ASAC Lacy Pittman

ASAC Lacy Pittman has specialized undercover narcotics investigations, financial crimes, and homicide investigations throughout his career with the NC State Bureau of Investigations. He has become an expert in undercover operations as a "Hitman for Hire".

Chief Deputy Raper began in law enforcement in 1972 with the NC Wildlife Resources Commission. In 1979 he joined the NC State Bureau of Investigation Lab and worked in the Identification Section where he classified, searched and filed fingerprints submitted by agencies in NC. He also specialized in tire tracks, shoe tracks, and glove marks.

In 1987, Ken switched over the the Crime Scene Search Specialist position and was transferred to the Coastal District. He also conducted investigation of Pharmaceutical Drug Fraud by Doctors, Nurses, Pharmacists, Dentists, and private individuals as well as Environmental Crimes.

Ken retired from SBI in June 2002, He maintained law enforcement certification with the Carteret County Sheriff's Office and Emerald Isle Police Department. In December of 2006, he became the Chief Deputy of Carteret County Sheriff's Office.

Detective Tommy Lewis

Det. Lewis began his law enforcement career in 1979 with the Kinston Police Department. He was assigned to the Patrol Division form 1979 to 1989. Tommy was reassigned to the Narcotics Division form 1985-1989. Tommy joined  the Lenoir County Sheriff Narcotic Division form 1989-1991, the returned to the Kinston Police Department. Since 1992, Tommy has worked in the Investigative Division of the Kinston Police Department. He has served on federal task forces during his career and has been designated at the lead investigator on murder investigations for his agency.

ASAC John Rea

Special Agent Rea started his law enforcement career at UNC-Charlotte. He then joined the Goldsboro Police Department. While at Goldsboro PD, he has held positions of Patrol Officer, Narcotics Investigator and SWAT Member. John joined the NC State Bureau of Investigation. While with the SBI, John specialized in the areas of Narcotics Investigation, Arson Investigations, and Homicide Investigations. Presently he is the Assistant Special Agent in Charge of Drug Agents in the North Eastern District.

Detective Childress began his law enforcement career with the Huntersville Police Department on September 4, 1996. Childress spent the first three years as a road officer and was promoted to Corporal/Field Training Officer during this time. In August of 1999, Childress was transferred to the Criminal Investigations Unit and served as a detective. As a detective, he was responsible for the investigations and gathering of evidence on matters such as robbery, rape, sexual assault, burglary, murder, fraud, and all other types of felonious crimes that occurred in Huntersville. Childress also coordinated narcotic investigations dealing in undercover operations. During his stay with Huntersville, he completed the North Carolina Justice Academy's Criminal Investigator's Certificate Program and received his Advanced Law Enforcement Certificate from the State of North Carolina and the Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission (February 21, 2003). Childress is also a graduate of the North Carolina Justice Academy's Police Law Institute. He has been employed with the Mooresville Police Department since January 18, 2005 as an investigator.

Childress has received specialized training in computers and computer related crimes. In May 2001, he attended and successfully completed the International Association of Computer Investigative Specialists (IACIS) conference in Orlando, Florida. He has been presented with certificated in electronic evidence collection, seizing and processing DOS; Windows 95/98/NT/2000 based computers. He attended and completed computer forensic software training courses including Guidance Software's introductory and intermediate computer forensic courses and Access Data's Forensic Tool Kit (FTK). In January 2003, he attended the Institute of Police Technology and Management (IPTM) in Jacksonville, Florida. He successfully completed a 40-hour training course in computer crime investigations. August 2003, Childress graduated from the Seized Computer and Evidence Recovery Specialist (SCERS) training program offered through Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Glynco, Ga. He is an instructor with the American Academy of Applied Forensics (AAAF) at Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC), North Campus in Huntersville, NC. Childress routinely teaches Search and Seizure of Electronic Evidence through the Academy.

Sgt. Firrantello began his law enforcement career with the Gastonia Police Department in 1982 as a Patrol Officer. Phil was promoted in 1987 and began work as a Narcotics Investigator and SWAT Officer. Phil was promoted to Sgt. in 1994 and took command of the Crime Scene Investigation Unit to which he still supervises. In addition to his CSI responsibilities Phil is also the USAR Team Leader and has held that position since 2004.

Phil is and adjunct instructor for Gaston College where he teaches in the Forensic Science Program. He also holds an IAI Senior Crime Scene Analyst Certification and serves on the North Carolina Justice Academy's Crime Scene Investigator Certificate Program guidance committee.

Sgt. Firrantello will obtain his Master of Justice Administration in November '07.

Hans J. Miller has been employed as a Special Agent with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) since January 1997, conducting primarily crime scene and computer crime investigations. Prior to his employment with the SBI, Agent Miller was a Military Police Officer in the United State Marine Corps, serving as a Patrol Officer, Patrol Supervisor, Shift Commander, Anti-Terrorism Officer, Field Operations Officer, Deputy Inspector, and Provost Marshall.

Hans Miller is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology with a Criminal Justice Emphasis (Cum Laude), and has attended graduate level course work in Public Administration at the University of Virginia and Webster University. Agent Miller is also a graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's National Academy (165th Session), the State Bureau of Investigation Academy, and numerous law enforcement and leadership training schools. Agent Miller has been awarded the North Carolina Advanced law Enforcement certificate.

Hans Miller is certified as a general and specialized state law enforcement instructor.

Mr. Cooney graduated from Duke University in 1979 with a degree in History and Political Science. He obtained his Jurist Cortorate in 1982 from the University of Virginia School of Law. He is a partner in Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, PLLC, located in Charlotte, NC. He has traveled and lectured extensively on such topics as "Impeachment By Prior Inconsistent Statement: Did I Really Say That?" "Daubert and Expert Witnesses at the Penalty Phase" (March 2000) " Challenging Expert Testimony" "The Prosecution of Alan Gell," "The Ten Commandments for Expert Witnesses" and "Estimation Post Mortem Interval and the Time of Death: Bodies and Bloating and Bugs." Mr. Cooney has received numerous awards for his outstanding service and pursuit of justice.

Capt. Buck Pipkin

Captain Pipkin began his law enforcement career with the Wayne County Sheriff's Department. He has served as a patrol officer, crime scene investigator and investigator. He then joined the Johnston County Sheriff's Department and became the Captain of the Criminal Investigation Division and Special Operations. This year marks 25 years of law enforcement services.

Capt. Pipkin is a recipient of the North Carolina Sheriff's Training and Standards Commission Advance Law Enforcement training certificate; certified North Carolina Law Enforcement Instructor; as well as in-depth specialized forensic training in homicide/crime scene/arson/robbery, etc. investigations.

CSI Ron Mazur

CSI Ron Mazur relocated from Detroit, Michigan, where he worked in telecommunications as a Fireman and Paramedic. After relocation to North Carolina in 1995, Ron was sponsored by the Morrisville Police Department and completed Basic Law Enforcement Training at Wake Technical Community College. Ron started his law enforcement career in 1995 with the Town of Wake Forest Police Department. Ron worked as a Patrol Officer, then in the Wake County School System as a D.A.R.E. Instructor.

In 2000, Ron took a job at the Johnston County Sheriff's office first assigned as a Domestic Violence Deputy. After a short time, accepted a position as a Crime Scene Investigator, where he is now the Senior Crime Scene Investigator. Ron's primary responsibilities are processing major crime scenes, such as homicides, shootings, rapes, assaults, and other violent crimes. Ron has extensive training in forensics, including basic and advanced crime scene processing, police photography, blood splatter interpretation, firearms, arson, infant death reconstruction, and in examine latent prints as a latent print examiner.

Ron is currently a member in good standings with the International Association of Identification, the North Carolina Association of Identification, and the North Carolina Homicide Investigators Association. Ron is a certified Law Enforcement Instructor and teaches Basic Law Enforcement Training at Johnston Community College, and continuing education to surrounding law enforcement agencies in Johnston County.

Malea Drew

Malea Drew is an Agency Legal Specialist for the North Carolina Justice Academy. She obtained a B.A. Biology; B.S. Political Science at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa. She received her Jurist Doctorate from Chicago-Kent School of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Illinois. She has been an instructor of Basic Law Enforcement Training at Beaufort Community College, Assistant District Attorney, Beaufort, Hyde, Martin, Tyrrell, and Washington Counties, North Carolina; Administrative Law Judge, Chicago Board of Education; General Counsel and Director of Planning and Development, El Valor, Chicago, Illinois; Assistant State's Attorney, Cook County State's Attorney's office, Chicago, Illinois. Prior Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors of the REAL Crisis Center, Greenville, North Carolina. North Carolina Association of Police Attorneys, 2006-2007 Session Legislative Committee; North Carolina Law Enforcement Women's Association, and International law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association.

Her topics of interest are Arrest, Search and Seizure, Constitutional Law, Legal Issues for Narcotic Officers, Courtroom Testimony, Criminal law and Procedure, and legal issues for Campus Police Department.