The Cook County Regional Organized Crime (CCROC) Task Force hosted its annual conference in partnership with the Coalition Against Financial Crimes (CAFC), International Association of Financial Crimes Investigators (IAFCI), Special Agents Association (SAA), Midwest Fraud Investigators Network (MFIN), and the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) August 12-13 at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Illinois.
Aimed to train and educate law enforcement on different elements of organized crime—including organized retail crime—the event kicked off with a dynamic lineup of speakers for its opening ceremony: CCROC Founder and Leader David Williams, Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke, Chicago Police Department Superintendent Larry Snelling, and Cook County Sheriff’s Office Chief of Police Leo Schmitz. All three emphasized the dangers of allowing organized crime to run rampant, and commended law enforcement for the hard work they do in preventing and solving these crimes.
Next, Special Agent in Charge of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission Jeremy Francis walked attendees through the infamous Operation Black Medallion, a joint task operation that dismantled a terror plot spanning continents. Sprinkling humor throughout, Francis shared unique insights into how collaborative intelligence and decisive action saved lives and safeguarded national interests.
The second keynote speaker of the morning was Margarito “Jay” Flores, a former top US distributor for the Sinaloa Cartel that was run by Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman. In this eye-opening session, attendees were glued to their seats as Flores took them behind the scenes of how one of the most sophisticated trafficking operations in US history was built and ultimately dismantled.
Attendees were then able to choose from a variety of interesting sessions to spend the rest of their afternoon in, including: “LAPD Experts Discuss Avoiding Dangers in Mobile Surveillance,” “AI’s Role in Combating Human Trafficking in the Financial Sector,” and “Increasing Preparedness: A Comprehensive Approach to Resilience in Times of Crisis.”
Day two of this event brought even more educational opportunities. Again, attendees were invited to build their own agenda from a long list of session offerings. One highlight was an ORC panel featuring Will County State’s Attorney Michael Casson, Cook County Sheriff’s Office ORC and Community Safety Team Commander Michael Ware, CPD Sergeant David Nebereiza, and CVS Senior Manager of ORC and Special Investigations Tim Lhotak. They discussed the importance of collaboration between retailers, law enforcement, and prosecutors.
In addition to the educational offerings and networking opportunities, the event also featured booths from different vendors and a charity auction benefiting K9s for Veterans. Throughout the two days, an impressive $4,800 was raised for this organization which provides free food and basic medical care for service dogs trained to help veterans with PTSD.
Learn more about CCROC and how to get involved at ccroc.org.
