true crime

KN, p. 322 “Training for a Career in Forensics”

If there are no paragraph separations in this article, please double-click on the title to create a more readable version.The CSI shows on TV have generated a tremendous amount of interest in the field of forensics, whether the technicians are in the lab or out in the field at crime scenes. Crime shows (and movies) have changed the way the public looks at law enforcement – not only in how quickly crimes are solved, but how cases are brought to court. As technology has improved, and more efficient ways of assessing evidence have been developed, more careers in the forensic sciences are available than ever before.

It used to be that cops on the beat, or detectives looking into a potential crime, picked up techniques along the way that pointed them to possible suspects. They learned where evidence (like fingerprints or footprints) might be found by using their experience on the job and continued training after attending the police academy. Not necessarily scientific, but hard work and diligence usually paid off.

These days, crimes can involve the dark web, human trafficking, and international cartels, in addition to the forgeries, kidnappings, and drug busts (etc). Heists are more sophisticated, crime lords sink to greater depths of evil, and crimes against humanity are more widespread and complex. We still need the cops on the beat to help keep our neighborhoods safe, but we also need forensic scientists to help unravel the latest iteration of criminal activity.

Let’s take a look at what kind of training is needed for seven of the various fields. You may know someone who’d like to serve in law enforcement, but who doesn’t want to shoot or chase anyone down an alley in order to catch the bad guys/gals. The following specialties are areas in which they can assist without the need of a bulletproof vest.

Computer Forensics: Identity theft via the internet is on the rise, as is corporate hacking, and cyberterrorism. Highly skilled computer analysts are sought after in almost every area of today’s  cyber world. Think ‘Bobby’ in TV’s “Tracker.” Most two and four-year computer forensics programs deliver instruction in investigative techniques, white-collar crime, as well as the laws that oversee the work of searching & seizing digital information, since computer forensic specialists can recover information to be used later in criminal trials.

Cybersecurity: Cybersecurity concentrates on protecting information. Cybersecurity specialists track data thieves, thwart e-terrorists, and guard sensitive electronic information. They generally need at least a bachelor’s degree for entry level jobs, but lots of experience counts.

DNA Analysis: Several colleges and universities have programs to train wannabe DNA analysts, who most often need a bachelor’s degree to start. In order to advance in a career or to work in  a more demanding work environment (think the FBI), a master’s or doctoral program might be necessary. What’s interesting to note is that a career in DNA analysis might be reached through a degree in organic chemistry, quantitative analysis, and/or biochemistry, each part of the DNA investigative process.

Forensic Accounting: This career deals with a great deal more than looking into sloppy bookkeeping. Forensic accountants examine flaws in the records of suspected criminals to find financial crimes such as money laundering, insurance fraud, and embezzlement. The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE, a certifying agency) reveals that a job at the FBI requires the minimum of a four-year degree, but another year (Master’s level training), is sought after by employers. This field pays very well.

Forensic Anthropologists: People in this career path diagnose posthumous death by analyzing  skin tissue, bones, as well as the area where the body was found. The skills needed have helped families find closure in cold cases, and are essential in identifying large numbers of persons who have perished in natural disasters, multiple vehicle crashes, and/or in war zones. Training takes years, however, with the minimum requirement of a Master’s Degree (about 6 years of higher education). Anyone with a wish to get ahead in this field would need a Doctorate as well as Certification in the specialty of choice.

Forensic photographers document a crime scene visually, and the job includes taking images of tire tracks, fingerprints, intentional wounds, and blood spatter patterns. Training as a professional crime scene photographer focuses on understanding crime scene investigation and learning about the types of photos needed to document clues and details. The details in the photos can be essential for solving the crimes and helping to prosecute at trial. Since some photos must be taken at night, without bright lights available to backlight the scene, the photographer must be able to take low light (or no light) shots.

In many jurisdictions, the crime scene isn’t cleared until the photographer and videographer have finished recording all of the evidence. This means that if murder is suspected, a dead body is part of the photography assignment. Training would cover what to do (or not) so that evidence isn’t damaged or destroyed, as well as how to collect, store, and authenticate the crime scene photos. (No photos can be deleted from the memory card, even if blurry.) Training doesn’t always cover the fact that dead bodies smell, a crime scene involving said body is horrific, and that everyone must have a strong stomach to deal with all of the blood and sometimes gore.

Smaller jurisdictions don’t often have enough crimes that need photographic evidence (i.e. a fulltime photographer on staff), so this job may be handed to someone a cop or firefighter knows who can take detailed shots. Not the local wedding photographer, but someone who has the stomach for the gritty stuff. A strong academic background in criminal justice and crime scene investigation techniques might be the best way to move to a career in forensic photography.

Forensic toxicologists use scientific knowledge to decide if accidental or intentional poisoning was a cause of death and to determine fault. A degree in biology or chemistry is generally required at entry level. But some universities offer one-year certificate programs and associate’s and master’s degree programs in forensic toxicology to add to the undergraduate degree. Forensic toxicologists might never see an actual crime scene.

 

*Some degree requirement information is from forensics colleges.

 

 

KN, p. 322 “Training for a Career in Forensics” Read More »

KN, p. 308 “Tax Fraud”

If this post has no paragraph separations, please double-click on the title to create a more readable version.

In 1789, Benjamin Franklin said, “Nothing is certain except death and taxes.”

235 years later? It’s still true.

April 15th is tax day in the USA. By midnight that day, the bill must have been paid, either via mail date-stamped by the Post Office, or online. After that, if you owe money and don’t send it in, penalties began to add up.

Government at every level imposes taxes in order to pay its bills. Roads, schools, civil defense, water control, government employees, and more…all get a piece of the revenue pie.

So what happens if you don’t file taxes? It is a crime not to pay and a definite no-no not to file. Since this is about money and the government needs more of it to run the programs, there are fines if you forget (or don’t want to pay), even jail time in certain cases.

Penalties

  • Not filing taxes: 5% of the tax owed for each month the return is past due.
  • More than 60 days late filing: A minimum fine of $435. Maximum fine is 25% of the total owed. (Plus the amount you owe)
  • Not paying at all: 0.5% of the unpaid taxes for each month the outstanding taxes aren’t paid, plus interest. Ouch.

The government can choose to play nice with people “who have never done this before” and there are extensions available. BUT, not everyone gets a pass and only in rare instances.

Your house burns down? Better call the tax people and get an extension in writing. Those taxes are still due and penalties still accrue, but there might be a bargain to be struck if the agent is having a good day. You might be able to negotiate a six-month extension, but you still owe the money.

 

True story: a former colleague hired a tax firm to do her taxes – fill out forms and assess the amount owed. The firm underestimated the debt and overestimated the deductions. The IRS conducts random audits and contacted her one year – after she had left the paperwork to the firm for about five years in a row. Short version: the firm had done a lousy job. She wound up paying back taxes and fines of over $20,000. Yup. Four zeros. She appealed. She was allowed to pay it back over time, but she still owed all the back money. The firm did little to help her, citing that they based their figures on the information she gave them. Hmmm.

 

How long can you avoid filing taxes?
The powers-that-be have “six years to charge you with criminal tax evasion.” It can take as long as it likes to collect the money owed. Don’t forget, there’s interest charged on top of the penalties and money owed. Jail time is possible if they get you for criminal tax evasion. It’s a felony, folks. PLUS, you’ll probably get audited for years afterward.

 

What’s the difference between evasion and avoidance?

  • Tax evasion is fraud and means that you have used illegal ways to conceal income, with fines, penalties, and possible jail time (maybe five years) if found guilty. You lied on the forms. They can even charge you for the cost of prosecution.
  • Tax avoidance uses legal ways to reduce income with tax credits and allowable deductions.

WAIT!  What counts as under-reporting?
Not reporting cash ‘under the table’ for legal or illegal activities. Whether child-care or gun-running, income is income, according to the IRS.

Cryptocurrency transactions are taxable, so if you thought there were no rules, think again.

Whistleblowers:
There is a special IRS office that pays for information leading to the arrest (and conviction) of major tax fraud perpetrators. Big bucks are at stake if money is hidden in illegal overseas accounts. If it involves a criminal organization, witness protection might be part of what happens next.

 

My advice? Pay what you owe. There are legitimate tax planners out there who can possibly help reduce your tax bill, but to evade altogether? Seriously bad idea if you’re allergic to jail and big fines.

*information source: the IRS.

 

KN, p. 308 “Tax Fraud” Read More »

KN, p. 307 “St. Patrick’s Day Mischief”

Sure n’ begorra, we hear lots of stories about shenanigans on St. Patrick’s Day. And the night before. And the day after. And all weekend when the holiday falls on the weekend. That includes Fridays. In case you hadn’t looked at the calendar, St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Friday this year.

Pubs will be jammed and green beer will be flowing. Cops will be out and about, patrolling as precincts ask for all hands on deck while The Irish, and wannabe Irish folk all over the world celebrate. And drink. The amount of alcohol consumed that day is phenomenal. Guinness (beer company based in Dublin) reports that people in 150 countries drink about 13,000,000 pints worldwide on St. Patrick’s Day alone.

Listen closely to the people sloshing as they walk – or fall down.

That day, law enforcement has to deal with more than the usual traffic stops – drunk drivers get feisty when pulled over. If arrested, the ‘boozed up’ are likely to toss their cookies in the back seat of the patrol cars, and/or use that back seat as a bathroom. Yup. Not pleasant for anyone, and it’s the reason those back seats and floors are industrial strength vinyl, rather than cloth. Easier to wash out with a hose between arrests.

Some criminals get creative and dress up in costume on St. Patrick’s Day. Back in 2010, a bank in Tennessee was robbed by a guy dressed as a leprechaun. There was a car chase, a gunfight, and two dead bank robbers at the end of that ill-conceived day. The money was recovered.

One of the most famous crimes committed on St. Patrick’s Day was an art heist at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston in 1990.

Impersonating Boston police, two men arrived at the museum, tied up the guards, and made off with 13 paintings valued at a half billion dollars. The paintings have never been recovered, but the heist has been the topic of several fictional versions of their whereabouts over the intervening 30+ years. I visited the Museum 15 years ago and saw the empty frames still hanging on the walls as placeholders. A sad reminder to the public of their loss.

A few responsible people do help when they see something tragic occur. In 2014, a drunken 22 year old decided to drive anyway. He hit and injured a woman and her boyfriend with his car. One of his friends in the car tried to get him to stay put after the accident, but he drove away. A cabbie witnessed the accident and followed the 22 y.o.’s car until he lost it in traffic. BUT, the cabbie called the police, shared the plate number, and the cops were waiting for the young man when he got home. He was arrested and pleaded guilty to second degree vehicular assault and leaving the scene of an incident without reporting it to police.

A garage roof collapsed and eight students were injured at an off-campus party in California attended by close to 1,000. They had been ‘brewfing,’ (sitting on a roof while drinking beer). Afterward, the town mayor decided to prohibit people being on a roof unless repairs were being done.

A man set himself on fire during a New Jersey St. Patrick’s Day pub crawl. In 2015, the police arrived at a pub to find a man on fire in the middle of the road. 25 bars in the area were on the pub crawl list. The officers put the fire out, so he was lucky and not seriously injured. The crawl never stopped, and by the end of the night, 11 people were arrested for drugs, assault, public drinking, and more…

Then there was the “Blarney Blowout” in 2014 near UMass in Amherst. Police in riot gear showed up for that one, trying to control thousands of drunken partiers. Some students threw beer bottles and cans at the cops. 52 arrests were made and people were injured on both sides of the melee.

In general, being drunk at a private party won’t get you arrested unless somebody gets hurt, or you wake the neighbors. But, what happens to you when you are arrested for drunk driving?

Penalties for DWI in North Carolina (similar in other States)

For a first offense, you will be required to pay a fine of up to $200 and stay in jail for at least 24 hours and up to 60 days. You will also lose your driver’s license for 30 days and be required to perform 24 hours of community service. You are taken straight to jail and your car is towed at your expense.

For a second offense, you will need to pay a fine of up to $500. You will have to stay in jail for at least 48 hours and may be required to stay for up to 120 days. You will also lose your driver’s license for 60 days and be required to perform 48 hours of community service.

For a third offense, you will pay a fine of up to $1,000. You will be required to serve a minimum jail sentence of 72 hours, but it could extend to six months. Additionally, you will lose your driver’s license for 90 days and be required to perform 72 hours of community service.

 Some offense info found at: https://www.schlosserandpritchettlaw.com/

 

Enjoy yourself on St. Patrick’s Day, but please stay safe and be mindful of the safety of others.

 

KN, p. 307 “St. Patrick’s Day Mischief” Read More »

Scroll to Top