With 134 major cases of corporate fraud being investigated, the American Institute of CPAs and the Federal Bureau of Investigations thought it was time to work more closely together.
On Nov. 6, 2003, the AICPA, senior members of management of the FBI, and the Department of Justice will join forces to present a free, interactive Webcast about preventing and detecting corporate financial fraud. The Webcast, “Arresting Financial Fraud: The Inside Story from the FBI,” begins at 1:00 p.m. EST and qualifies for two CPE credits.
It will cover the nature of the corporate fraud problem, how fraud can be prevented, what a criminal investigation entails, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and its legal ramifications, and what these represent for the profession and the law.
“I’ve dealt with CPA firms and have had great relationships with the profession due to their commitment to facts and clarity,” said Grant Ashley, CPA, assistant director and chief of the criminal investigative division of the FBI. “I’ve been speaking with Barry [Melancon] about what we could do to take the AICPA’s preeminent status in the profession and the FBI’s role in these criminal investigations and work together.”
Keith Slotter, CPA and chief of the FBI’s financial crimes section, claims that there are 525 CPAs in the FBI and a total of 1,200 accountants. He said that, in addition to education, there is an employment component to the FBI’s relationship with the AICPA.
“We have a goal that 15 percent of all new agents will be accountants,” Slotter said.
In addition to Ashley and Slotter, speakers will include Gary Dagan, CPA, chief of the FBI’s economic crimes unit; and Christopher Wray, assistant attorney general and chief of Justice’s criminal division.
