Below is a history of the great lineup of speakers we have had at our meetings.

Past Meeting Agendas

Wednesday, October 23, 2019 – 6:30 PM at Denver Athletic Club

We covered investigative questions, followed up on CORA requests, and our guest speaker, Chris Wells, spoke about Cellular Call Detail Records.

Wednesday, July 24, 2019 – 6:30 PM at Denver Athletic Club

During this meeting, we reviewed CORA requests and prepared them for submission.

Wednesday, May 23, 2018 – 6:30 PM at Denver Athletic Club

We have the good fortune to have Chris Wells as our featured speaker, and his presentation will focus on “Defense Teams and Digital Evidence.”

Criminal defense teams receive discovery materials from the prosecution. These materials increasingly include large quantities of digital evidence: data extracted from computers and cell phones, warrant returns from cellular carriers, social media and email “downloads,” and the results of law enforcement’s analysis of all this information. As attorneys and investigators are often not as technically savvy as they should be, efficiently working with the digital evidence within discovery can be challenging.

Chris Wells is a digital evidence expert; he specializes in digital forensics and Call Detail Record analysis and mapping. The presentation he’ll give to the CSPI is one he frequently gives to defense attorneys and their investigators.

The presentation covers:

  • The kinds of digital evidence typically seen in today’s cases
  • The challenges of working with digital evidence
  • The proper roles for experts and investigators in order to address these challenges
  • An introduction to the digital forensics process and the artifacts it produces
  • How modern digital forensic tools allow experts and investigators to collaborate
  • An overview of state-of-the-art techniques for reviewing digital evidence

Wednesday, February 21, 2018 – 6:30 PM at Denver Athletic Club

  1. Discuss Member Investigations.
  2. Discuss ideas for 2018 CORA requests.
  3. Suggestions for prospective speakers.

Wednesday, November 15, 2017 – 6:30 PM at Denver Athletic Club

  1. Discussion with Tracy Aguero about the Missy Bevers case.
  2. Discuss the 2018 schedule.

Wednesday, October 18, 2017 – 6:30 PM at Denver Athletic Club

  1. Discussion with Tracy Aguero about the Missy Bevers case.
  2. Discuss Pending CORA Requests

Wednesday, September 20, 2017 – 6:30 PM at Denver Athletic Club

  1. Discuss Member Investigations
  2. Discuss Pending CORA Requests
  3. Solve Investigative Scenarios
  4. How NOT to Handle a Stalker

Wednesday, August 16, 2017 – 6:30 PM at the Denver Athletic Club

  1. Discuss Member Investigations
  2. Discuss Results of CORA Requests
  3. Solve Investigative Scenarios

Wednesday, June 21, 2017 – 6:30 PM at the Denver Athletic Club

  1. Discuss Member Investigations
  2. Finalize Member CORA Requests
  3. Solve Investigative Scenarios

Wednesday, May 17, 2017 – 6:30 PM at the Denver Athletic Club

  1. Discuss Member Investigations
  2. Guest Speaker Joseph Selph on Data Evidence
  3. Review CORA Progress

Wednesday, April 19, 2017 – 6:30 PM at the Denver Athletic Club

  1. Discuss Member Investigations
  2. Guest Speaker Chris Wells on Cell Phone Forensics
  3. Review CORA Progress

Wednesday, March 15, 2017 – 6:30 PM at the Denver Athletic Club

  1. Review of Current Corruption Investigations
  2. Guest Speaker Keith Cloud on Qui tam lawsuits
  3. Introduction to Investigative Assignments

Wednesday, January 18, 2017 – 6:30 PM at the Denver Athletic Club

  1. New Member Introduction
  2. Review of 2016 Public Corruption Investigations
  3. Group discussion of 2017 Objectives

Thursday, November 10 – 6:30 PM at the Denver Athletic Club

  1. Year-end meeting
  2. Discussion
  3. Review of documents

Tuesday, October 4 – 6:30 PM at the Denver Athletic Club

  1. Document follow-up if needed
  2. Draft final report
  3. Group discussion

Tuesday, September 6 – 6:30 PM at the Denver Athletic Club

  1. Review documentation
  2. Discussion
  3. Additional follow-up if needed

Thursday, July 7 – 6:30 PM at the Denver Athletic Club

  1. Individual group presentations of their target
  2. Draft CORA Requests
    1. To be issued no later than July 21.
  3. Group Discussion

Between July 7 and September 6
the CORA Requests will be issued

Tuesday, June 14 – 6:30 PM at the Denver Athletic Club

  1. MEMBERS ONLY MEETING
  2. RATIFY BYLAWS AND POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
  3. COLORADO OPEN RECORDS ACT
    LECTURE AND DISCUSSION BY TODD SHEPHERD
  4. Target discussion
  5. Form groups
    1. Group discussion of potential targets
Tuesday November 19, 2013 – Please join us for an important night for all Colorado Private Investigators.
Colorado PI Licensing – The Great Debate

The Board of Directors and Membership of the Colorado Society of Private Investigators, who oppose licensing Colorado private investigators, have cordially invited the Board of Directors and Membership of the Professional Private Investigators Association of Colorado, who are in favor of licensing Colorado private investigators, and all other Colorado private investigators, to debate the issue on Tuesday, November 19, 2013, at the Denver Athletic Club at 7:00 PM.

Debate questions, response time, and moderator will be worked out by CSPI and PPIAC presidents. We look forward to seeing you all there!

For more information about the PPIAC, please visit their website at: www.ppiac.org

September 24, 2013 – Karey Duarte, JD, Duarte Consulting

Karey Duarte, JD, is president and founder of Duarte Consulting with 10 years of human resources and employment law experience. She is a graduate of San Diego State University and Whittier Law School and has worked in both the private and public sectors performing countless workplace investigations. She has provided a full range of advisory services to organizations such as the Federal Judiciary and the University of Southern California where she was the Assistant Director of the Office of Equity and Diversity. She is a trained EEO investigator, mediator, and private investigator. She is a member of the Society of Human Resource Management, the Association of Workplace Investigators, and the Colorado Society of Private Investigators.

Karey will contrast traditional investigative techniques with other methods used to conduct effective, thorough, and timely workplace investigations. She will discuss various legal ramifications and considerations when investigating claims of sexual harassment, discrimination, and hostile work environments, and will highlight best practices.

Karey can be reached through her website at www.duarteconsulting.com, by telephone at 720-236-2802, or by email at kareyduarte@gmail.com

June 25, 2013 – Robert Bernhardt, Attorney at Law

Our speaker will be CSPI member Robert (Rob) Bernhardt, Attorney at Law (son of CSPI member Alan Bernhardt). Rob is a former prosecutor with the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office. Both he and his father were involved in a high profile murder defense investigation/trial several years ago that was featured on one of the cable channels. He will be discussing the following:

The Role of the Private Investigator
in an Active Criminal Litigation – Start to Finish

Our presentation will discuss the roles and responsibilities of the private investigator throughout the course of an active criminal litigation. The relationship between the attorney and the investigator, what to do/not do, attorney-client privilege matters, client/witness interviews, and dealing with law enforcement and district attorneys. We will explore the process and explain what is standard and expected from the investigator in the assistance of providing effective representation in an active criminal case.

Rob and Alan can be reached at 303-467-3341

Alan  can also be reached at jesteral@aol.com

January 22, 2013 – Robert Kelso, Forensic Pursuit

Robert Kelso is a certified computer hacking forensic investigator who earned his graduate degree from the University of Colorado in May 1983 with a Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering specializing in Astrodynamics. He has published numerous articles and has qualified as an expert in his field in various Colorado District Courts. He has been a guest speaker at numerous Colorado law firms and is the creator of the accredited class E Discovery And Computer Forensics.

Robert can be reached at –
Emailrobert.kelso@forensicpursuit.com
     Telephone: 303-495-2082
Websitehttp://www.forensicpursuit.com/

November 27, 2012 – Steve Pease, Pikes Peak Investigations

Steve Pease is a retired investigator with the El Paso County Sheriff’s office. He will be speaking on Technical Surveillance Counter Measures (TSCM) which involves the discovery of the placement of listening devices in vehicles, office buildings, board rooms and homes. Steve has the knowledge, background, experience and very expensive stuff (tools) to carry out this kind of mission. Keep in mind this is a two part process, finding the bug and then who put it there.

Steve can be reached at PikesPeak@aol.com.

September 25, 2012 – Sandra Stibbards, Camelot Investigations

Sandra Stibbards, owner of Camelot Investigations, is a licensed private investigator located in California and Texas. She will be giving a presentation on OSINT Training.

The Open Source Intelligence Training Course (OSINT) provides extensive information relating to surface and deep web searching along with advanced online search techniques and strategies, online privacy/anonymity tools, counter-intelligence techniques used by the criminal element, utilization of database systems, archiving tools and methods to obtain archived pages and hidden information, search techniques of blogs and social networks, geo-locating, image recognition, the transfer of large files, screen shot capabilities, and analysis, organization, preparation, as well as writing reports for the information developed.

Lists of search engines, blogs, forums, social networks, etc., along with search tools on the ways to use these items will be provided throughout the training. You will never conduct an investigation in the same manner as you did before you attended this class.

Her website is www.camelotinvestigations.com and she can be reached at sandra@camelotinvestigations.com.

June 26, 2012 – Jennifer Brown, J. Brown Legal Investigations

Ms. Brown, one of Colorado’s most experienced criminal investigators, will discuss Mitigation Investigations in Death Penalty Cases. You won’t want to miss this one!

Jennifer Brown is a Certified Legal Investigator with a law degree. She started as a Washington, D.C. staffer for a U.S. Senator and has gone on to work for software companies, database firms and some of the premier legal and investigative firms in the Rocky Mountain region. She has extensive experience in both criminal defense and complex civil cases. She maintains her own business, J. Brown Legal Investigations, LLC. She’s also the author of numerous award-winning articles in respected publications detailing investigative issues of importance to other investigators.

May 23, 2012 – Jason Hicks, Backgrounds USA

Jason Hicks, owner of Backgrounds USA, will discuss the difference between a background investigation, a background check, and things investigators need to know as it relates to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). He is also a founding member of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS), the Voice of Screening Professionals.  Their website is at www.napbs.com

You can learn more about Jason Hicks’ services at www.BackgroundsUSA.com

March 27, 2012 – Rick Johnson, Rick Johnson & Associates of Colorado, Inc. – The Path To Investigative Objectives and How To Get There.

Rick is a former investigator with the Denver and Jefferson County District Attorneys’ Offices, where he specialized in the investigation of complex white collar crimes, public corruption, and during that time was a grand jury investigator. Rick has been a Colorado private investigator since 1987 and has conducted investigations concerning issues of public corruption, family law, parental kidnapping, complex civil cases, and has worked for some of Colorado’s most prestigious law firms and numerous Colorado and other corporations. On behalf of the insurance industry, he has investigated inflated theft claims, arson, motor vehicle thefts, and death claims.

Rick is a former 3-year president of the Professional Private Investigators Association of Colorado (PPIAC), is the founder and president of the Private Investigators Academy of the Rockies, and in 2010 founded the Colorado Society of Private Investigators and is its current president. For more information, please visit his website at www.denverpi.com.

January 25, 2012-Kevin Knierim, managing partner of CYOPSIS

Kevin Knierim is a Colorado based computer forensics, IT security and investigations company.  Kevin will discuss digital forensic issues with computers and mobile devices that arise in your investigations, as well as some tips to assist you with gathering information in social media and the cyber world.

Kevin is a former 15 year veteran of the FBI and has been out on his own for over 5 years.  For more information, please visit the Cyopsis website at www.Cyopsis.com

November 16, 2011-Kathy Hinckley, Investigator, Family Detective, LLC.

If you think locating a living witness is difficult, try locating on behalf of you client family information for people who died 100 years ago.  The techniques used by a forensic genealogist is important for any private investigator to know and understand.

Kathy locates living persons for oil/mineral rights, unclaimed monies, and unknown or missing heirs.  She is a forensic genealogist for the U.S. Army to locate DNA-qualified family members of MIAs and POWs from WWII, Korean War, and SE Asia.  Kathy has testified as a court approved expert witness in genealogy in several states, and is author of four books, including Your Guide to the Federal Census, and Modern Genealogy Research Techniques for Locating People of Your Past and Present.

Kathy will present case studies that outline the methodology used to prove relationships and discuss legal issues in undertaking these types of assignments.  See her web site at www.familydetective.com for more information

September 28, 2011-Dan Luzadder, Investigative Journalist and Pulitzer Prize Winner.

Dan Luzadder, longtime investigative reporter for major newspapers, will be guest speaker at the inaugural meeting of the Colorado Society of Private Investigators.

A new member of CSPI, he will talk about access by private investigators to public records through the Colorado Open Records Act and the Freedom of Information Act, and how those records can help expose public corruption, government  abuse, mismanagement and other information on matters of public importance.

Come hear more about the process and the important public service role that private investigators can play through the use of public records access laws to the benefit of their state and community.