Professional Experience

Hired in 2019 as the Safety and Security Specialist at WINK News. FBI Special Agent 1996-2017 serving in Atlanta, New York, FBI HQ and Quantico, VA. Served in the Navy, both on active duty and the reserve, retiring as a Commander in 2011.

News Philosophy

Work to help the citizens of SWFL keep their family, home, cyber, and finances safe and secure.

Hobbies & Interests

Flying, fishing & luge.

Education

Masters in Homeland Security from American Military University, Bachelors in Communications from the University of Miami.

Likes best about Southwest Florida

The people, along with the weather, and no DC traffic!

Hometown

Poughkeepsie, NY.

Understanding kid lingo in texts and on social media

A tragic incident last month is shining a light on a potential issue facing every family. Dr. Laura Berman’s son died of an accidental overdose after using Snapchat to buy fentanyl-laced Xanax. Berman posted a photo and message on Instagram and also shared her son’s story to alert other parents. Her son’s friend alerted her […]

Online car-buying can be convenient but can also prompt scams

Car shopping from the comfort of your couch can be convenient but it can also lead to scams. Everyone wants a good deal on a car, and of course, scammers know this. If the scams are successful, you may get a bad car or no car at all. Even if you do your part, ask […]

Safety & Security: Crooks use phone finder apps as a way to get into homes

Crooks are using a simple note to get into homes. It’s a scheme that involves a cell phone and preying on someone’s willingness to help. Phone finder app are helpful when you misplace your cell phone, but scammers and thieves have figured out a new way to take advantage of those features. They leave a […]

Child predator cases being solved in SWFL computer forensic lab

Child exploitation and pornography happens right here in Southwest Florida, and law enforcement works to track those committing these horrible crimes. We went behind the scenes of a computer forensic lab, where agents and analysts find the evidence to put the bad guys away and protect the children of our communities. Families can’t always prevent […]

Most Wanted Wednesday: We feature some of SWFL’s most wanted suspects; Feb. 24

This weekly WINK News segment features fugitives from justice right here in Southwest Florida. This is your chance to help out the community and give the tip that gets these people off the street. These suspects need to be found – and you can help. If you have seen them, reach out to Crime Stoppers […]

Scammers use car wrapping get-rich-quick scheme as front

Have you seen cars driving around town wrapped with advertisements? It could be an easy way to make money, but it could also be a scam. How does the car wrap scam work? First, you are made an offer to let them wrap your car to advertise a product, and then you watch the money […]

IRS can send you a pin number to protect your tax refund

Tax filing time is around the corner. If you’re not careful, your refund could end up in someone else’s bank account. Crooks could try to steal your identity to try and get your tax refund. How it works: Someone files your taxes using your name and social security number in order to get your refund […]

Most Wanted Wednesday: We feature some of SWFL’s most wanted suspects; Feb. 17

This weekly WINK News segment features fugitives from justice right here in Southwest Florida. This is your chance to help out the community and give the tip that gets these people off the street. These suspects need to be found – and you can help. If you have seen them, reach out to Crime Stoppers […]

How to handle tax forms for unemployment money you never received

You get a tax form in the mail saying you received thousands of dollars in cash, but you never saw a cent and you could be on the hook unless you take action now. A lot of people filed for unemployment recently, but if you didn’t and a 1099 showed up in your mailbox, you […]

covid vaccine scams

Scammers taking advantage of COVID-19 vaccine desperation

As thousands try to snag a COVID-19 vaccine appointment, scammers are preying on your desperation, using multiple methods to take advantage of the distribution. Scammers are using several ways to try to get seniors to book an appointment with them instead of with a real system. They’re posting fraudulent appointment sites with openings for a […]