2025 St. Patrick’s Day Meeting
Tuesday, March 11th, 6 to 9pm – Dinner at 7:15pm
at Jen’s Guest House, 8989 S. Archer Ave. Willow Springs IL.
Hosted by Special Agents Association in support of the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation on 3-11-2025
Network and cocktails begin at 6pm in the main dining room.
Entertainment by “The Chicago Garda Pipes & Drums” at 7pm “Chicago’s Preeminent Bagpipe Band”
Dinner will be served in the main dining room at 7:15 pm (plated St. Patrick Special)
Pay on line at-
Pay online at https://specialagentsassociation.com/meeting-payment
Cost at the door will be $70
2025 Nominations
The Nominating Committee is putting forward the following slate for consideration as 2025 Officers and Directors:
President – John Lucki
1st VP – Jim Keating
2nd VP – Hector Rodriquez
Secretary / Treasurer – Mike Wilt
Directors – Stan Mocek, Mike Carroll, James Kelly
December Meeting
Our Next meeting is December 10, 2024 – 6pm to 9pm
The Great Escape
9540 W. Irving Park Road
Schiller Park IL
We hope to have a member of the CPD Chaplains unit join us for our holiday meeting. Ugly sweaters encouraged!
Hope you are able to make it, this will be our final meet for 2024.
Pay and register online at https://specialagentsassociation.com/meeting-payment
October Meeting and Upcoming Elections
Ooops, there goes summer! A holiday weekend, time for school bells, college football and the turning of leaves!
Our thanks to everyone who attended our outing in Rosemont to watch the Chicago Dogs last week. A great day with plenty of sunshine, humidity, ballpark food and drinks followed by a little bit of baseball, some great downpours and gale force winds followed by more baseball.
Although the game was rain delayed, the Chicago Dog staff had a great contingent plan that put our group up into the luxury party suite to wait out the weather with an open bar. After the delay for those who toughed it out the Dogs went on to score 12 runs and win the game!
A nice event we hope to repeat! Thanks to all who attended and their guests!
SAVE THE DATE, PLAN TO ATTEND
Bring a friend, October 8th at the Weber Grill, 6-9pm
@ the Weber Grill in Lombard, 6 to 9pm, dinner and real estate taxes.
Pay online at https://specialagentsassociation.com/meeting-payment
Everyone love taxes here in Illinois, right? We are working on a speaker from an assessors office or a real estate tax attorney to do a presentation. Having just done my own tax appeal I am sure I am not alone in my interest in these matters.
RESERVE NOW! BRING A FRIEND!
ELECTION TIME, Board is now accepting any nominations for President and 1st VP?
Let myself or Mike Wilt know of your interest! We are a member driven organization, your participation and input determines our agenda and value to our organization.
Suggestions for venues, speaker’s topics, or items you believe may interest our membership are always welcome. Just drop us an email at specialagentsassn@gmail.com
Hope to see everyone soon!
John
June Meeting and August Baseball Outing
Networking and ID Theft Ring Case Study
Special Agents Association is hosting a networking and investigative training event.
Network over dinner with fellow investigators from the law enforcement and private security sectors at the Weber Grill in Lombard Ilt.
FINANCIAL CRIME INVESTIGATIONS Local Case Study:
Hear about a recent IDENTITY Theft investigation from Will County that uncovered a fake identification ring operating in Illinois for Mexican cartels and also exposed a PPP fraud ring.
From Will County to Lake Forest and several states including New York. A case tied into an active DEA investigation involving money laundering which was exposed in the backyard suburbs of Chicago.
Presented by members of the Will County Sheriff and Will County State’s Attorney’s Office
TUESDAY, June 18th, 2024, 6 to 9pm ($50 pp)
At Weber Grill 2331 Fountain Sq. Dr. Lombard Il.
Register on line at https://specialagentsassociation.com/membership-meeting-payment
Evening at the ballpark in August, Dogs v Milkmen, Impact field Rosemont
Tuesday August 27th, beginning at 530pm we will warming up in the Miller Lite Bullpen. Impact Field, 9800 Balmoral Ave. Rosemont Il, (just off of 294, either Balmoral or Irving Park exits from 294.) Parking is attached to the ballpark and party area is a short walk.
Ballpark menu, ticket and team giveaways. Parking $3 north lot
We have a required minimum for this event, please advise us as soon as possible if you can attend and the number of tickets you would like.
Register on line at https://specialagentsassociation.com/ballgame-payment
2024 Annual Fraud Conference
Special Agents Association is once again partnering with Midwest Fraud Investigators Network for this year’s Annual Fraud Conference on Friday, May 17th.
Register by May 15th at https://mfrin.org/2024-conference
Location –
College of DuPage
SSG Miller Homeland Security Education Center
425 Fawell Boulevard
Glen Ellyn IL 60137
You may be eligible for up to 7 CPE
8:00 am to 9:00 am
Registration and Continental Breakfast
9:00 am to 9:15 am
Intro and opening remarks
9:15 am to 10:30 am
Stop Trafficking—Human Trafficking
Lina Tor—Special Agent
Melissa Sifferman—Special Agent
Homeland Security Investigations
10:30 am to 10:45 am
Morning Break
10:45 am to 12:00 pm
Sim Swapping
Valerie Dozono—Detective
Chicago Police Department
12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
Lunch
1:00 pm to 2:15 pm
Emerging Trends & Opportunities to Collaborate Within Credit Card Fraud
Jeremy Bloxson—Principal Investigator
Capital One
2:15 pm to 2:30 pm
Afternoon Break
2:30 pm to 3:45 pm
Generative Artificial Intelligence and Financially Motivated Crime
Sonali Jaykar—Intelligence Analyst
Kaila Griffin—Intelligence Analyst
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Special Agents March 2024 Membership Meeting
Tuesday, March 12th, 6 to 9pm at the “Speakeasy Wine Cellar”
at Jen’s Guest House, 8989 S. Archer Ave. Willow Springs IL.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Special Agents Association 2024 Networking and Continuing Education Program Announcement
Presentation Topic will be:
The Chicago Election Ballot;
Getting on it, Counting it, Verifying it
Presented by William Kresse, Professor Governors State University,
Chicago Election Board
President, Institute of Election Auditors aka: Professor Fraud
Warning:
In the event that SCOTUS allows President Trump to be knocked off the ballots,
ALL BETS are off on the speech topic and length.!
Please make your reservation as soon as possible.
Traditional corned beef and cabbage dinner to be served. We will be caucusing in the
Speakeasy Wine Cellar, a very unique dining room downstairs. Hopefully pipers will join
us we have yet to receive a confirmation to our invitation.
No cigar smoking at this caucus! Invite a friend and please respond soon there will be
limited availability for this event!
Cost $50 per person
Register online at https://specialagentsassociation.com/membership-meeting-payment/
2024 Officers
Congratulations to our newly elected 2024 Officers:
John Lucki – President
Paul Ohm – 1st Vice President
Hector Rodriguez – 2nd Vice President
John Manella – Comptroller
Stan Mocek – Director
Mike Carroll – Director
James Kelly – Director
Special Agents November 2023 Membership Meeting
Wednesday November 15, 6:30 to 9pm
At the Weber Grill, Lombard IL
You are invited to join us for networking, dinner, and election for our 2024 Officers.
The Weber Grill is located at 2331 Fountain Sq. Lombard IL
Cost $50 per person
Register online at https://specialagentsassociation.com/membership-meeting-payment/
SAA 2024 Nominations
The Nominating Committee is putting forward the following slate for consideration as 2024 Officers and Directors:
President – John Lucki
1st VP – Paul Ohm
2nd VP – Hector Rodriquez
Comptroller – John Manella
Directors – Stan Mocek, Mike Carroll, James Kelly
Positions not up for election this year are 3rd VP/Legal Counsel currently occupied by Jeannette Tamayo and Treasurer/Secretary currently occupied by Mike Wilt.
Special Agents September 2023 Membership Meeting
Wednesday September 27, 6 to 9pm
At The Great Escape, Schiller Park IL
You are invited to join us for networking, dinner, and a featured guest speaker, Wayne Jakalski, Assistant State’s Attorney, Cook County, Special Prosecutions Bureau, Public Corruption and Financial Crimes Unit.
Wayne has been a prosecutor involved in the investigation and prosecution of complex financial and public corruption criminal cases for 22 years. He is part of a vertical prosecution system wherein cases are handled from the investigation stage through indictment and trial. In this role he has coordinated and directed efforts among local, county, state, and federal agencies as well as private banking, insurance, and mortgage industry representatives. He has been a member of a Federal/State Mortgage Fraud Task Force and Major Medical Fraud Task Force.
Wayne is an accountant and adjunct professor of accounting at DePaul University, and St. Xavier University. He is also a former Chicago Police Officer assigned to the patrol division, special operations group, and detective division administration.
Wayne will be sharing insight and details from the Burr Oak Cemetery investigation from 2015 and the criminal prosecution of the offenders.
A real life CSI thriller case involving a unique collection process and use of exotic forensic evidence in the prosecution of this case in Cook County. Don’t miss it!
The Great Escape is located at 9540 W. Irving Park Rd Schiller Park IL
Cost $50 per person, cash bar
Register online at https://specialagentsassociation.com/june-21-2023-membership-meeting-payment/
Special Agents June 2023 Membership Meeting
Wednesday June 21, 6 to 9pm
At the Weber Grill, Lombard IL
You are invited to join us for networking, dinner, and a featured guest speaker. Learn about PPP Loan Fraud from a subject matter expert, recently retired Federal Special Agent Kathy Enstrom.
Ms. Enstrom, described as “Chicago’s first tax woman, to run Chicago’s IRS criminal investigation unit” by local media will present on PPP loan fraud and do a Q and A afterwards.
Kathy retired as Special Agent in Charge (SAC) of the Chicago Office of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), also a former Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Special Agent in Charge (SAC) of the Cincinnati Office. She is now in Director of Investigations for the Moore Tax Law Group.
The Weber Grill is located at 2331 Fountain Sq. Lombard IL
Cost $50 per person, cash bar. 6-networking, 7-dinner, 8-speaker
Register online at https://specialagentsassociation.com/june-21-2023-membership-meeting-payment/
2023 MFIN-SAA Fraud Conference
Special Agents Association is partnering with Midwest Fraud Investigators Network for a Fraud Conference.
Register by May 10th at https://mfrin.org/2023-conference
We are back to an in person conference this year at –
College of DuPage
SSG Miller Homeland Security Education Center
425 Fawell Boulevard
Glen Ellyn IL 60137
Registration and Continental breakfast at 8am.
Topics this year –
Business Email compromise and cyber related issues
FBI Supervisory Special Agent Pam McCarthy
FBI Special Agent Matt Osegard
Current Mail Theft Trends and Check Washing
US Postal Inspector Colin Ragland
US Postal Inspector Jerry Phillips
Cyber Fraud Trends and Illicit Use of Digital Assets
Nick Schlereth, Special Agent, United States Secret Service
Mike Rostescu, Special Agent, United States Secret Service
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency 101
Brian Yoshino, Cybersecurity Advisor, CISA Region 5, Chicago
Charles DuShane, Protective Security Advisor, CISA Region 5, Chicago
$95 per person, or $75 if you are a dues paid member of MFIN or SAA
2022 IC3 Report
For Our Members, here is a copy of FBI Internet Crime Report
You can download it here – 2022 IC3 report
Today’s cyber landscape has provided ample opportunities for criminals and adversaries to target U.S. networks,
attack our critical infrastructure, hold our money and data for ransom, facilitate large-scale fraud schemes, and
threaten our national security. At the FBI, we know “cyber risk is business risk” and “cyber security is national security.”
There is no shortage of recent examples showing the wide-ranging economic and national security effects of cyber
crimes. We have seen cyber threats emanate from around the world and witnessed the scope and sophistication of
these scams and attacks deepen. As these threats increase, we continue to encourage victims to report cyber incidents
and cyber-enabled frauds to the FBI so that we may impose risks and consequences on malicious cyber actors.
Special Agents Association looking forward in 2023
Happy New Year to everyone!
Upon surveying our membership recently, we have received sufficient support from the core of our organization to continue in 2023!
At this time, we will resume meetings on a quarterly basis beginning in march of this year. Stay tuned for details!
Remember you can log into the site at https://specialagentsassociation.com/my-account
Here again are the instructions for logging into your account.
https://specialagentsassociation.com/LoginInstructions.pdf
The following were approved by the Board at the Annual Meeting held virtually on January 9, 2023.
President – John Lucki
1st Vice President – Paul Ohm
2nd Vice President – Hector Rodriguez
3rd Vice President – Jeannette Tamayo
Comptroller – John Manella
Treasurer/Secretary – Mike Wilt
Director – Stan Mocek
Director – Michael Carroll
Director – James Kelly
Many thanks to our outgoing President, Rick Perez!
We look forward to an active and successful New Year and will be seeking out partnerships with other organizations.