News & Events

Cyber Crimes Center 101

Experience

Computer Forensics Analyst Michael Compton U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
National Program Manager Decryption and 3D Printing, Cyber Crimes Center (C3).

Computer Forensics Analyst (CFA) Michael Compton has over 16 years of Military and Law enforcement experience. This includes conducting Technical surveillance and investigations, child exploitation investigations, and anti-terrorism operations both domestically and around the world.
CFA Michael Compton is currently serving as the National Program Manager for Decryption and 3D Printing for the United States Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, at the Cyber Crimes Center (C3) in Fairfax, VA. Mr. Compton has pioneered and developed several methods utilizing 3D printing and Forensic Anthropology for identifying unknown victims. This new method has resulted in a 100% cost reduction and a significant reduction in time awaiting results for identification. This method can now be deployed internationally and allows for rapid identification of unidentified victims.
Prior to Mr. Compton’s law enforcement career, he served as a Critical Skills Operator and Marine Raider for the United States Marine Corps Special Operations Command.

The Austin Serial Bomber

Experience

Detective Rolando Ramirez has over two decades of law enforcement experience and is a current member of the Austin Police Department. Detective Ramirez began his career in law enforcement when he became a reserve police officer in January of 1997, joining the Fair Oaks Ranch Police Department. Before becoming a police officer Detective, Ramirez was honorably discharged from the US Army after serving a four-year enlistment at Ft. Hood. Detective Ramirez has worked in many different units while working for the Austin Police Department which include patrol, DWI unit, the Child Abuse Investigative unit, Hostage negotiations, and currently with the Homicide unit. Detective Ramirez became the lead investigator for the “Austin Bomber” case which took place in the spring of 2018.

Master of Manipulation: The Kendra Hatcher Investigation

Experience

Detective Eric Barnes has been with the Dallas Police Department for 14 years and has been a detective with the department’s Homicide Unit for 7 years. He is currently assigned to the Texoma HIDTA/Texas Anti-Gang Center as a task force officer with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives-Violent Crimes Group (IV). He currently conducts state and federal investigations on criminal organizations who use firearms to engage in narcotics trafficking and violent criminal activity.
Over the past 5 years, Detective Barnes has trained hundreds of law enforcement officers on the topics of basic investigations, homicide investigations, interrogation techniques and civil rights & ethics. Detective Barnes conducts training locally & abroad to state and federal agencies emphasizing advanced techniques of both reactive/proactive police response to violent crime.

Master of Manipulation: The Kendra Hatcher Investigation

Experience

I started as a jailer with the Dallas Sheriff’s Department in January 1991. I hired on with the Dallas Police Department in January 1992 and was promoted to the rank of senior corporal in March 1997. I was assigned as a detective in the Youth and Family Crimes Division before promoting to the rank of sergeant in March 2001. As a sergeant I have been assigned to communications, patrol, property crimes, individual robberies and homicide. I am currently the senior supervisor in the Dallas Homicide Unit and former acting unit commander.

The Jayme Closs Abduction

Experience

Special Agent Jon Hauser has been with the FBI since 2006. He is currently assigned to the FBI Milwaukee Division, Superior Resident Agency. SA Hauser’s duties include criminal, cyber, counter terrorism investigations and is a certified Special Agent Bomb Technician. Prior to the FBI, he spent 13 years as an active duty Officer in the US Air Force.

The Austin Serial Bomber

Experience

Paul Chavez has served as a commissioned police officer with the Austin Police Department since 2004. Detective Chavez grew up in El Paso and moved to Austin to attend the University of Texas at Austin. After earning a Bachelor’s Degree, Detective Chavez began his career in law enforcement and worked as a field patrol officer in North-Central Austin for several years. Detective Chavez has worked for various units throughout his career, including the Metro Tactical Unit, the Tactical Intelligence Unit, and the United States Marshals Service “Lone Star Fugitive Task Force” prior to becoming a Homicide investigator in 2018.

Cyber Crimes Center 101

Experience

Senior Special Agent Timothy Losito U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
National Program Manager Mobile Forensics Mobile Forensics Cyber Crimes Center (C3).

Agent Losito has 21 years of law enforcement experience. This experience includes conducting technical investigations, child exploitation investigations, narcotics investigations both domestic and abroad.

Agent Losito currently serves as a National Program Manager over Mobile Forensics and operates the Computer Forensics Laboratory located in the HSI Cyber Crimes Center (C3) Fairfax, VA. SSA Losito co-Authored the Computer Forensics Handbook, which includes all supporting documentation and HSI approved forms and serves as the official policy for forensics. He has supervised and served as the lead instructor to the CFU Basic and Advanced Mobile Forensics courses both domestic and overseas.

Prior to Agent Losito’s law enforcement career, he served in the United States Air force in the intelligence community.
Agent Losito maintains active involvement in several community service organizations, schools and faith-based organizations as a Community Outreach Coordinator for HSI.

The Jayme Closs Abduction

Experience

Detective Jeffrey Nelson is an experienced law enforcement Detective with the Barron County Sheriff’s Department in northwest Wisconsin. Detective Nelson has over 24 years of law enforcement experience and has served as a major crimes Detective for the last 17 years. He has been involved in multiple death and homicide investigations in his career and has also worked on drug task forces and general investigations. Detective Nelson also has attended the National Fire Academy and has investigated multiple arson fires as an arson investigator.
Detective Nelson currently serves as the Tactical Team Commander for the Barron/Rusk County regional Emergency Response Team (ERT) and has been a member of the tactical team for over 21 years.

Detective Nelson holds a Bachelors of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin- River Falls in the field of Criminal Justice and Sociology. He also has advanced training from the Wisconsin – Department of Justice and FBI in the areas of advanced interviews and interrogations as well as major crime scene investigations. Detective Nelson was also a recent recipient of the 2019 Meritorious Service Award from the Wisconsin Association of Homicide Investigators Association.

Detective Nelson also serves as a Director for the Wisconsin Law Enforcement Officers Association (WLEOA) and is the President of the Barron Area School district –Board of Education and serves on multiple other community associations.

The Jayme Closs Abduction

Experience

Special Agent Joe Welsch has been employed in law enforcement for over 29 years. For 16 years, S/A Welsch was employed by the Sauk County Sheriff’s Office, Wisconsin where he worked in the patrol and detective divisions. For the last 4 years working at the Sauk County Sheriff’s Office, S/A Welsch was promoted to supervisor of criminal investigations. S/A Welsch has been employed as a Special Agent with the Wisconsin Department of Justice- Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) for the past 13 years. S/A Welsch is currently assigned to the Major Crimes Bureau, where his primary responsibility involve investigating homicides, child abductions and officer-involved deaths. He has been assigned as lead investigator in several high profile homicides and death investigations.

The Mollie Tibbetts Investigation: the 33 day multi-agency search for the U of Iowa student that gripped the nation

Experience

Richard Rahn has been employed within law enforcement for over 32 years. For seven years, he worked for the Burlington Iowa Police Department as a Patrolman and Detective. Aspiring to work high-level felonious crimes, he accepted a position with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, an investigative branch for the Iowa Department of Public Safety. During his twenty five plus years as a Special Agent with the Major Crime Unit, he worked well over 150 death investigations, to include Case Agent of two mass murder investigations, several high profile homicides and countless suspicious death investigations. S.A.C. Rahn has been married for thirty-two years and has two sons.