Rita Iacone is the Supervisory Special Agent of the Health Care Fraud Squad for the Boston Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Rita has 15 years of investigative experience working white collar crime matters including health care fraud.  Prior to joining the FBI, Rita worked in public accounting as a Certified Public Accountant.

Pepper D.  Kravetz is an FBI Special Agent assigned to the Health Care Fraud Squad with the Boston Field Office.  Prior to her employment with the FBI Pepper was an Investigative Analyst with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts and a Senior Investigator in the Criminal Division of the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office.  Over her career, Pepper has investigated a variety of healthcare fraud matters, to include staged auto accidents, provider billing fraud, RUG upcoding, prescription drug misbranding, private insurance fraud, and drug diversion.

Tom Chapasko has been with ATF since 2004.  He began his career with ATF as an Industry Operations Investigator, conducting application and compliance inspections on federal firearms and explosives licensees.  He has worked as a Forensic Auditor and Senior Forensic Auditor with ATF since 2007 and as the District Manager of the Financial Investigative Services Division East II group since July of 2013.   His case work experience includes several arson-for-profit cases, tobacco diversion, firearms trafficking, narcotics and gangs cases, and a murder-for-hire case.  He has testified in Federal District court and at Federal Grand Jury.  In addition to his case work, Tom has taught at the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy, the Rhode Island Fire Marshal’s Association, the Rhode Island Chapter of the International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI,) the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE,) the ATF National Center for Explosives Training and Research (NCETR,) and at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC.)  He is a Certified Law Enforcement Instructor.  Tom is a Rhode Island resident and native.  He has earned BA and MBA degrees from Providence College.  GO FRIARS!  He is a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) and member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE.)  When he is not working on forensic accounting, he enjoys traveling, cooking, and spending time with his family.  He is also an avid New England sports fan. GO SOX!

Catherine Richard is a Special Agent for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations.  She has been investigating health care fraud for the past 11 years, 6 of which have been as an Agent.

Roy A. Mura is the founder and managing member of the eight-lawyer firm Mura & Storm, PLLC, headquartered in Buffalo, New York.  He is a 1986 law graduate of University of Buffalo School of Law and a 1983 linguistics degree graduate of SUNY at Binghamton. The author of the widely read and award-winning  Coverage Counsel blog (nycoveragecounsel.blogspot.com), Mr. Mura’s practice includes insurance coverage analysis and litigation, first-party property, third-party liability, auto/UM/UIM, no-fault, fraud and arson defense work for numerous property and casualty insurers on a state-wide and regional basis. He has successfully litigated and tried numerous insurance fraud and coverage cases for insurers through trial and appeal in New York and writes and speaks regularly for insurers and adjusters nationwide on various issues relating to insurance coverage, fraud, social media research for claims and underwriting investigations, “bad faith” and the defense of first- and third-party claims.  He is a member of and proudly serves as General Counsel to the New York State Chapter of the International Association of Special Investigation Units.  He is also a member of the International Association of Arson Investigators, New York State Fire Investigators State Chapter No. 23, Defense Research Institute, several local claims associations and the New York State and Erie County bar associations. He has been listed in the New York Super Lawyers – Upstate Edition since 2012, and maintains the highest possible AV rating with Martindale-Hubbell.  He is married, has three children, four grandchildren, and all but gave up golf several years ago to pursue his avocation for all-season fresh water fishing.

Adam D. Schneider is currently serving as the Resident Agent-in-Charge for the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General (SSA/OIG). His areas of responsibility encompass investigative operations in the states of New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine. He also oversees the IG’s Massachusetts Cooperative Disability Investigations Unit. He manages investigations into public benefit fraud, enumeration fraud, bank fraud, health care fraud, embezzlement, assault, bribery, counterfeiting, public corruption, child pornography, domestic and international terrorism. As a collateral duty, he serves as the program manager for the IG’s agency-wide Critical Incident Stress Management Program and is also a tactical medic. He is an Executive Board member of the Joint Terrorism Task Force in New Hampshire and the Anti-Terrorism Advisory Council in Maine. Adam began his career with SSA/OIG as a Special Agent in the OIG’s New York City Office in 2003. He moved to the OIG’s headquarters in Maryland where he was promoted to Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge for the Electronic Crimes Division.  In that assignment he led investigations into high technology crimes and managed the agency’s digital forensics laboratory. In 2011, he was selected to serve a one-year detail as the Executive Officer to the Inspector General until October 2012, when Adam moved into his current position. Since 2002, Adam has taught courses at the federal, state, and local level on disability fraud, identity theft, counter terrorism, insider threats, computer crimes, social media, intermediate weapon systems and law enforcement control tactics. Prior to his federal career, Adam was a Criminal Investigator for the New York State Revenue Crimes Bureau. He also served as volunteer Firefighter, Emergency Medical Technician and Hazardous Materials Technician for 16 years. Adam received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from Northeastern University in 1998 and is currently working towards a Master’s Degree in Healthcare Management at Champlain College in Burlington, VT. Adam resides in Amherst, New Hampshire with his wife Rachel, and his eight-year old son.

With an insurance career spanning 30 years, Karen Ward re-joined Verisk Analytics in 2017 in their Insurance Solutions – Claims division as the Training Manager for ISO ClaimSearch®.  Immediately prior to that, she worked at a major carrier for 13 years in a Learning Consultant role for Claims (10 years) and Underwriting (3 years).  Karen began her career in claims operations then moved to property and casualty multi-line claims handling and management.   Her experience includes a prior stint with ISO Commercial Risk Services now known as Verisk Insurance Solutions – Underwriting.

Mr. DiPaolo joined the Insurance Fraud Bureau in 1992 and he has been the Chief of Investigations since 2006.  He is credited with developing and managing the IFB’s premium fraud unit since its inception in 1994. Prior to joining the IFB, Mr. DiPaolo was with the U. S. Air Force for ten years as a Special Agent, concentrating on fraud investigations.  He has extensive experience in developing fraud detection programs.  Mr. DiPaolo earned his Bachelor of Science Degree, in Criminal Justice from Wilmington College and his Master of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from Northeastern University.  Mr. DiPaolo is an adjunct instructor at Northeastern University in their criminal justice program and has been since 1996; he teaches courses on white collar crime and criminal investigations.  Mr. DiPaolo is a frequent speaker on a variety of insurance fraud topics.  He is a member of the National Association of Certified Fraud Examiners.

Dennis Lyons of S. D. Lyons, Inc. has over 25 years of experience in the examination and analysis of automotive ignition lock systems and automotive transponder systems. Mr. Lyons is an ASE Certified Master Automotive Technician and has been a Certified Forensic Locksmith for over 15 years. He has lectured on auto theft analysis all over the country and currently teaches an auto theft class at the annual NICB Special Investigations Academy.

Tony Cretella spent 20 years with the CT State Police with 17 of those years working as an accident reconstructionist.  He was a Road Trooper, the first Community Policing Trooper, Resident Trooper for the Town of Bethany, a bodyguard for the Honorable Governor Jodi Rell, and spent the last 8 years of his career in Traffic Services as a founding member of the Reconstruction Unit.  During his career he was assigned over 500 fatal and serious injury wrecks and assisted in well over 1000.  Besides performing accident reconstruction, he also did a large amount of forensic mapping for the Major Crime Unit.  Tony was involved in several high profile crimes including; the Petit home invasion in Cheshire, Ct., the Clean Energy power plant explosion in Middletown, CT., the mass shooting at MDI beer distributors in Manchester, CT, and the school shooting at Sandy Hook.  He has been recognized in both civil and criminal courts as an expert in the field of accident reconstruction and consulted with several States Attorneys offices across the US regarding police pursuits and crashes resulting from these pursuits.

Steven has extensive experience in first-party and third-party personal and commercial policy coverage disputes. He also represents and advises several Fortune 500 insurance carriers in complex litigation related to coverage disputes, bad faith, unfair insurance practice claims, arson and fraud investigations and prosecuting declaratory judgment actions at both the trial and appellate levels. Steven’s practice includes defense of insureds in connection with personal injury and property damage claims resulting from automobile, commercial and residential premises and construction losses. In addition, Steven has extensive experience with handling complex litigation matters including, subrogation and recovery actions, and maritime and admiralty claims in federal court.

He provides coverage opinions on all personal lines of insurance, excess policies, group health, maritime policies and commercial policies including builder’s risk, surety, professional liability, employers’ liability policies as well as excess/surplus policies. Steven has handled appeals involving coverage before the Connecticut Appellate Court and Connecticut Supreme Court. Steven has also litigated cases in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. He has also conducted claim investigations in Florida, Arkansas, North Carolina, Rhode Island, New York, and Massachusetts. Steven is routinely called upon to advise clients in the early stages of claim investigations to reduce and/or eliminate extra contractual exposure. He also represents and counsels carriers in regulatory matters before the Connecticut Insurance Department. Steven has tried numerous jury and bench trials to verdict. Steven has investigated thousands of suspicious and fraudulent insurance claims throughout the United States on behalf of insurance carriers nationwide. He has also acted as a liaison between his carriers and local law enforcement for investigations involving insurance fraud. Steven also represents towns and municipalities against general and professional liability claims. Steven also defends law enforcement officers against civil rights claims. Steven counsels municipalities, Boards of Educations and town councils regarding issues involving risk management. Steven has authored numerous articles and given seminars on a multitude of issues concerning the insurance industry. He is routinely called upon to train claim representatives and special investigators regarding the analysis of suspicious and fraudulent claims. Steven is a former member of the Glastonbury Town Council, Glastonbury Town Plan and Zoning Commission, Glastonbury Human Relations Commission and the Manchester Housing Authority. As an Eagle Scout, Steven is an avid supporter of the Boy Scouts of America.

David Oliver Brink is the founding shareholder of Smith & Brink, P.C. and serves as its National Litigation Manager.  He is a Certified Fraud Examiner.  He leads the firm’s Federal RICO, Healthcare Fraud and Insurance SIU Practice Groups.  Mr. Brink’s trial practice in the State and Federal Courts encompasses a broad spectrum of insurance law cases, including: Federal RICO recovery lawsuits, arsons for profit, and medical provider fraud.  Through his offices in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, Pennsylvania and Michigan, Mr. Brink currently represents insurers throughout the United States. Mr. Brink has been representing insurers in SIU fraud matters for 33 years.  He filed his first RICO insurance fraud case in 1988.  This case was tried in 1992 and resulted in a landmark $5,000,000.00 dollar judgment in favor of the insurer.   See Aetna Casualty v. Rodco et als, 43 F. 3d 1546 (1st Cir. 1994).  Through the years his law firm has been counsel of record in thousands of cases involving fraud issues, including dozens of reported appellate decisions. From 1987 to 2003, he served as the National Legal Counsel for the International Association of Special Investigations Units.  He presently serves as General Counsel for New England Insurance Fraud Investigators Association.  Mr. Brink has authored and published numerous articles on insurance related topics, (including Insurance Applications for Crash Data Retrieval: Legal Considerations in 2011, published in Collision Magazine, Volume 6, Issue 1, Spring 2011, Prosecution Management in SIU: Balancing Competing Interests (2009); RICO and Insurance Fraud (Wiley 2001), Building on Common Ground: A White Paper Discussing Strategies For Combating Insurance Fraud (Clemens 1996).  He has appeared on several national news magazine programs including CBS 60 Minutes and ABC 20/20. Over the past three decades, Mr. Brink has lectured at over 30  insurance industry national seminars, including the National Insurance Crime Bureau Academy, the National Insurance Fraud Management Conference and the International Association of Insurance Fraud Investigators Conference. Mr. Brink is from Princeton, New Jersey.  He is a graduate of Grove City College, (1982) (Magna Cum Laude, Presidential Scholar), and Western New England University Law School (1985).  He is admitted to practice before the Massachusetts,  Rhode Island and Maryland bars, as well as the Federal Court for the Districts of Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut.

Mr. Medoff is a Director, Shareholder and Officer of Smith & Brink, P.C. He has focused his practice on insurance defense, special investigations issues, and bad faith claims while continuing his practice of criminal defense, construction litigation, appellate advocacy, and general civil litigation, including commercial litigation and debt collection. Mr. Medoff has engaged in a wide range of insurance defense work, including motor vehicle collisions, landlord/tenant, premises liability and arson. He has prosecuted civil R.I.C.O. actions on behalf of insurers in Federal Court. Mr. Medoff has written and lectured extensively on insurance and legal issues to many organizations.