Our 8th annual conference will offer 8 hours of CPE! This includes 2 hours of pre-approved ethics/Ohio PSR credit.
The conference will be held on Wednesday November 18 and Thursday November 19 from 12pm-4:30pm (Eastern) during International Fraud Awareness Week.
Note: Our day 1 presenter on bourbon fraud has a book about his topic: Bourbon Justice: How Whiskey Law Shaped America. If you are interested in purchasing this book, at check-out, you can select the option to pay an extra $35. For this $35, the presenter will sign and ship a copy of the book to you (tax and postage included). You also can can purchase the book on Amazon.
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FULL CONFERENCE AGENDA / CPE DETAILS
Day 1: Wednesday November 18, 2026
12:00pm – 4:30pm (Eastern)
12:00-12:10: Conference Opening Remarks
By Southwest Ohio ACFE Chapter President Amanda Malusky Krauss
12:10-1:10: Social Engineering and AI: The New Dynamic Duo
Speaker: Marc Evans, CFE - Founder, Fraud Hero
CPE*: 1 hour
Session Description: Criminals are now blending social engineering and AI-powered tools to execute faster, more convincing and harder-to-trace scams. This session breaks down how these elements work together to deceive victims, bypass traditional defenses and move stolen funds instantly.
Learning Objectives: Promotion of improved fraud detection and deterrence through expansion of knowledge in relation to the session's topic.
Prerequisites: None
Speaker Bio: Marc Evans is a Cybercrimes and Fraud Detective, Certified Fraud Examiner, and the Founder of Fraud Hero, a fraud prevention and education company dedicated to helping financial institutions, businesses, law enforcement agencies, and communities fight back against modern scams.
For more than 14 years, Marc has been on the front lines investigating the criminals behind today's most sophisticated fraud schemes. From social engineering attacks and bank account takeovers to ransomware, identity theft, money laundering, and organized cybercrime, his work has exposed the tactics, psychology, and evolving playbook used by fraudsters around the world.
His investigations have led to arrests, criminal convictions, and the recovery of millions of dollars in stolen funds and assets. More importantly, they have provided a rare insider's perspective into how these crimes succeed and what individuals and organizations can do to stop them.
1:10-1:25: Break
1:25-3:15: (2 sessions)
Conference Keynote and
12 Tools, 12 Cases: Affordable Online Tools to Advance Investigations
Speaker (session 1): Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson
Speaker (session 2): Jennifer Mackovjak, CFE, PI - Co-Founder and Managing Partner, 221B Partners and Rebecca LaFlure, CFE - Senior Director, 221B Partners
CPE*: 2 hours
Session 1 Description: In this keynote presentation, Attorney General Wilson will discuss new advancements to address two major types of fraud impacting our communities: Medicaid fraud and romance scams. Specifically, Attorney General Wilson will explore the impacts of Senate Bill 315 and the Romance Impostor Scams Forensic Initiative.
Session 2 Description: This presentation will discuss investigative tools and sites that won't break the bank and can be used in myriad types of fraud and other investigations. The presenters will provide examples of tools and sites including live audio feeds, messaging apps, yearbook sites, and aircraft records and show how each of these, and others, were used in real cases.
Learning Objectives: Promotion of improved fraud detection and deterrence through expansion of knowledge in relation to the session's topic.
Prerequisites: None
Session 1 Speaker Bio: Andy Wilson has dedicated his professional life to serving and protecting Ohioans.
Before being named Ohio’s 52nd attorney general by Gov. Mike DeWine, he directed the Ohio Department of Public Safety, overseeing the department’s 10 divisions, nearly 4,000 employees, and $2.5 billion biannual budget.
He previously served as Gov. DeWine’s senior advisor for criminal justice policy and was also assigned to assist the Pike County Prosecutor’s Office in prosecuting four individuals accused of brutally murdering eight members of the Rhoden, Manley and Gilley families in 2016. The Pike County work culminated with the conviction of George Wagner IV, who was sentenced to eight consecutive life sentences without parole for his role in the crimes.
Attorney General Wilson started his legal career in 2002 as a trial prosecutor in Clark County, specializing in cases involving sexual and/or physical violence against children. In January 2011, he was appointed Clark County prosecutor, overseeing many major criminal cases and developing several innovative programs. He later won two subsequent elections as prosecutor.
Attorney General Wilson has an undergraduate degree in political science from Wright State University and a law degree from the University of Dayton’s School of Law. He and his wife live in Troy and have two daughters.
Session 2 Speaker Bios:
Jennifer Mackovjak has more than 30 years’ experience conducting investigations, first as a detective in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office where she led, conducted and assisted cases involving homicide, violent crime and narcotics trafficking, insurance fraud, money laundering, identity theft, forgery, and bid rigging, as well as sexual and domestic violence. Since joining the private sector in 2005, Jennifer has worked for global investigations consultancies Kroll and Hillard Heintze before co-founding 221B Partners, a boutique investigations firm in Chicago in 2020. While in the private sector, Jennifer has conducted research and investigations into a wide variety of areas including threat intelligence, sexual abuse, domestic violence, harassment, stalking, corporate misconduct, asset searches, due diligence, litigation support, internal investigations and various fraud-related matters. Over the course of her career, Jennifer has located and interviewed hundreds of witnesses, subjects of interest and sources. Jennifer is a member of the Association of Threat Assessment Professions (ATAP), ASIS and the Association of Workplace Investigators, among others. She is a licensed private investigator in Illinois and a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), and earned undergraduate and graduate degrees from Marquette University and DePaul University, respectively.
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Rebecca LaFlure has dedicated her career to uncovering hard-to-find information, asking the right questions, and writing about complex topics, first as a news reporter and later as a professional investigator. She joined 221B Partners as a Senior Director in 2022 after spending more than seven years at Hillard Heintze, where she worked her way up from Senior Analyst to Associate Director and later Director. There, she managed the firm’s largest litigation support client, investigated historical allegations of wrongdoing for various clients, conducted and managed due diligence investigations, and provided investigative support for threat assessments. Prior to joining the corporate investigations industry, she worked as a journalist in Texas. In 2013, she reported on national security issues in Washington D.C. as the Center for Public Integrity’s first McCormick National Security Reporting Fellow. Her work was published by Foreign Policy, The Atlantic, Salon, and others. She is a Certified Fraud Examiner and earned undergraduate and graduate degrees from Baylor University and Northwestern University, respectively.
3:15-3:30: Break
3:30-4:25: Sipp’n Corn® Presents: Bourbon - A New Frontier for Fraud Claims
Speaker: Brian Haara - Partner, Fultz Maddox Dickens PLC
CPE*: 1 hour
Session Description: Historically, Kentucky Bourbon is responsible for the growth and maturation of many substantive areas of law, so much so that American commercial law developed around—and because of—bourbon. Bourbon also provided the bedrock for current-day trademark law and consumer protection law. And just as it has each time since the late 1800s, whenever bourbon experiences a surge in popularity, fakes, frauds, and criminals follow. The current bourbon boom is no different. Charlatans, counterfeiters, frauds, and thieves have emerged again, and this time they are creating made-for-TV drama. During these historical times of boom and bust, the nation turns to lawyers and fraud investigators to rein in criminal activity and corruption, to promote truth in labeling, and to identify counterfeits.
Learning Objectives: Promotion of improved fraud detection and deterrence through expansion of knowledge in relation to the session's topic.
Prerequisites: None
Speaker Bio: Brian Haara has practiced law in Kentucky for over 30 years, where since 2011 Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers recognize him as one of the top business litigators in the Commonwealth. But best of all, he found a way to combine his passions for law, bourbon, and history with dusty bourbon stories that play out better than fiction; Brian found that old bourbon lawsuits tell the real story of bourbon history.
Brian is author of Bourbon Justice: How Whiskey Law Shaped America, which tells the history of bourbon through American litigation and how America business developed around—and because of—whiskey. Old bourbon lawsuits tell the real story of bourbon history, and those stories are better than marketing tales.
He’s also the author of the popular bourbon blog, Sipp'n Corn®, he’s on the monthly podcast, Bourbon Community Roundtable with Bourbon Pursuit, and Brian gained national recognition for winning summary judgment in Sazerac v. Peristyle, which established a groundbreaking expansion to the fair use defense to trademark claims.
4:25-4:30: Closing Remarks
By Southwest Ohio ACFE Chapter President Amanda Malusky Krauss
Day 2: Thursday November 19, 2026
12:00pm – 4:30pm (Eastern)
12:00-12:05: Conference Opening Remarks
By Southwest Ohio ACFE Chapter President Amanda Malusky Krauss
12:05-2:00: PEACE Interviewing and Its Application in Corporate Investigations
Speaker: Johan Olsson, CFE, CPII, CCI - Owner and Managing Director, Jonox Consulting
CPE*: 2 hours
Session Description: The PEACE interviewing method was developed in the UK in the 1990s and has gained international traction; it is considered by some to be a golden standard due to its focus on building rapport and gaining information over gaining a confession. This session explores how corporate investigators can apply PEACE to workplace investigations, from planning through evaluation.
Learning Objectives: Promotion of improved fraud detection and deterrence through expansion of knowledge in relation to the session's topic.
Prerequisites: None
Speaker Bio: Johan Olsson is a compliance professional with more than 20 years experience across anti-corruption, corporate investigations, compliance, and internal audit. He has held senior global roles at IKEA, Shell, Vestas, and Herbalife, designing and implementing anti-corruption programs, leading multi-jurisdictional investigations, establishing whistleblower systems, and conducting third-party due diligence, with most roles carrying direct accountability to the C-suite. Johan is also a recognized mentor and speaker on interviewing in corporate investigations.
2:00-2:30: Break
2:30-4:25: Ethics in the Anti-Fraud Profession
Speakers: Harry Lidsky, DOJ-OIG Special Agent in Charge (Ret.) and Founder, 4DISS
and Eugene Thomas, Jr., Executive Director and Owner, Greater Unity Adult Services
CPE*: 2 hours of pre-approved ACFE Ethics/Ohio PSR Ethics Credit
Session Description: This presentation will discuss the investigator’s responsibility to remain objective, pressure-test theories, and ensure conclusions are supported by complete and accurate evidence. Presented through the dual perspectives of a wrongfully-accused individual and a seasoned investigator, a real-world case study will illustrate how preventable investigative errors can lead to flawed findings, false accusations, and serious real-world consequences - and why investigators have a fundamental responsibility to get it right.
Learning Objectives: Promotion of improved fraud detection and deterrence through expansion of knowledge in relation to the session's topic.
Prerequisites: None
Speaker Bios: Harry Lidsky’s career spanned 24 years of federal law enforcement and intelligence service before his retirement and launch of 4th Dimension Investigative and Security Solutions (4DISS) in 2023. From 2010 to 2023, Harry served with the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General in progressively senior roles, including Senior Special Agent, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, and Special Agent in Charge of the Cyber Investigations Office. His work included complex criminal and misconduct investigations, digital forensics, insider threats, fraud and money laundering, and surveillance, technical, and undercover operations.
Previously, Harry served as a Special Agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration, investigating complex narcotics trafficking and money laundering organizations, and as a clandestine officer with the Central Intelligence Agency, including deployment to Afghanistan. He has testified in more than 200 federal proceedings, including jury trials, hearings, and grand jury investigations.
Throughout his career, Harry has seen firsthand the consequences investigative findings can have on individuals and organizations. Today, through 4DISS, he applies that experience to complex investigative and litigation matters, with an emphasis on objective fact-finding and challenging assumptions to discover the truth.
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Eugene Theodore Thomas, Jr. is a business entrepreneur who has been able to turn his passion for helping people into his life's work through social services and real estate ventures. Eugene is the Executive Director and Owner of Greater Unity Adult Services, LLC. He has a sole mission of empowering adults who face intellectual and mental health challenges to enjoy more opportunities and reach their full potential in the community. The services that they provide positively impacts the lives of individuals with developmental disabilities in a way that brings purpose, productivity and meaning to their day-to-day living.
Greater Unity Adult Services, LLC. specifically provides residential group homes and adult day support services focusing on education, community, and quality care to people with disabilities. Currently, Greater Unity has 5 locations within the state of Virginia.
Eugene is also the owner of River City Enterprises, LLC which is a multi-disciplined real estate and construction firm that provides real estate sales, appraisals, development and general construction services both residential and commercial. Eugene owns an extensive real estate investment portfolio of both residential and commercial rental properties. Also, Eugene is co-owner and developer of two multi-family real estate development projects in Newport News, VA and Richmond, VA. The Newport News project involves the renovation of the historic Whittaker Memorial Hospital into 67 affordable multi-family apartments that will be made available to middle and low-income residents in Newport News, VA. The Richmond project involves the development of Townhomes at Warwick Place Phase II community which will include the construction of 30 new two-story three-bedroom townhome units. Both projects are being completed using a mix of historical, state, and Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC). Both projects are able to set a percentage affordable units aside for individuals with disabilities.
As a leader and advocate for equalizing the playing field for people with disabilities, Eugene is very involved in his community. He serves on the Governance Committee for First Tee of Greater Richmond, which teaches golf through school programs to make a positive impact on young people’s lives and instill values like integrity and perseverance. He also served the Metropolitan Business League from 2014 to 2017 and is a member of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity. Also, he is Member of YPO (Virginia Chapter of the Young Presidents Organization).
Eugene holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from Hampton University. He also has a Master of Business Administration degree with a concentration in Healthcare from George Washington University.
Eugene is Virginia Certified Residential Appraiser, Real Estate Broker and Class A Contractor.
Eugene and his wife live in Midlothian, Virginia, with their three children.
4:20-4:30: Conference Closing Remarks
By Southwest Ohio ACFE Chapter President Amanda Malusky Krauss
* CPE credits are based on a 50-minute hour. CPE credits are offered through the ACFE as well as the Accountancy Board of Ohio (sponsor number CPE.00467). For each hour of CPE, attendees must attend 50 minutes of content and answer 3 polling questions to validate attendance.
