dedicate even more of his time and energy into combating child exploitation.

When learning how to hack his favorite video games, Tim developed a passion for technology that continues with a special focus on mobile device repair—furthering his forensic investigations.

In his former life, Cody Flowers was a member of the veteran and intelligence communities. After serving in the United States Army in the Intelligence Corps as a Human Intelligence Collector, Cody developed his skills as a digital forensic examiner. Most recently, he served as the Civilian Deputy in the command team of the Joint Special Operations Command’s Technical Exploitation Troop, both as a subject matter expert and command team deputy command manager of the Troop. Cody has had eight overseas deployments to locations such as Iraq, Afghanistan, and Africa, supporting intelligence collection and processes—with support of host nation prosecution when necessary.

Cody got started out in the forensics community taking courses for certification under the Army DOMEX program, as well as the Defense Cyber Investigations Training Academy. Once a bit more established in the community, he attended many SANS and Guidance Software courses—currently he holds a SANS GCFE. Eventually, under the TECHEX program, he spent time building, maintaining, and delivering unit driven intelligence-based scenario training to support Battlefield Evidence for his Intelligence Brigade. Additionally, external DOMEX training requests with international partners were supported, as well as support to the Interagency Intelligence Community at times. Since starting in forensics, most of his time working on cases has been for international counterintelligence and counterterrorism purposes, and most have involved computers and mobile devices, mostly with Windows, and Android based systems.

Steve Gemperle was a Senior Special Agent with the United States Secret Service who specializes in cyber-crime. Steve joined the US Secret Service in 1999 and served with the US Secret Service until retiring in 2021. For the last decade of his career with the Secret Service he focused on computer crimes and served as Lab Director for the US Secret Service Southwest Regional Computer Forensic Lab. Steve has completed over 1900 forensic exams and 150 network intrusion investigations while working for the Secret Service. He has been qualified as an expert witness on Digital Forensics in both state and Federal courts. Steve also provided cyber protection advances for the President and Vice President when they travel.

Steve has been recognized as one of the US Secret Service’s top network intrusion investigators. He has also repeatedly been named one of the top forensic investigators in the US Secret Service. He has taught computer crime and network intrusion investigations both domestically and internationally.

Steve has held a number of other positions within the US Secret Service. He was assigned to the Presidential Protection Division for President George W. Bush and was an Instructor at the US Secret Service training academy where he served as the Lead Instructor for the Combatives and Tactics unit.

Concurrently with his role with the US Secret Service, Steve was the US Secret Service liaison to the University of Texas at San Antonio’s National Security Collaboration Center and one of its founding members. In this role he works closely with other faculty in the IOT research lab and in research regarding video systems. Steve led a team consisting of personnel from the National Security Agency and the Army Research Lab in the development of a software suite for Memory Forensics.

In 2021, Steve joined Magnet Forensics as a Forensic Consultant.

Lyn Goh has 30 years of experience working in IT, starting her career working on mainframe systems and networks. In 1999 she joined the UK’s Forensic Science Service where she worked as a computer forensics investigator investigating a wide range of crimes and giving evidence on cases that included child exploitation, drug smuggling, people trafficking and fraud. After leaving the Forensic Science Service Lyn worked for UK financial regulator and worked on both criminal and regulatory investigations, many of which involved liaising with and/or working on joint operations with overseas regulators and prosecuting bodies. Prior to joining Magnet Forensics, Lyn worked for Guidance Software as a part-time instructor for 7 years and then a full-time instructor for 2 years. Lyn has a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry and Natural Science and a post graduate Master of Science degree in Computer Forensics.​

Hoyt Harness is a retired sergeant with the Arkansas State Police with over twenty-three years of experience between two separate agencies. In addition to cyber and digital forensics positions, he has served as an undercover narcotics investigator and a SWAT sniper for both state and local law enforcement agencies and a federally deputized task force officer for multiple U.S. Government agencies. He was assigned to FBI’s Innocent Images National Initiative (IINI) Task Force in 2001 investigating technology-facilitated child exploitation and Internet crimes against children. In 2003, he was tasked with establishing Arkansas’ Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ARICAC) and acted as the state’s first ICAC Commander for several years. He worked diligently helping other state and local agencies develop a technical and tactical capability to address cybercrime and the victimization of children via technology during that time and later. He was certified as a military instructor in 1993 and a police instructor in 1999. He has taught a plethora of cyber investigation and digital forensic courses over the years. He has owned and operated Reveal Forensic Investigations, LLC providing cyber investigative and digital forensic services to the private sector and he manages Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) technologies projects under the guise of Positronikal Technologies Group. An investigation that he was part of regarding the murder of a police officer was featured in an episode of A&E’s “Cold Case Files” titled “The Sting Operation” in 2006.

Jerry Hewitt followed his fathers’ footsteps into UK law enforcement, joining Northumbria Police as a Cadet in 1978 and staying with them until his move to Magnet Forensics in July 2019. He has always had an interest in technology and gadgets. Building his first Sinclair ZX80 computer in the late 1970’s was his start in computing. He became a licensed Amateur Radio operator in the early 1980’s and connected the two hobbies long before the days of smartphones. Jerry was a proud member of Northumbria Police for over 40 years. He moved from Uniform beat patrol to the Motor Patrols Department and then Air Support where he was the training officer. Some time spent as an authorised firearms officer and then becoming a Detective in the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). He also worked as a remote staffer with AOL UK, yes, he still has an AOL Email address! During his time in CID he investigated many cases which involved Child Sexual Exploitation and the relatively new world of Digital Forensics.

In 2009, he retired from Northumbria Police only to rejoin three months later, as a High-Tech Crime Unit Forensic Investigator. It was during this time that he first came across Jad Software’s Internet Evidence Finder (IEF). Six years after that and he became the Digital Forensic Unit Manager running a team of 30 staff and, with other stakeholders, helped make Northumbria Police DFU the excellent Unit it is today. Now part of the full time, United Kingdom based, training team for Magnet Forensics.

Lynita (Lyn) Hinsch is a certified and experienced computer forensics professional.  She began her training as an enlisted Computer and Communications Specialist in the U.S. Air Force with the Air Force Pentagon Communications Agency (AFPCA) in Washington, DC.  After enlistment Lyn continued her career in both the Federal and Local Law Enforcement space working for such agencies as the U.S. Department of State, Defense Intelligence Agency, and Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office before joining the corporate information security sector where she spent several years prior to Magnetizing!  She is a Champlain College alum with an undergraduate degree in Computer and Digital Forensics and more than a decade of experience.

Gavin Hornsey began his career in IT in 2003, a career that has included systems administration, storage and backup engineering, and digital forensics–with experience in both public and private sectors. In June 2019, Gavin joined Magnet Forensics and currently works on the EMEA Solutions Consultant team, becoming a subject matter expert in Magnet’s Digital Investigation Suite (MDIS).

A skilled and experienced Digital Forensic Investigator, Gavin has served eight years with South Wales Police Digital Forensic and Cyber Crime Unit (DFCCU) in the capacity of expert witness whilst also being responsible for lab IT infrastructure. He has an extensive UK law enforcement casework portfolio, which encompasses serious crimes against children, homicide, financial crime, and narcotics. He is passionate about digital forensic automation, data management, and lab modernisation.

Gavin was awarded the Chief Constable’s Certificate of Commendation in 2014 by Professor Peter Vaughan QPM CStJ DL and has attained a B.Sc. (Hons) degree in Computer Studies and a HNDip. in Network Management and Security.

Dallas started in the infosec industry about 15 years ago as a consultant with Ernst and Young, where he worked with clients on various security related initiatives. From there he moved into a similar role with Booz Allen Hamilton, supporting numerous government agencies, such as the DoD, IRS and NOAA in all things security.  About 5 years ago, he started focusing more on the digital forensics and incident response (DFIR) space, when he joined Carbon Black supporting their CB Response application. Prior to joining Magnet, he was serving as a DFIR Analyst for a large government contractor, where he focused mostly on IR, forensics and threat hunting.

A law enforcement veteran with 17 years of experience, Mike Lynch began his career at the Lexington SC Police Department as a patrol officer and was later promoted to the rank of Detective. In that role, Mike was responsible for investigating crimes against persons—with a focus on crimes against children and the elderly. Later, he joined the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), where he served in the Behavioral Science/Forensic Art Unit, and then the Computer Crimes Unit, where he began his career in digital forensics investigations.  As a Computer Crime Investigator, Mike became a member of both the South Carolina Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the South Carolina Electronic Crimes Task Force.

After leaving law enforcement, he worked as a Digital Forensics Examiner for an eDiscovery practice group, conducting data collections of Electronically Stored Information (ESI) for large corporate matters. Additionally, he conducted forensic exams of computers and mobile devices for civil matters, such as employment cases and intellectual property theft. After serving in this role for two years, Mike joined the Global Security Investigations Digital Evidence Team at TD Bank, where he spent over three years conducting digital forensics investigations for internal fraud, data leakage, and employee misconduct cases.  Mike joined Magnet Forensics in October 2021 as a Solutions Consultant.

Detective Larry McClain (retired) of the O’Fallon Police Department served as a forensic examiner/investigator with the Regional Computer Crime Education and Enforcement Group of Greater St Louis. He started with the task force since July 2008 and served until 2017. Larry has 23 years of law enforcement experience. He holds the Certified Forensic Computer Examiner (CFCE) certification through the International Association of Computer Forensic Specialists. Additionally, he is certified examiner for matters relating to forensic investigations of computers, cell phones, and hacking. He is a current member of the International Association of Computer Investigative Specialist (IACIS), the High Tech Crime Investigation Association (HTCIA), and previously the Regional Computer Crime Education and Enforcement Group of Greater Saint Louis (RCCEEG), and the Missouri Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. Det. McClain served as a Task Force Officer with the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force, as well as a member of the U.S. Secret Service Electronic Crimes Task Force. He has received training in computer forensics and investigations from numerous organizations, including the International Association of Computer Investigative Specialists, the United States Secret Service National Computer Forensic Institute, the National White Collar Crime Center, the FBI, Guidance Software, Magnet Forensics, Access Data Software, Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), and the Department of Defense. He is certified as a Digital Evidence Acquisition Specialist (DEAS) and a Seized Evidence Recovery Specialist (SCERS) from the Department of Homeland Security. A veteran of the United States Marine Corps, Det. McClain has a Bachelor of Arts degree in criminal justice from Columbia College and a Master of Science degree in administration from Lindenwood University. He is an instructor for various law enforcement entities in subjects related to cybercrime investigations and digital forensics, as well as an adjunct professor at Lindenwood University, Maryville University, and Saint Louis University where he has developed and teaches courses on cybercrime investigation, digital evidence, and computer forensics.

Prior to joining Magnet Forensics as a Forensics Trainer in 2022, Preston McNair had a varied background in law enforcement-based investigations. This includes working for the State of West Virginia as a Digital Forensic Examiner, where he established a digital forensics laboratory focused on narcotics and violent crime related investigations for all levels of government. He assisted in the acquisition and analysis of data for various agencies, along with the preparation of highly technical reports for the legal process based on findings. He also consulted with local, state, and federal law enforcement to provide technical assistance across a variety of case types.  

Preston has a Bachelor of Science in Digital Forensics from Marshall University and holds a variety of industry certifications, including the MCFE. He also has an extensive background in open-source intelligence research (OSINT) and audio/video forensics. Preston is an active member of the #DFIR community on Twitter and contributes to research efforts whenever possible. 

Jamie McQuaid CISSP, CFCE, MCFE is a forensics investigator with a background in corporate investigations spanning various industries from telecommunications to financial services and manufacturing. His responsibilities included conducting both forensic and physical investigations as well as incident response globally across the organization. McQuaid is currently a Forensics Consultant at Magnet Forensics where he assists in the research and development of Magnet AXIOM and speaks at various information security and forensics conferences on his research and a variety of topics in the field of digital forensics. He holds an Advanced Diploma in Computer Security and Investigations from Fleming College and an Honors B.A. from the University of Toronto.

Tarah Melton, GCFA, GREM, is a digital forensics examiner with a background in the Federal Government, supporting customers focused on counterterrorism, cyber defense, and incident response. Her responsibilities included forensic lab management and conducting digital forensic investigations in both the US as well as overseas, completing two deployments to Afghanistan. She holds a BS in Digital Forensics from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania. Tarah is currently a Forensic Consultant at Magnet Forensics, where she provides support to customers with her combined knowledge of Magnet tools and digital forensics, as well as assisting with the development of Magnet products.

Doug Metz is a Professional Services Consultant with Magnet Forensics. Doug’s work in information security has supported government, private sector and academic institutions for over a decade and half and includes substantial experience in DFIR. In addition to his experience in the field, Doug holds several industry certifications including: MCFE, MCME, MCCE, GCIH, GCFE, GCFA, GCTI, GREM, CISSP, NW3C CCE. 

Prior to joining Magnet Forensics, Doug served as Global Incident Response Manager for a Fortune 200 company, managing a global team of analysts and the Security Operations Center. Doug is also a member of the High Tech Crime Investigators Association (HTCIA) and is a volunteer for The Auxtera Project. 

Clint Modesitt’s journey in digital forensics began in 2001 when he joined the computer forensics unit at the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office in Phoenix, AZ.  He later moved on to private-sector forensic consulting for Ricoh Forensics, Innovative Discovery and AlixPartners.  He has spent the last two decades leading teams of forensic experts performing collections and investigations around the globe in cases of fraud, embezzlement, contract disputes, intellectual property theft, foreign corrupt practices, and FTC discovery second requests.  He has testified in both criminal and civil matters in federal, state and local courts.  He has acquired credentials from Guidance Software (EnCE), the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (CFE), the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (SCERS), and ISC2 (CISSP).
 
Clint is extremely passionate about building world class forensic teams and helping forensic experts develop their careers and giving them the tools to do exceptional work while finding balance in this challenging yet rewarding field.

Tim Moniot’s journey into Digital Forensics began as a Police Officer / Detective, working in one of the largest and busiest Metropolitan police departments in the Western United States. During his tenure of conducting violent crimes against persons investigations, computer technologies were beginning to rapidly develop and became valuable evidence in cases. In 2003, Tim was assigned to start training in digital forensics and technical investigations, where he quickly learned that he not only had a knack for, but a keen interest, in DFIR. In 2014, after having had the honor of serving on multiple federal task forces with the FBI and United States Secret Service, and after over 20 years of law enforcement service, Tim retired. He then entered the private sector DFIR world, dove into the e-Discovery sector, and continues to practice DFIR to this day. Tim has been with Magnet Forensics since 2017 as a Senior Solutions Consultant at Magnet, where he works with clients all across North America, consulting on and providing technical DFIR solutions.

Niels Renken joined Magnet Forensics in May 2022 as a solutions consultant.  obtaining a degree as Certified Technical Assistant for Computer Science, Niels was a Principal Support Engineer for Sun Microsystems—supporting Oracle’s Cloud Hardware Platform. Over the course of his careers, he’s worked on complex technical escalations for corporate customers around the world, writing knowledge documents, writing and delivering trainings to other technical engineers, worked very close with system development. In 2018, he joined MSAB as a Technical Sales Engineer for the DACH Region (German language countries), where he was able to also perform and specialize in mobile phone extractions for law enforcement.

Jad Saliba is a former digital forensics investigator who left policing in 2011 to devote all of his time to developing software solutions that dramatically improve the process of recovering and analyzing Internet evidence left behind. He has since dedicated his efforts to building Magnet Forensics and developing Magnet IEF into a thorough and easy-to-use software solution that recovers Internet-related artifacts from computers, smartphones and tablets. As Magnet Forensics’ CTO, Jad is focused on researching new methods of recovering and analyzing all types of evidence for digital forensics investigations. His goal remains to create the best Internet forensics tools possible—helping those in the trenches make a difference in their communities.

Ryan Shidaker is a digital forensics examiner with a background in military intelligence and federal government, having supported counterterrorism and military intelligence operations. A proud prior United States Marine, Ryan started his career as an intelligence analyst and supported global counter terrorism operations throughout the Middle East, Africa, Europe, the Americas, and Asia. Primary roles included forensics lab management, digital device extraction, and investigation. Ryan was also excited to be one of the first customers to have implemented Magnet AUTOMATE in a lab environment in the United States and he continues to be an advocate for every lab getting automated processes established.

Eugene Silva is an experienced forensic examiner with a 30-year career as a police officer at the Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS).

He has worked in a variety of roles and units in policing, including uniform patrol, the Targeted Street Crime Unit, the Drug Enforcement Unit, Surveillance, Undercover work and Part VI authorizations (Wiretaps). He is a trained Hostage & Crisis negotiator and has been part of the Public Safety Unit.

He was mentored by the RCMP in Computer Forensics after which he formed the Technological Crimes Unit for WRPS. Leading a small team of investigators, he also conducted forensic examinations, search and seizure of computers, mobile devices and other electronic media analysis.;

Eugene is a long time active member of the High Tech Crime

Investigators Association (HTCIA) where he has held various executive board positions at the Ontario chapter, including President, 1st VP, 2nd VP, and Secretary.

In 2006, Eugene obtained his Certified Forensic Computer Examiner (CFCE) certification, through the International Association of Computer Investigative Specialists (IACIS).  After his CFCE certification, he became a CFCE Peer Review coach to many international students looking to also obtain their CFCE certification.

In 2015, he was selected by IACIS to be the CFCE Regional Manager for Canada, responsible for over 40 Peer Review CFCE coaches across Canada and the United States.

In 2017, Eugene became the officer-in-charge of the then newly formed Cybercrime Branch for his police service comprised of Computer and Mobile Forensics investigators, Video Forensics investigators, Internet Child Exploitation officers, Social Media & Open Source Intelligence personnel and pure Cybercrime investigators.

Eugene has conducted over 1200 investigations involving either computer related media or cellular phone devices. This includes homicide investigations, counterfeiting, drugs, guns & gangs, Internet child exploitation, sexual assaults, cryptocurrency, data breaches, ransomware, and the darknet, just to name a few.

Eugene is a qualified court expert in both provincial and federal courts of Ontario. He has been used by both the Crown and the Defense as an expert witness due to his unbiased approach to conducting his digital forensic analysis and court testimony.

He has instructed a number of courses relating to computer & mobile forensics and open source intelligence (OSINT) at his police service, at the Ontario Police College and at the Canadian Police College.

In 2017, he co-presented on a Canadian child sex tourism investigative case study for INTERPOL’s Specialists Group on Crimes Against Children.

Eugene has mentored police officers from other police agencies in Ontario who were looking to start up their own Cybercrime or Computer Forensic units.

As a Forensic Consultant for Magnet Forensics, Eugene will provide skilled support to customers with his combined knowledge of Magnet Forensics tools and digital forensics investigations.

Matthew Simon is the APAC Forensic Sales Consultant for Magnet Forensics. Matthew’s role is to support customers of Magnet Forensics across the APAC region in the application of digital forensics, to understand the technical challenges investigators are facing and help ensure the company is providing the most relevant and innovative solutions.

Matthew previously held the role of Digital Crime Officer at the INTERPOL Global Complex for Innovation where he was in the Digital Forensics Laboratory. In this role he worked closely with the INTERPOL member countries to provide incident response, capacity building and training, and digital forensics laboratory support. Prior to his time at INTERPOL, Matthew spent almost five years in criminal law enforcement as an Electronic Evidence Specialist with the Electronic Crime Section of the South Australia Police in Australia. He actively worked with police investigators on many serious criminal matters and provided expert reports and oral expert testimony in court for numerous cases.

Matthew has a PhD by research in digital forensics and a Bachelor’s Degree with First Class Honours from the University of South Australia. He is an expert digital forensics practitioner, an academic researcher and is experienced in computer and mobile forensics.

Dr. Stephen Boyce currently serves as the Director of the Magnet Digital Investigation Suite (MDIS) at Magnet Forensics (MAGT: Toronto), where he provides strategic direction to internal and external stakeholders on modernizing digital investigations through the use of enterprise collaboration (REVIEW), automation (AUTOMATE), and case management (ATLAS). He is an experienced Cybersecurity professional with a demonstrated history working in federal law enforcement, private sector, public service, & higher education. He is a trusted advisor to lawyers (AML 100), judges, journalists, CEOs, Boards of Directors, executive committees, CISOs, CIOs, CTOs, CPOs, and GCs.

Prior to joining Magnet Forensics, Dr. Boyce served as a vCISO/Principal Consultant at Unit 42 by Palo Alto Networks (The Crypsis Group), where he led and managed a diverse set of cyber investigations and transformed the cybersecurity program of $2B multinational conglomerate.

Dr. Boyce spent his federal government career supporting criminal & national security investigations at the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as a member of the Digital Media Exploitation (DMX) and Computer Analysis Response Team (CART). He was qualified as an expert witness in digital & mobile forensics and testified in several high-profile cases. During his federal government career, Dr. Boyce also represented the U.S. internationally as a diplomat working on various working groups, committees, and projects. Earlier in his career, he was a Cyber Intern at the National Cyber Investigative Joint Task Force (NCIJTF), the U.S. Department of State, and the FBI’s International Operations Division (IOD).

Dr. Boyce is also a Senior Fellow to the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) and an adjunct professor at several universities. His current research areas include cyber diplomacy, cybersecurity awareness training, election cybersecurity, and digital forensics. Dr. Boyce is a National Science Foundation CyberCorps Scholarship for Service (SFS) recipient and serves as an active member of FBI’s InfraGard, ISACA, and HTCIA.

Tim Stommel, CHFI, CYSA, is a retired Senior Special Agent with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration—a role that led to an amazing opportunity to work several overseas drug cartel cases, one of which included the seizure of approximately 9,300 kilograms of cocaine in the Pacific Ocean.  This case led to the eventual indictment and extradition of several high-profile cartel leaders in both Colombia and Mexico.  Stommel also had the opportunity to live for seven years in Colombia as a United States diplomat for the DEA.  While in Colombia, Stommel led a specialized Information Technology Group that oversaw all telecommunications intercept programs that were being utilized by DEA’s foreign counterparts.  Before working with the DEA, Stommel was a police officer in both the Milwaukee Police Department and the Coral Springs Police Department in southern Florida.

Stommel graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee with a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice and a minor in Psychology.  Later in his career, he went back to college and attended Champlain College where he received undergraduate certificates in cyber security, incident response, software security and security fundamentals.  Stommel also attended the University of Rhode Island where he earned a Graduate Certificate in Digital Forensics.

In 2019, Stommel retired from the DEA after 22 years of federal service.  He then began his forensics career working with a forensics software company as both a Senior Forensics Instructor and as their Senior Forensics Examiner.  Stommel also worked for a brief period as a Cyber Analyst in the Network Operations Systems Center at the United States Southern Command in Doral, Florida.  In 2021, Stommel joined Magnet Forensics as a Professional Services Consultant, where he continues to pursue his passion in both digital forensics and working directly with clients to achieve product success.

Andrew Thorpe has worked as a Police Constable for the South Yorkshire Police service since 2004. Roles include incident response, Riot Policing and covert proactive roles including working with intelligence and gang related cases. He has been accredited as an Advanced Car Driver, Taser Trained Officer, Public Support Unit Officer including advanced method of entry and PEACE model interview training. His varied roles and skills have helped him develop in dealing with a vast array of situations including grieving victims of crime, confrontational situations, demanding deadlines and highly confidential information. In 2015, Andrew joined the High Tech Crime Unit within the South Yorkshire Police service as a forensic examiner of mobile phones and tablets, computers and laptops and storage media. He has performed examinations into a variety of cases including Murder, Rape, Drug supply, Fraud, Cyber Crime, Indecent Child Images and Child Sexual Exploitation. Joining Magnet Forensics as a Senior Technical Support Specialist in September 2019, Andrew helps manage questions from our customers on Magnet Axiom, IEF, Review, Automate and general forensic questions.

Emma joined Magnet Forensics April 2020 as a Solutions Consultant covering Digital Lab Solutions for EMEA, prior to this she worked within South Wales Police for 13 years, 9 years as part of neighbourhood front line Policing team and for that last 4 years within the Tarian Regional Cyber Crime Unit (RCCU) which covers the 3 welsh Police forces – South Wales, Gwent and Dyfed Powys.

Emma joined the RCCU as a Digital Forensics Investigator where she led complex operations/investigations covering cyber dependent & enabled crimes. After two years within the department Emma was promoted to RCCU Manager, leading a team of digital forensic investigators and examiners as well as heading up the ISO accreditation process. During her time within the unit, she received a Chief Constables Commendation for her work on high level complex crimes and Protect campaigns as part of Team Cyber UK. Emma also holds her CFCE certification.

Rhys Tooby joined Magnet Forensics in April 2019 as a Solutions Consultant for the EMEA region. Prior to joining the team at Magnet, Rhys had a long career with South Wales Police where he was a Digital Forensic investigator for 7 years before he became the Manager of the Digital Forensics and Cyber Crime Unit for an additional 5 years. He was responsible for managing a dedicated team who provided advanced technical solutions to support the investigation of crime. Believing in Magnet’s mission, Rhys left his policing career to pursue a career working closer with other agencies to help repeat the success of his own former lab. Rhys specializes in developing solutions and custom workflows within labs with digital forensics tools and digital evidence management.

Jamey was in the US Army and retired in 2008 with two bronze stars and 4 deployments to Iraq and Kuwait. While serving Jamey was a member of the United States Army Criminal Investigation Command as a CID Special Agent Warrant Officer and helped develop the US Army’s Digital Forensic Examiners program. He lives in Houston TX and has been married for 29 years and has two adult daughters ages 19 and 21. Jamey is passionate about Memory Forensics and enjoys teaching as he knows he is able to affect cases in a much larger scale that way. Jamey has been conducting digital forensics since 2001 and has the following certifications: MCFE, CISSP, CEH, SCERS, CFSR, and ENCE.

Christopher Vance has been a Forensic Instructor for Magnet Forensics since March of 2016. Before working for Magnet, Christopher delivered online and in-person training for several vendor and non-vendor solutions as well was a frequent instructor for Marshall University’s Forensic Science Center. Before becoming an instructor, Christopher worked for the West Virginia State Police’s Digital Forensics Unit as a Forensic Specialist for 8 years primarily focusing on mobile forensic investigations for a wide array of case types. Christopher specializes in mobile application and artifact analysis in both iOS and Android devices.

Mike Williamson came to Magnet Forensics after a 12 year career as a police officer with the Calgary Police Service. There he worked in a variety of roles including patrol operations, IT project management, software development, and most recently as a digital forensic examiner and expert witness. Prior to law enforcement, Mike worked in the oil & gas sector in an IT systems analyst role.

Mike has always enjoyed programming and in his 6 years as a forensic examiner, was able to develop more specialized skills such as reverse engineering, development of custom reporting tools, and performing advanced acquisition techniques like chip off.