March Meeting
Thursday the 6th
Cityplace Conference Center

Focus on Fraud Prevention

Alyssa G. Martin, CPA, Weaver and Tidwell

What happens when fraud is detected in an organization? The most direct cost of that fraud may be measured by the amount of assets stolen, or in the difference between actual financial performance and what was presented in misstated reports. Costs may extend to stockholders, current and retired employees, vendors, customers and others.

Business disruption accompanies fraud investigations, as do possible lawsuits and criminal charges. Although more difficult to quantify, the long-term losses of confidence and trust among all stakeholders may be the highest costs organizations face when exposing fraud. Recovering from those losses can take years, and sometimes the damage is so severe that recovery is not possible.

Fraud prevention efforts focus on keeping companies from having to confront any of those potential costs. Fraud prevention safeguards users of the financial statements (public) from earnings manipulation. It protects company funds and physical assets, and deters individuals from acting on impulses that spur data manipulation or theft. Fraud prevention serves the best interests of all stakeholders.

Alyssa G. Martin, CPA, is a Dallas Executive Partner of Weaver and Tidwell in Risk Advisory Services with 18 years of experience in public accounting as a service line partner over risk management, internal audit and IT audit services. Ms. Martin joined Weaver and Tidwell in 1998 through the merger with Hoffman, McBryde & Co., P.C. The practice has an emphasis in the areas of financial accounting, business management consulting, strategic planning, profit enhancement consulting and strategic planning. She also has experience in the private sector as a controller for a holding company which retained interest in multiple publicly-traded companies.

Ms. Martin has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration/Accounting from the University of Texas at Dallas and a Masters of Business Administration with specialization in Taxation, University of Texas at Dallas. She is a member of Executive Advisory Committee of the Accounting and Information Management Area of the University of Texas at Dallas’ School of Management. She is on the TSCPA Today’s CPA Editorial Board, Board of Directors, and the Leadership Development and Membership committee.

Ms. Martin's Publications include:

• Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404 Assessment: The Devil is in the Details, cover story, Today’s CPA, November/December 2004
• Making SOX Work for Your Company is Just Good Business, Fort Worth Business Press, June 2004
• How Section 404 Can Help Deter Fraud, Financial Executives International Magazine, May 2005
• Get Spreadsheets Under Control, Internal Auditor Magazine, December 2005
• Gauging Business Risk, Internal Auditor Magazine, June 2006
• Mitigating Spreadsheet Risks - Sarbanes-Oxley 404 Compliance Calls for Careful Scrutiny, Today's CPA, September/October 2006

How to Treat the Office as a Crime Scene
Margie Reinhart, Forensic/Strategic Solutions, PC

You never expect one of the Company’s most trusted employees to embezzle, cook the books, participate in a kickback scheme, or be a part of any dozens of illegal activity. Unfortunately, the unexpected happens and suddenly your offices have become a crime scene. The actions taken may be the difference between whether or not any of the proceeds of the crime are recovered. The top ten considerations in dealing with this crime scene will be discussed by Margie Reinhart, shareholder at Forensic/Strategic Solutions, PC.

Margie Reinhart is a shareholder in Forensic/Strategic Solutions, PC, formerly Summerford Accountancy, PC. She specializes as a fraud consultant and forensic accountant with a breadth of experience in effectively handling forensic and dispute related matters. She works closely with law firms and corporate executives to serve as an expert in corporate financial disputes, risk management, internal audit special projects, litigations and investigations.

Ms. Reinhart has over eleven years’ experience with a Big Four professional services firm, practicing in both the United States and Canada. Her experience included serving as a firm leader, increasing auditor acumen in the area of fraud, including developing policy and guidance to evaluate antifraud programs and controls and leading the development of fraud detection training for over 10,000 auditors. She has spoken to numerous groups about the red flags of fraud, data mining for errors and abuse, antifraud programs and controls, fraud vulnerability assessments and financial and reporting abuse.

What to Expect When Your Company is being Investigated by the FBI
Alton Sizemore, Jr., CPA, CFE, Forensic/Strategic Solutions

The discussion will cover what you should know about how the FBI operates and what you should and should not do during an investigation of your company. The discussion will include the practical and legal aspects of criminal investigations including searches, seizures, interviews and discovery. The perspective for the discussion from a retired Agent will be what the FBI would want you to know and how they hope you will act if you find your company under investigation. It will also include what to expect if you don’t.

Alton Sizemore, Jr., CPA, CFE, is Director of Investigations at Forensic/Strategic Solutions, PC. Mr. Sizemore specializes in the areas of forensic accounting, fraud examination and litigation support. He works closely with plaintiff and defense attorneys, corporate boards, government inspectors general and governmental agencies. He has qualified as an expert witness in Federal court.

Retired from the Federal Bureau of Investigation with 25 years experience, Mr. Sizemore served as Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Birmingham division of the FBI, managing programs for Counterterrorism, Foreign Counterintelligence, Cyber Crime, Public Corruption, Civil Rights, White Collar Crime, Violent Crimes/Major Offenders and Drug Fraud. His broad range of experience with the FBI includes criminal investigations in white-collar crime in many areas, including business, government, medical and banking.

Mr. Sizemore is faculty member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners and is a frequent guest speaker in the areas of fraud investigation and forensic accounting.