Fafi Raid - Students
The Briefing - Franco Frandé gives a pre-raid briefing to students in a staging area near the crime scene house, laying out the scenario and goals for the raid. - Windows Media Video icon See the FAFI Raid

Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms chief leads students in "murder scene" raid

College of Business and Economics students raided a “murder site” at West Virginia University’s crime scene training complex in June, hoping to find evidence of white collar crime while stepping over “bodies” and scouring the premises for hidden documents.

The exercise was led by Franco Frandé, Chief of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Financial Investigative Services Division.

The Scenario: An individual has been found murdered in the house, located on the WVU Evansdale Campus. The student team has been called to the crime scene because investigators observed financial records with names of suspects they recognized to be part of the student investigation.

The students, who are enrolled in the Forensic Accounting and Fraud Investigation (FAFI) graduate program, are being taught the techniques they will use in the expanding field of white-collar crime investigation.

Fafi Raid - Students
The Search - Barrett Lynch of Huntington, W.Va., wearing an ATF shirt and protective gloves, peers into a coffee creamer container in the crime scene house, looking for hidden evidence such as computer jump drives, checks, bank statements, and other financial records that will later be used in court.

Avoiding the "blood splatter" – that’s evidence for the murder investigators – the students looked for financial records to build a court case.  They will be questioned on the raid and the evidence they gathered during a "moot court" exercise before real trial lawyers near the end of their program.

Dr. Richard Riley is an associate professor of accounting. “We are grateful to have an experienced leader of the ATF, Franco Frandé, working with us and taking our students through this activity,” he said. “With Franco at the helm, the students saw how the ATF uses tools and techniques to catch organized crime members, drug traffickers and terrorist financiers. It’s not just their illegal activities that convict bad guys, but also the ability to use books, records and other financial data to ‘follow the money.’ Students hoping to enter law enforcement will likely encounter similar situations in their future careers.”

Frandé has served as chief of the ATF’s Financial Investigative Services Division since 1998.

Fafi Moot Court - Students
In Court -  Gathering evidence isn't enough to put the white collar crime crooks behind bars, and later, these students testify in a deposition before a trail lawyer who represents "the defendant." It's the final exam in the summer graduate program.

 He manages a nation-wide staff of forensic accountants who conduct criminal financial investigations of complex white collar crimes. Under his leadership, the agency has become recognized as a leading fraud-fighting arm of the U.S. government.

Contact: Dr. Richard Riley,
(304) 293-7849
tt/7-02-08