The 2025 NGCRC 28th International Gang Specialist
Training Conference (Aug. 4 - August 6, 2025):
A Look at the Presenters
Last Updated: Dec. 18, 2024
Dayo G. Ashonibare, JD
Dayo G. Ashonibare is a Lecturer at Baze University’s Faculty of Law and Managing Partner at Levite Legal Clinic. He also serves on the Legal Education Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA). He is a former Alternate National Chairman at the NBA Young Lawyers Governing Council and Secretary of the Baze University Law Clinic. Dayo is a member of several legal bodies, including NALT, the Global Alliance for Justice Education, and NULAI. Dayo developed and pioneered the teaching of ICT Law as a course at Baze University and under the mentorship of Professor Ernest Ojukwu SAN, introduced Clinical and Moot Court Practice at the Faculty of Law. His publications focus on cybercrime, IC law and public interest law. He has facilitated and participated in conferences and workshops both in Nigeria and abroad.
Sally-Ann Ashton, Ph.D.
Sally-Ann Ashton is a Psychologist and Research Scientist at the Texas Juvenile Crime Prevention Center at Prairie View A&M University. She has an Mphil in Criminological Research (University of Cambridge, England) and an M.S.c. in Investigative Psychology (University of Huddersfield, England). Her Ph.D. investigated the psychological and social risk factors associated with gang membership, group offending and desistance from crime. She was a recipient of a Frederick Milton Thrasher Award in 2017 for superior accomplishments in gang research and in 2020 for superior accomplishments in gang training.
Dr. Peculiar Awa
Dr. Peculiar Awa is an Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice and Criminology at the University of Central Missouri. As a lawyer, she has served as junior counsel for Anyia & Co. (Barristers & Solicitors) in Nigeria, where she represented clients in Nigerian courts, drafted and filed legal documents, and mentored legal interns. As a graduate student, Dr. Awa interned with the Miami-Dade State’s Attorney’s Office Human Trafficking Division, focusing on victim advocacy and the reintegration of victims after being trafficked. Dr. Awa holds degrees from: Florida International University (2019) Ph.D. in International Crime and Justice, Florida International University (2015) M.S. in Criminal Justice, Nigerian Law School (2011) JD, University of Jos, Nigeria (2010) LL.B., University of Jos, Nigeria (2005) Associate Degree in Law, University of Jos, Nigeria (2005) Associate Degree in Computer Science.
Corporal Jim Bailey
Corporal Jim Bailey has been with the Battle Creek Police Department for over 13 years, and has been assigned to the Battle Creek Police Department Gang Suppression Unit for over 6 years. Corporal Bailey has been directly involved in many of the same gang investigations as Detective Sutherland, and has assisted as one of the lead investigators with Detective Sutherland, on many of the same violence crime investigations. Corporal Bailey has also been involved in cell phone investigations, writing and executing search warrants, surveillance techniques, undercover drug buys, and managing confidential informants. Corporal Bailey has been recognized in Michigan State District Court and Circuit Court as an expert in drug trafficking and drug investigations, identifying armed subjects, and cell phone site analyses. Corporal Bailey is currently a K-9 handler for the Battle Creek Police Department and is a member of the department’s Emergency Response Team. He is a Defensive Tactics Instructor and a Patrol Training Officer for the Battle Creek Police Department. He has also received Instructor certification for Active Shooter Response for Civilians, through the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training Center at Texas State University.
Andy Bain, Ph.D.
Andy Bain is an assistant professor of Criminal Justice Studies at Westminster College, PA. He holds a Ph.D. in Offender Behavior, a Msc. Criminal Justice and a Graduate Diploma in Psychology. Andy has authored, and edited numerous books, chapters, and articles, on the outlaw motorcycle gangs; law enforcement and technology; and, professional risk working with mental health, social care, and criminal justice, publishing with a number of leading international academic and professional journals. His professional background includes four years with the National Probation Service (England & Wales) and six years running a successful Criminal Justice Consultancy Group, providing guidance and advice to law enforcement agencies and correctional bodies. This, in turn led to the publication of a number of local and national policing and corrections reports.
SueAnn D. Ballat, MPA
SueAnn D. Ballat has an MPA degree and she serves as the Executive Director of the Gang Alternatives Program in Los Angeles, California.. She was a fellow at the “GPSN: Catalyzing Excellence in Public Education” in Los Angeles, CA.
Michael P. Coghlan, JD
Michael Coghlan is a 40-year lawyer who has advised more than 20 government agencies in loss control and prevention of legal liability. His clients included police, prosecutors, and probation officers. Mike served as Chair of the Youth Service Providers consortium which includes IRS tax exempt organizations and agencies. He is also a Certified Gang Specialist, Recipient of the NGCRC Thrasher Award, former prosecutor, and served 8 years as an elected prosecutor and civil attorney for 20 divisions of county government.
Hiag Brown
Hiag Brown is the co-director at the Portland OIC Community Care Team. Hiag began working with POIC+RAHS in 2011 as an Outreach Worker and has developed strong relationships with the community and partner organizations. Hiag became the Trauma and Violence Family Coordinator in 2020, providing resources for victims of community violence such as relocation, rental assistance, funeral assistance, and much more. A Credible Messenger, Hiag was born and raised in NE Portland and received his bachelor’s degree in social sciences from Portland State University.
Aaron Cunningham, CPD (Ret.)
Aaron Cunningham has (25) years of law enforcement experience and retired a 24-year veteran of the Chicago Police Department last assigned to CPIC Fusion Center, Bureau of Counter Terrorism & Special Operations. He is a highly decorated officer with extensive gang experience and past assignments to USATF PSN Task Force, Area Gun Team, Tactical Teams, District Intelligence Officer, and Patrol. His experience entailed joint activity with Federal, State, Local partner agencies, task force, and HIDTA/OCDEFT operations.
Past performance also includes organization of large format platform-based training events to include the 1st and 2nd International Counter-Terrorism Conference (2012, 2013) for National-level components with intelligence, defense, and police agencies hosted by the Korean National Police Agency, South Korea. Aaron further led an officer survival project, Uso Tactico de la Fuerza y Supervivencia Policial, over the course of nine years, providing training for over 1000 members of El Salvador’s Policia Nacional Civil.
Detective Tyler Dailey
Detective Tyler Dailey has been a deputy with the Harford County Sheriff’s Office since 2017, and he is currently assigned to the Harford County Drug Task Force, where he primarily investigates drug, gun, and gang cases throughout the county. Detective Dailey has been the lead detective on multiple fatal overdose investigations, and he assisted Senior Contact Attorney Stuart Welch in securing the first ever conviction in Harford County of a drug dealer for Manslaughter for dealing the drugs that caused a fatal overdose.
Kenneth Davis
Kenneth Davis retired from the Yonkers Police Department in July of 2017. From 1985-1990 he was assigned to uniformed patrol (task force and public housing) and plainclothes (street-level and undercover narcotics). From 1990-2000 he worked street gangs, graffiti crimes and police academy. From 2000-2009 he was assigned to several middle/high schools as a school resource officer. In 2009 - 2017, as a detective, he continued investigating street gangs, narcotics (search warrants) and graffiti crimes. As the departments liaison, he assisted the YMCA’s Cure Violence/SNUG Program and the Westchester County Department of Corrections Re-entry Program. From 2017-present, he is a NYS private investigator and a graffiti/gang specialist presenting at various regional, national, and international conferences.
Laron Douglas, Sr.
LaRon Douglas is a certified gang specialist and a CVI consultant from Cleveland, Ohio. He is the founder and executive director of the Renounce Denounce Gang Intervention Program which was founded in 2014. He understands the pitfalls that our youth have to endure and knows what it takes to decrease gun and gang violence in our communities.
Jonathan Esworthy
Jonathan Esworthy is a Senior Forensic Auditor with the Bureau of ATF’s Financial Investigative Service Division (FISD). He obtained a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license (2005), Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) certificate (2005), and Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) certificate (2007). He holds a BS in Accounting and an MBA with a concentration in Information Technology. FA Esworthy has participated in investigations including arson, explosives, tobacco trafficking, OCDETF, murder-for-hire, gun & drug trafficking, and money laundering. FA Esworthy has presented for federal, state and local agencies on fraud and financial investigations. In 2015 and 2023, he was selected as the ATF’s Office of Science & Technology Employee of the Year.
Dr. Gregg W. Etter Sr., Ed.D.
Dr. Gregg W. Etter Sr., Ed.D. is a Professor of Criminal Justice at the University of Central Missouri. He retired as a Lieutenant with the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office after serving from 1977 to 2006. He is rated as a gang expert by the National Gang Crime Research Center. He has written extensively and presented classes on gangs, white supremacist groups and police management topics in the United States and Canada. Dr. Etter earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Wichita State University and his Doctorate degree from Oklahoma State University. Dr. Etter is the author of numerous books, book chapters, edited and refereed articles. His latest book is: Gangs and Organized Crime which he authored with Dr. George W. Knox and Dr. Carter F. Smith.
Det. Sgt. Christopher M. Felton, MS
Christopher M. Felton, MS is a detective sergeant from the Fort Wayne (IN) Police Department’s Gang and Violent Crimes Unit. Additionally, Det. Sgt. Felton is the team coordinator for the department’s Peer Support/Critical Incident Stress Management Team, represents the department on the Indiana Statewide CISM Team Network, and is a member of the Northeast Indiana Critical Incident Stress Management Team. Det. Sgt. Felton holds two master’s degrees (A Master of Science in Criminal Justice with a concentration on Forensic Psychology and a Master of Philosophy) and is a Ph.D. candidate currently writing his dissertation for his Ph.D. in Criminal Justice - Law and Public Policy. Det. Sgt. Felton is also an adjunct professor at two local universities where he teaches courses revolving around forensic psychology, and teaches police mental health to police officers.
Inspector Elton Hall
Inspector Elton Hall is the Commander of the Organized Crime Division with the Winnipeg Police Service. During his 24-year career, he’s worked in the Gang Suppression Unit, Street Crimes Unit, Guns and Gangs Unit, Organized Crime Unit, Homicide Unit and Major Crimes Unit. Inspector Hall is a graduate of Queen’s University and Red River College, and the recipient of the Exemplary Police Service medal and the Manitoba Excellence in Law Enforcement medal.
Michael Horn
Michael Horn has been with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) since 2013, currently serving as a Supervisory Special Agent in the Greenville, SC field office. Previously, he worked in the Miami and Charlotte Field Divisions. In 2022, SSA Horn was honored with the North Carolina Gang Investigator of the Year Award for his exceptional work on a high-profile case. SSA Horn has also received OCDETF (Case of the Year) and three (3) ATF Distinguished Service Awards. A seasoned speaker and instructor, SSA Horn has lectured across North and South Carolina, as well as Tennessee, and has taught at the ATF National Academy.
Janice Joseph, Ph.D.
Janice Joseph, Ph.D. is a professor of the Criminal Justice Program at Stockton University. She is the Editor for Journal of Ethnicity in Criminal Justice. She earned her Ph.D. degree from York University in Toronto, Canada. She is the author of the book: Black Youths, Delinquency, and Juvenile Justice; and she co-edited the book With Justice for All: Minorities and Women in Criminal Justice; and she has published numerous articles on delinquency, gangs, violence against women, and minorities and crime. She has earned a Frederic Thrasher Award for her research on gangs and has successfully completed several gang specialist training programs at the National Gang Crime Research Center. She was elected to be the president of the World Society of Victimology (WSV) and gives her presidential speech during the 17th International Symposium of the WSV being held in San Sebastian, Spain in June, 2023.
George W. Knox, Ph.D.
George Knox earned his Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Chicago. He has extensive field experience with gangs, including interviewing gang members, gang leaders, and gang victims. He has taught in the field of criminal justice and sociology. He serves as the Executive Director of the National Gang Crime Research Center. He was the author of the first full textbook on gangs (An Introduction to Gangs) and other books and monographs on gang topics. His research interests include how to deal with gang problems in probation/parole, juvenile corrections, adult corrections, and gang threat analysis — examining the gang as a unit of social organization.
Kevin Kreuser
Kevin Kreuser, B.S., Psychology, Loyola University of Chicago; 17 years as a Probation Officer — Cook County, ILL. Juvenile Court.
Roy Moore
Roy Moore is the Director of the Portland OIC Community Care Team. Under his leadership, the POIC Healing Hurt People program serves 3 hospitals across the Portland, OR metro area, advocating for patients and helping to bridge the gap with hospital staff to help families navigate the resources needed to recover after traumatic events. His team of credible messengers works alongside the City of Portland and Multnomah County to be a vital part of the solution to increased gun violence. Roy has served on the Portland Police Bureau Accountability Committee, and the City of Portland Youth Violence Prevention Committee, and was a presenter at the 2023 HAVI (Health Alliance for Violence Intervention) Conference. He is recognized as a national leader for his work in Community Violence and Hospital-Based Intervention and spearheading Medicaid billing for sustainability and longevity.
Mitchel P. Roth, Ph.D.
Mitchel P. Roth, Ph.D. is Professor of Criminal Justice and Criminology at Sam Houston State University. His areas of interest include global organized crime and gangs, history of crime and punishment, mass murder and serial homicide. His many books include, Power on the Inside: A Global History of Prison Gangs (2020), Fire in the Big House: The Worst Prison Disaster in American History (2019), The Illicit Economy in Turkey (with Mahmut Cengiz)(2019), An Eye for An Eye: A Global History of Crime and Punishment (2015) and Convict Cowboys: The Untold History of the Texas Prison Rodeo (2016). His books have been translated into Chinese, Persian, Croatian and Turkish. He has been an instructor at the Zhejiang Police College from 2009 to 2019 and at the International Law Enforcement Academy (Roswell) from 2001-2009. In 2020, Dr. Roth was awarded the Frederic Milton Thrasher Award for Excellence in Gang Research.
Alex Saine
Alex Saine has been a Special Agent with ATF since 2018 prior to that he was a detective with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. SA Saine has spearheaded award winning investigations that have been recognized by the North Carolina Gang Investigators Association (Special Achievement Award), OCDETF (Case of the Year) and ATF (Distinguished Service Award). SA Saine has been an instructor for FLETC and lectured nationally.
Tom Schneider, M.S.
Tom Schneider retired from the Cook County Illinois Juvenile Probation Department in January of 2013 after forty years on the street as a juvenile probation officer. He holds a BA degree from the University of Illinois Chicago in the Administration of Criminal Justice and a M.S. degree from Chicago State University in Correction and Criminal Justice. He is currently conducting Anger Management/Violence Prevention groups for juvenile probationers and is the Director of Project Lifeline, the Cook County Juvenile Court scholarship program.
Timothy Severo
Timothy Severo has prosecuted gang cases for almost 30 years including robberies, homicides and drug trafficking organizations. Severo began prosecuting gang cases as an Assistant District Attorney in Winston-Salem in 1994, then prosecuting cases federally in the OCDEFT section in 2005 as a Special Assistant United States Attorney and then in 2018 as an AUSA. In 2010, Mr. Severo received the North Carolina Governor’s Crime Commission Award for Excellence. Severo has prosecuted cases that have been recognized as the OCDETF Case of the Year and received NCGI Special Achievement Awards. Severo has taught in the Nation of Kosovo as well as in North and South Carolina, Tennessee and has been an instructor for ATF at FLETC.
Elvis Slaughter, M.S.
Criminologist Elvis Slaughter served as a fire and police commissioner, and is a retired Cook County Sheriff’s Superintendent with more than thirty years’ experience in criminal justice, corrections, and law enforcement. Slaughter holds a Master’s in Criminal Justice and Corrections. He has authored several articles and ten books, which include Safer Jail and Prison Matters, Mentally Ill Inmates and Corrections, and Preschool to Prison. Elvis is a speaker, security consultant, and correctional auditor. He is also a member of the American Jail Association, American Correctional Association, Hammond Police Citizen Advisory Commission, National Sheriff’s Association, Illinois Sheriff’s Association, and former president of he Illinois Academy of Criminology. Elvis taught criminal justice at the college level.
Detective Tyler Sutherland
Detective Tyler Sutherland has been a police officer for the Battle Creek Police Department for over 14 years. He is currently assigned to the Battle Creek Police Detective Bureau, and was previously assigned to the Gang Suppression Unit for over 6 years. As a member of the Gang Unit, Detective Sutherland was directly involved as the lead investigator in a number of gang, and violent crime, cases that resulted in courtroom trials and jury convictions. While participating in all aspects of gang investigations and court room prosecution, Detective Sutherland has been qualified as, and testified as, a gang expert in the U.S. District court and Michigan State Circuit and District Court, more than 15 times in the last five years. One of these gang cases, was the first criminal gang enhancement jury conviction in the State of Michigan since the state statute was created. He is also recognized in circuit and district court as an expert in Drug Trafficking and Drug Investigations. A Defensive Tactics Instructor, and Patrol Training Officer, he has also received Instructor certification for Active Shooter Response for Civilians, through the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training Center at Texas State University.
Captain Philip J. Swift, Ph.D.
Mr. Swift, Ph.D. is a husband, father, and a 23-year law enforcement veteran. Since April of 2018, Mr. Swift has served as the Fort Worth City Marshal. Prior to becoming the City Marshal, Mr. Swift rose to the rank of Captain in the Denver Sheriff Department. During his law enforcement career he served as a City Marshal, Director of Security, Watch Commander, FTO Commander, Gang/Intelligence Unit Commander, K-9 Unit Commander, Internal Affairs Bureau Investigator, Conduct Review Office Sergeant, Emergency Response Unit member and Sergeant, Court Services Sergeant, and as Adjunct Training Academy Instructor. Mr. Swift holds a MS and Ph.D. in Forensic Psychology from Walden University and has also received dual MBA’s and a BS in Criminal Justice from American International University. Mr. Swift is a published author (Gangs, Outlaw Bikers, Organized Crime & Extremists; Looseleaf Law Publishing), a contributor to Inside Police Psychology: policepsychologyblog.com, and is frequently asked to speak locally and nationally on topics related to gang, criminal, inmate, and law enforcement culture, forensic psychology, and jail gang investigations.
Dr. Martha Wall-Whitfield
Dr. Martha Wall-Whitfield is an educator from Little Rock, Arkansas where she is currently the Founder and Principal of Legacy Christian Academy, a private Christian school for at-risk youth and kids from trauma. She was formerly the District Principal for all juvenile correctional facilities in the state of Arkansas and also served as Principal at the state’s largest juvenile facility for incarcerated youth for seven years. She has taught for over 16 years at the University level as an Assistant Professor for Averett University and as an Adjunct for Virginia Commonwealth University, University of Arkansas Little Rock, and Arkansas State University. Dr. Whitfield is a mom of five and a Mimi to five. She is active in both her church and the community as a foster and adoptive parent and foster parent trainer for the state.
Dr. John Z. Wang
Dr. John Z. Wang is a world renowned criminological expert on Asian gangs. He has done research with the NGCRC and he has taught at previous NGCRC gang training conferences. He is a California POST certified instructor since 2009. He is a full professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at California State University Long Beach where he teaches criminal justice, forensic sciences, transnational organized crime, and the investigation of high tech crimes. Since 2018 he has also been a fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences.
Nellie Waterman
Nellie Waterman has been with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) since 2013, currently serving as a Supervisory Special Agent in Memphis, TN after working thirteen years as a police officer in Florida and Maine. Waterman has an encyclopedic knowledge of the Grape Street Crips and has been investigating members of this gang for more than a decade. Waterman has taught about the GSC in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
Stuart Welch, JD
Stuart Welch is the Senior Contact Attorney for the Felony Drug and Gun Unit at the Harford County State’s Attorney’s Office. Stuart is assigned to the Harford County Drug Task Force, which primarily investigates complex drug, gun, and gang cases throughout Harford County, Maryland. Stuart has prosecuted over 200 felony drug and/or gun cases, and he specializes in prosecuting drug dealers for dealing drugs that cause the fatal overdose of a victim. He secured the first ever conviction in Harford County of a drug dealer for Manslaughter for dealing the drugs that caused a fatal overdose. This is especially difficult in a state that has no drug-induced homicide laws. Stuart also serves as a member of the Overdose Fatality Review Board, where he studies fatal overdoses in Harford County in order to learn how to better prevent them going forward.