Orange County Auto Theft Investigators Association

Orange County Auto Theft Investigators Association

2018 Training Presentations at OCATI Meetings

The Guest Speaker at the December 2018 OCATI Meeting was Richard O. Knapp, Knapp & Spurlock, LLP. Richard gave a Legal Update and Inaugural "Ask an Attorney" question session. Some of the topics discussed included insurance coverage, claims and investigation. Richard's presentation also included some interesting case studies of attempts to manipulate insurance payouts via fraudulent claims.

The Guest Speaker at the November 2018 OCATI Meeting was CHP Border Division Cargo Theft Interdiction Program (CTIP) Investigator Jim Kelley. Jim gave a presentation related to Cargo Theft crimes and the CHP program dedicated to this. Jim was able to show several investigations conducted by the CTIP Investigators that resulted in great recoveries and arrests.

The Guest Speaker at the October 2018 OCATI Meeting was Mick O'Neill from Hagerty Insurance, who will be giving a presentation on "Classic Car Theft and Insurance Fraud." Mick was able to give several case histories that represented some interesting attempts at defrauding Hagerty.

The Guest Speakers at the September 2018 OCATI Meeting were JJ Harrison and Ken Evans from CarMax, who gave a presentation on "CarMax Asset Protection." They also spoke about how CarMax can assist Law Enforcement in investigating vehicle theft cases.

The Guest Speaker at the July 2018 OCATI Meeting was Ryan Nilsen, CHP Border Division Investigative Services Unit -- Vehicle Theft, who gave a presentation on "VIN Switching: what to look for."

The Guest Speaker at the June 2018 OCATI Meeting was Shannah Field, Enterprise Holdings, who gave a presentation on "Law enforcement, Security Organizations and Rental Vehicles; Working Together for the Common Good."

The Guest Speaker at the May 2018 OCATI Meeting was Yvonne McFadden, DMV Westminster Office Manager, who gave a presentation on Title Washing, Lien Sales, and Fraud.

Yvonne led a very active interaction with the attendees who had many questions and comments on the subject matter. It appears that OCATI will be working with Yvonne to get together a committee to address issues involving fraudulent transactions.

The Guest Speakers at the April 2018 OCATI Meeting were Investigators Tony Contreras and Mitchel Sanchez from the California Highway Patrol Mexico Liaison Office, Efrain Quezada from LoJack, and Dennis Frias from Oficina Coordinadora de Riesgos Asegurados (OCRA).

They discussed the problems faced by law enforcement on both sides of the border regarding stolen vehicles crossing the border into Mexico / United States.

Guest Speakers Tom Downey, Ron Ramos, Reuben Warren

The Guest Speakers at the March 2018 OCATI Meeting were Sergeant Steve Salvatori from the California Department of Insurance, Supervisory Special Agent Tom Downey from the National Insurance Crime Bureau, and Investigators Ron Ramos and Reuben Warren from the California Highway Patrol, who gave a presentation on "Vehicle Insurance Fraud" with an emphasis on "Owner Give Ups."

The Guest Speaker at the February 2018 OCATI Meeting was Investigator David Navarro, California Highway Patrol / OCATT, who gave a presentation on "Updates on Fraudulent Purchasing of Vehicles."

David's presentation hit home with many of the attendees as he discussed recent cases handled by OCATT and some of the local police agencies, car rental companies, and dealership security personnel in attendance.

The Guest Speaker at the January 2018 OCATI Meeting was Deputy District Attorney Dan Hess, Orange County District Attorney's Office / OCATT, who gave a presentation on "Vehicle Theft Review / New Laws 2018." To say that many of the new laws appear to give the criminals the advantage would be an understatement.

The new 2018 OCATI Officers were introduced: Alex Natividad (President), Melissa Somers (Vice President), and Betty Ashley (Secretary).

2017 Training Presentations at OCATI Meetings

There were two Guest Speakers at the December 2017 OCATI Meeting. The first Speaker was Jessica Gutierrez from University of California, Irvine, who gave a short overview for their Online Master's Program in "Criminology, Law and Society." The second speaker was Investigator Jim Eberhart, California Highway Patrol / OCATT, who gave a presentation on the "2017 Vehicle Theft Statistical Overview for California and Orange County (Specifically)."

The 2018 OCATI Officers were introduced: Alex Natividad (President), Melissa Somers (Vice President), Betty Ashley (Secretary), and Mike Steffanoff (Past President). This meeting was also our annual Holiday Party. A catered luncheon prepared by Tacos El Mexicano was served after the meeting. There was plenty of food available to the attendees.

The Guest Speakers at the November 2017 OCATI Meeting were California Highway Patrol Officers Jonathan Collins and Alex Natividad. Jonathan gave a presentation on the CHP VIN / Salvage inspection program and current trends. Alex also participated in the question / answer period following the presentation.

The Guest Speaker at the September 2017 OCATI Meeting was J.J. Harrison Regional Loss Prevention Director, CARMAX. J.J. gave a presentation on the fraud prevention and security efforts utilized by CARMAX nationally and locally.

The Guest Speaker at the August 2017 OCATI Meeting was David Richardson from All Lines Dealer Services. David gave a presentation on Starguard Security Systems – Overview and Role in regards to vehicle theft prevention. Another tool used by dealerships to help deter vehicle theft as well as provide inventory management.

The Guest Speaker at the July 2017 OCATI Meeting was Mark Donahue, Senior Security Investigator for Swift Transportation. Mark discussed Swift Transportation's efforts to combat cargo theft problems and other security issues via use of "bait" equipment. Mark went into detail about how the equipment works. The use of this equipment assists both law enforcement and insurance carriers with the criminal prosecution of cargo theft suspects.

The Guest Speaker at the June 2017 OCATI Meeting was Iconic Motor Car Inspection Consultant / Vehicle Inspector Henry Diaz. Henry gave a presentation on Vehicle Inspections / Appraisals, and the services available and performed by Iconic Motor Car Inspection.

Guest Speaker OCDA Deputy District Attorney Jessica Bingham

Guest Speaker OCDA Investigator Paul Kelly

The Guest Speakers at the May 2017 OCATI meeting were from the Orange County District Attorney's Office Auto Insurance Fraud Unit, Deputy District Attorney Jessica Bingham and District Attorney Investigator Paul Kelly. They gave a presentation on "Auto Insurance Fraud."

The Guest Speaker at the April 2017 OCATI Meeting was Crime Prevention Program of Southern California for the Construction Industry Executive Director Melissa Somers. Melissa discussed CPP of SoCal and what it does to assist not only the construction industry, but also their law enforcement and insurance partners.

The Guest Speaker at the March 2017 OCATI Meeting was Irvine Police Department Civilian Investigator Kaitlyn Alaimo, of the SIU / Intel Division. Kaitlyn gave a presentation on how social media can assist you in your investigations. The PowerPoint presentation included several methods of searching for people, email addresses, and telephone numbers. She included investiative strategies and important tips on not only how to find suspects you are seeking but also how to protect your own identity.

Guest Speakers Terry Bealey and Mike Maleta

February 2017 OCATI Guest Speaker NICB Special Agent Lou Koven, with the assistance of CHP FEAR Investigators Terry Bealey and Mike Maleta, of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Outbound Enforcement Team, gave a presentation on Export Activity at the LA/Long Beach Seaport. The presentation included what the team is looking for as well as some case studies of what the team found being trying to be exported from the port.

The Guest Speaker at the January 2017 OCATI Meeting was Orange County District Attorney's Office / OCATT Deputy District Attorney Dan Hess. Dan gave a presentation on "Vehicle Theft & Fraud, Investigation Tools, Sentencing in California, and New Laws for 2017." Dan tried to give some insight into how we might be able to file cases that will put people in prison even with all the decriminalization laws that have taken place.

2016 Training Presentations at OCATI Meetings

Holiday Party Luncheon prepared by Tacos El Mexicano

The Guest Speaker at the December 2016 OCATI Meeting was Investigator Jim Eberhart from the CHP / Orange County Auto Theft Task Force. Jim gave a presentation on "Vehicle Theft Statistical Overview for California and Orange County (Specifically)." The 2017 OCATI Officers were introduced: Mike Steffanoff (President), Randy McWilliams (Vice President), Betty Ashley (Secretary), and Mick O'Neill (Past President). This meeting was also our annual Holiday Party. A catered luncheon prepared by Tacos El Mexicano was served after the meeting. There was plenty of food available to the attendees.

Guest Speaker Avis Car Rental Security Director Ernie Duran

Guest Speaker Avis Rental Car Security Manager Jeff Myers

The Guest Speakers at the November 2016 OCATI meeting were Avis Car Rental Security Director Ernie Duran who discussed Avis Budget Car Rental issues and Avis Car Rental Security Manager Jeff Myers, who discussed Avis Zipcar Rental issues. It was a very informative training session with both Ernie and Jeff answering a multitude of questions from the attendees.

The Guest Speaker at the October 2016 OCATI Meeting was Richard Knapp, Knapp & Spurlock, LLP. Richard gave a presentation on Investigating Collusive Staged Vehicle Accidents, citing the reasons behind the crime, the different methods used, the red flags to look for, and some of the recent cases he has been involved in.

The Guest Speaker at the September 2016 OCATI Meeting was Doug Garrett of Garrett Engineering. Doug gave a presentation about Black Box / EDR technologies and data retrieval / interpretation. Doug was able to provide information that was currently available to law enforcement and SIU personnel. Airbags can be a great source of information...

Guest Speaker NICB Special Agent Jay Rocker

The Guest Speaker at the August 2016 OCATI Meeting was Special Agent Jay Rocker from the National Insurance Crime Bureau / Orange County Auto Theft Task Force. Jay gave a presentation about NICB and how NICB can help law enforcement and insurance companies in their vehicle theft investigations. Jay also provided handout material from NICB, including NICB Passenger Manuals, NICB Vehicle Theft / Fraud Guides, the latest stats available from NICB, and upcoming training provided by NICB.

The Guest Speaker at the July 2016 OCATI Meeting was Senior Forensic Specialist Kelli Cogert from the Orange County Sheriff's Department Crime Lab. Kelli spoke about the Crime Lab, its functions, and available forensics services. There appeared to be a great deal of interest from the attendees about DNA collection and fingerprinting of recovered vehicles.

The Guest Speaker at the June 2016 OCATI Meeting was Dennis Frias, Locator Technologies / VINMonitor. Dennis gave a presentation on "LPR Usage Update for Insurance SIU and Law Enforcement ." Dennis' presentation touched on the similarities and differences of usage by law enforcement and private industry. Dennis definitely covered some of the restrictions of usage and requirements regarding retention of databases.

The Guest Speaker at the May 2016 OCATI Meeting was Larry Perrault, Sr. Manager, Hyundai Connected Car Program and Product Management. Larry gave a presentation on the capabilities of their Blue Link system, specifically about assisting LE & insurance with theft recovery/tracking. Garden Grove Police Sergeant Ron Echavarria also gave an overview of auto theft issues in Garden Grove.

Guest Speaker TRAP Crime Analyst Maria Ferreira

The Guest Speaker at the April 2016 OCATI Meeting was Captain Randy Stover, LASD / TaskForce for Regional AutoTheft Prevention, who made a presentation on the recent Task Force Symposium that took place in March. Randy spoke about the networking that occurred, allowing for the personnel from multiple task forces to have the opportunity to get to know one another and what problems other task forces were encountering. He said it was also an opportunity for some important legal updates to be shared. He said that LASD / TaskForce for Regional AutoTheft Prevention Crime Analyst Maria Ferreira had the opportunity to share information. Randy then had Maria come up to show some of the auto theft data she was able to retrieve. Randy wanted to make it clear that they are willing to share their information with others, law enforcement and insurance SIU personnel.

Guest Speaker CHP Investigator Jim Kelley

The Guest Speaker at the March 2016 OCATI meeting was from the CHP Border Division Cargo Theft Interdiction Program (CTIP). Investigator Jim Kelley made a presentation related to Cargo Theft crimes and the CHP program dedicated to this. Jim clearly defined cargo theft, where it is taking place, and what is done to combat it by CTIP and other law enforcement programs in California.

The Guest Speaker at the February 2016 OCATI meeting was LAPD / TaskForce for Regional AutoTheft Prevention Detective Brian Yori, who gave a presentation on VC 2805 Business Inspections. Brian explained what can and can't be done during an inspection and the difference between a business inspection and a search warrant service.

The guest speaker at the January 2016 OCATI meeting was Dan Hess, Orange County District Attorney's Office Deputy District Attorney, assigned to OCATT. Dan gave a presentation on Vehicle Theft, Fraud, Case Presentation, and Filings. He showed how Proposition 47 is affecting how some cases are being filed and what it now takes to make a good case to put someone in prison.

2015 Training Presentations at OCATI Meetings

Guest speaker Mick O'Neill, Hagerty Insurance

The guest speaker at the December 2015 OCATI meeting was Mick O'Neill, Hagerty Insurance SIU, who gave a presentation on Classic Car Theft. Mick spoke about several of his current cases and some of the "warning signs" that were seen regarding the thefts. This meeting was also our annual Holiday Party. A catered luncheon prepared by Tacos El Mexicano was served after the meeting. There was plenty of food available to the attendees.

The guest speaker at the November 2015 OCATI meeting was NICB Special Agent Lou Koven who gave a presentation on Export Activity at the LA/Long Beach Seaport and the new Export Declaration process which was recently initiated. Lou's presentation provided the attendees with a good idea of what the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Outbound Enforcement Team does in conjunction with the California Highway Patrol and NICB to try to intercept stolen vehicles being exported from the ports.

Guest Speaker Salvage Program Officer Alex Natividad

Guest Speaker Salvage Program Officer Jonathan Collins

The Guest Speakers at the October 2015 OCATI meeting were CHP Border Division Salvage Program Officer Jonathan Collins, who provided general information on the Statewide Salvage Vehicle Inspection Program and how it is coordinated between California DMV Referrals and CHP to interdict stolen vehicles and parts. CHP Border Division Salvage Program Officer Alex Natividad discussed specific Salvage inspection issues for Orange County and current Salvage Theft trends.

Guest Speaker at the September 2015 OCATI meeting was Richard "Dick" Sartor, Western States Cargo Theft Association / Duncan & Son Lines, who gave a presentation / demonstration regarding cargo containers and container identification. Dick brought in one of the Duncan & Son Lines trucks with a container to give the attendees first hand knowledge of cargo containers.

Guest Speaker Octavio Sanchez, CHP Mexico Liaison Unit

The Guest Speaker at the August 2015 OCATI meeting was Octavio Sanchez from the CHP Mexico Liaison Unit. Octavio spoke about how the Mexico Liaison Unit functions on both sides of the border. He spoke about how the Mexico Liaison Unit can be of assistance to the meeting attendees. Octavio also let everyone know about liaison operations with Mexico and the vehicle repatriation process. He also explained the important process of the Mexico Liaison Unit taking courtesy stolen vehicle reports of U.S. vehicles, owned by people in the U.S., who had a vehicle stolen in Mexico.

The Guest Speaker at the July 2015 OCATI meeting was Mike McManus from CarFax. Mike gave a presentation on using CarFax as an investigative tool for law enforcement and insurance company SIU personnel. He gave hands on training, including running VINs of vehicles submitted by the attendees.

The Guest Speaker at the June 2015 OCATI meeting was Dave Navarro from the California Highway Patrol, assigned to OCATT. Dave gave a debriefing on a title washing case, Operation HOGG Life. Dave's case was very interesting and led to numerous arrests. Some of the arrestees were known to some of the attendees.

The Guest Speaker at the May 2015 OCATI Meeting was Betty Ashley from Wells Fargo Dealer Services. Betty gave a presentation on the customer side of fraud/sub leasing. Are they a willing participate or a true victim and how does Wells Fargo Dealer Services work with them. Betty made it clear that people should understand that when they buy a car, they are supposed to know they have to pay for it.

The Guest Speaker at the April 2015 OCATI Meeting was Christina Van Voorhis from Enterprise Rentals. Christina gave a presentation on the investigation of rental vehicle fraud cases. Enterprise stresses the importance of working cooperatively with law enforcement and following through with prosecution on their filed cases.

Guest Speaker Investigator Michael Bedard

The Guest Speakers at the March 2015 OCATI meeting were Deputy District Attorney Claudia Alvarez and District Attorney Investigator Michael Bedard from the Orange County District Attorney's Office Auto Fraud Unit. They gave a presentation on what it takes for a successful prosecution of an auto fraud case in Orange County.

The Guest Speaker at the February 2015 OCATI Meeting was CHP / OCATT Investigator Jim Eberhart who gave a presentation on sport bike investigations. Jim's presentation included interesting videos of several crews and their activities. Everyone walked away knowing more about sport bikes... especially the 2015 Kawasaki HR2 coming in with 300hp...

The Guest Speaker at the January 2015 OCATI Meeting was Sergeant Joe Lopez of the California Department of Insurance 1050 Team. Joe gave a presentation on what his team does and some of the cases they are working on. He educated the attendees on Staged / Caused Accident Organized Crime Groups.

For prior OCATI Meeting Training Presentations, please click here

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