2026 Fraud & Forensic Accounting Conference

Thursday, July 23 – Friday, July 24
8:00 a.m. - 4:15 p.m. each day

Crowne Plaza Hotel
4728 Constitution Ave., Baton Rouge, LA 70808

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A special rate of $110 has been set up at the Crowne Plaza for conference attendees. To receive the special rate, reservations need to be made by Tuesday, July 21, 2026.

To make a reservation, call the hotel directly at 225-925-2244 and use the group code "FAF" or let them know you are with the "Fraud & Forensic Accounting Conference." You can also make a reservation online.

CPAs, Certified Fraud Examiners, Certified Internal Auditors, forensic accountants, governmental accountants, other accounting and auditing professionals, educators, financial executives, and lawyers.

The conference qualifies for 16 CPE hours and 13.33 CLE hours.

Fred Abrams practices in the asset recovery areas of financial intelligence, financial fraud investigations and forced collection proceedings. As a member of the New York bar since 1990, Mr. Abrams has handled a wide variety of legal matters in which assets were hidden, such as RICO, money laundering, identity theft and tax
fraud. He additionally handled cases in federal court in which his adversaries were Casio Computer Co. Ltd. of Japan; General Motors Corp.; Detroit Diesel Corp; & Lloyds of London.

Additionally, Mr. Abrams located tens of millions of dollars hidden in offshore tax havens; and sought discovery from foreign bank witnesses by filing legal proceedings in Zurich, Geneva, Tel Aviv, Amsterdam and Puerto Rico. He publishes www.assetsearchblog.com which covers: best practices for bank searches; using private investigators; illegal asset searches; money laundering; tax fraud; assets hidden in high-net-worth divorces; etc. Moreover, Mr. Abrams has been cited by Reuters, Forbes Magazine, The New York Times, MoneyLaundering.com and appeared on FoxBusiness News.

Furthermore, since 2007, Mr. Abrams presented more than 18 programs about how assets may be concealed both domestically and abroad. Mr. Abrams presented these programs in Abuja, Nigeria; the United Kingdom; Florida; Massachusetts and New York.

Deniz Appelbaum, Chair and Associate Professor of the Department of Accounting and Finance at the Feliciano School of Business of Montclair State University in New Jersey enriches her academic pursuits with a practical view, after twenty years of experience in operations, credit, and business development in the corporate world. Dr. Appelbaum has published over 25 manuscripts in Accounting Horizons, Journal of Emerging Technologies in Accounting, Auditing: Journal of Practice and Theory, Journal of information Systems, and in other academic and practitioner journals, based on her research regarding analytics, AI and machine learning, big data, blockchain, municipal reporting, ESG, and fraud detection.

Dr. Appelbaum has conducted research with Proctor & Gamble, Dunn & Bradstreet, AICPA, GASB, the Volcker Alliance, the Asian Development Bank, and KPMG. Dr. Appelbaum emphasizes the use of data analytics and appropriate software tools in the classroom, to prepare accounting and auditing students for the technically advanced modern business environment. The accounting and auditing professions are currently undergoing huge disruptions due to technical innovations, and Dr. Appelbaum is devoted to preparing her students and the profession for these changes.

Chrysta Castañeda, an award-winning trial attorney, founded The Castañeda Firm, a boutique law firm specializing in high-stakes commercial litigation for the energy industry and beyond. A former engineer with 35 years of trial experience, Chrysta and her team focused on highly technical litigation, often serving as lead trial counsel in high-profile disputes of media interest. Her win for T. Boone Pickens was recognized as the 12th largest verdict in the nation and earned her the designation of Elite Trial Lawyer from the National Law Journal. She wrote about the experience in The Last Trial of T. Boone Pickens (Stoney Creek 2020). She has been recognized by Best Lawyers in America, Super Lawyers, Chambers, Texas Lawyer, and D Magazine as a top trial attorney. She has since retired from the practice of law and is currently a graduate student at the Harvard Kennedy School.

Christine Cheng, PhD is an assistant professor at the University of Mississippi’s Patterson School of Accountancy. She has also had the honor of being a visiting scholar with the Securities and Exchange Commission Division of Economic and Risk Analysis Office of Structured Disclosure from late 2020 through summer 2022 and is a current member of the Financial Accounting Standards Board Taxonomy Advisory Group. Christine has focused her teaching and research on combining accounting and data analytics, most notably for tax and fraud.

Her research appears in both practitioner and academic outlets, including the Journal of Forensic and Investigative Accounting, the Journal of Forensic Accounting Research, Accounting Horizons, and more. One of her working papers also recently won the 2023 Public Interest Section Best paper Award for the American Taxation Association Midyear Meeting. Christine has won several international and school based teaching awards and is the 2023 graduate teacher winner of the American Accounting Association/J. Michael and Mary Anne Cook/Deloitte Foundation Prize, which is the foremost recognition of an individual who consistently demonstrates the attributes of a superior teacher in the discipline of accounting.

Adam Dormuth is a CPA/CFF, CFE, CCFI with 15 years' experience providing consulting, expert, and fact witness forensic accounting services.

He has worked across civil and criminal litigation and investigations, with a particular strength in following and tracing funds through commingled accounts using equitable tracing methods to identify assets, real property, and cash or investment accounts.

He has delivered forensic accounting services in trust litigation, money laundering investigations, partnership disputes, contract disputes, employee embezzlement/expense abuse, fraud, builder/contractor contract breaches, digital assets/cryptocurrency, damages work, and more.

David Hayes is a Professor at James Madison University and the PB Mares Faculty Scholar.  He was previously a faculty member at Louisiana State University.

His research interests are Data Analytics and Fraud Investigation. He has published many articles in various journals, including: Journal of Forensic and Investigative Accounting, Journal of Information Systems, Issues In Accounting Education and the AIS Educators Journal.  He currently serves as an Associate Editor at the AIS Educators Journal.  He has served as the Editor of the AIS Educators Journal and as President of the AIS Educators Association.          

His areas of teaching interest are Fraud, Data Analytics, Accounting Information Systems, Cost and Financial Accounting. 

Scott Holt is a Certified Public Accountant specializing in financial intelligence, forensic accounting, and complex federal investigations. He primarily supports U.S. law enforcement agencies and federal clients—including the Department of Defense, the Small Business Administration, the Department of the Treasury, and multiple investigative agencies—in uncovering and analyzing sophisticated financial crimes. Scott has testified to his findings in federal courts in New York, Rhode Island, Texas, Virginia, and Louisiana. Scott holds a Master of Accounting and a B.S. in Finance from Tulane University. He currently serves as Principal Consultant for Suvi Global Services LLC

Joe Howie is an ex-Big Four audit partner, with over 34 years of industry experience. Much of his time as a partner was spent in the firm’s National and Professional Practice groups. Through 2024, he co-founded the Global Assurance Risk Center of Excellence for the firm, creating industry leading capabilities to identify fraud indicators and key risk trends in the assurance portfolio by leveraging new technology, including AI and machine learning, to harness external data to improve both audit quality and firm risk management. He also led global efforts to improve client and engagement acceptance and continuance. The views expressed are his personal opinions on industry governance and are based on public information.

Michael Inzina, CPA, CGFM, CGMA is founder and chief executive officer of Audit Litigation Training and Efficiency Consulting, Inc. (ALTEC), a consulting company serving public accounting firms and other accounting and auditing organizations on matters of audit efficiency, continuing education, litigation and ethics. In 2020 he retired from public practice with 44 years of experience, concentrated in financial institutions, government and nonprofits organizations. Mike holds a BBA in accounting from the University of Louisiana (Monroe), where he graduated summa cum laude in May 1976.  He is a member of the American Institute of CPAs, Society of Louisiana CPAs, Government Finance Officers Association of Louisiana, and the Association of Government Accountants.  Mike earned the Certificate of Educational Achievement in governmental in 1990, was awarded the Certified Government Financial Manager (CGFM) designation in 1996, and the Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) designation in 2012.  He is a past chapter president and member of the Society of Louisiana CPAs Board of Directors and served two terms as chairman of the Governmental Positive Enforcement Program of the Louisiana State Board of CPAs.  He has served on a number of committees of the Society of Louisiana CPAs, and recently served on its Ethics Committee.  Mike also served on the GASB Service Efforts and Accomplishments Task Force.

Mike has twice been a member of the AICPA Professional Ethics Executive Committee (1989-1992 and 2000-2003), and served on the Auditing Standards Board from 1997 to 2000.  From 1986 to 1993, he also served as a member of AICPA Independence and Behavioral Standards Subcommittee, and as Subgroup Chairman of the Governmental Technical Standards Committee.  During this time, he conducted numerous investigations of complaints filed by federal, state and local agencies alleging substandard performance of audits of governmental and nonprofit entities, and represented the Professional Ethics Division at hearings of the Joint Regional Trial Board.

He contributed to the Implementation Guide for GASB Statement 34, AICPA Statement of Position 98-3, Audits of States, Local Governments and Not-for-Profit Organizations Receiving Federal Awards, revisions to the AICPA Audit and Accounting Guide, Audits of State and Local Governmental Units, the AICPA Practice Aid Fraud Detection in a GAAS Audit, revisions to the Louisiana Governmental Audit Guide and in drafting state legislation affecting governmental accounting and auditing requirements. He has served as technical consultant and instructor for the Louisiana Division of Administration (Office of Community Development) and as consultant to the Louisiana Department of Education.  Mike frequently appears as moderator and panelist on the Accountants’ CPE Network. (ACPEN).

Mike has been named thirteen times as an Outstanding Instructor by the American Institute of CPAs and several state societies, and received a Special Recognition Award from the Society of Louisiana CPAs Board of Directors for his contributions to continuing education in 1994. In addition, he was awarded the 2001 National Education and Training Award from the Association of Government Accountants and in 2009 was named national Beta Alpha Psi Business Information Professional of the Year.  In 2016, Mike received the Distinguished Service Award from the Society of Louisiana CPAs.

Wes Ladd is Associate Director of the Center for Internal Auditing & Cybersecurity Risk Management at LSU's E.J. Ourso College of Business, where he teaches internal audit and cybersecurity risk management. He is also CTO and co-founder of Polaris EcoSystems, a tribally-owned AI and professional services firm. Wes spent his early career in Big Four consulting at EY and RSM. He is co-author of *Practical AI for Professionals* (Chapman & Hall/CRC Press) and holds the CISA, CISSP, and AWS Security Specialty certifications, along with an MBA and a BA in Philosophy.

Tiffany Matherne is a Vice President and Senior Fraud Risk Coordinator at Gulf Coast Bank & Company, which is the largest locally owned bank in the Metro New Orleans area and has expanded into fresh markets like Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi, where she has served since 2022.  Tiffany has 28 years of experience in the banking industry. Throughout her career, she has specialized in fraud prevention, financial crimes investigations, risk management, and protecting financial institutions and customers from evolving fraud threats.

Prior to joining Gulf Coast Bank & Trust Company, Tiffany spent 25 years with Hancock Whitney Bank, formerly Whitney National Bank, where she developed extensive expertise in banking operations, fraud investigations, financial crime detection, and risk mitigation.

Her professional experience includes counterfeit check investigations, deposit fraud, ACH fraud, Wire fraud, account takeover fraud, romance & Advance Fee Fraud scams, check kiting, suspicious activity reviews, and proactive fraud prevention strategies. Tiffany is passionate about identifying emerging fraud trends and strengthening collaboration within the financial services industry to combat financial crime effectively.  She is known for her analytical mindset, attention to detail, and commitment to ethical banking practices.

Throughout her career, Tiffany has been recognized for her dedication and success in protecting both customers and financial institutions from significant financial losses. Since she has been with Gulf Coast Bank & Trust Company, Tiffany has been recognized by Executive Consumer Retail Management, Bank CEO, Compliance Director, and the BSA Manager for her work involving recovery claims and collaboration with other financial institutions to successfully mitigate fraud-related losses.

Outside of her work catching financial criminals, Tiffany enjoys cooking, spending time with family & friends, and relaxing at home with her fur-babies.

Bryant Messina is a career banker specializing in BSA (AML/CFT) and Fraud Prevention.  He began his banking journey at Jefferson Guaranty Bank in Metairie, Louisiana, as a Check Processing Specialist in 1996. He transitioned to Whitney National Bank in 1997 and worked various jobs within Deposit Operations. In 2001 Bryant was chosen to assist in the establishment of Whitney’s fraud department (known as the Loss Prevention Unit), which included analysis for check fraud, deposit fraud, and check kiting.  In 2003 he was asked to assist in establishing the bank’s AML/suspicious activity monitoring department (Deposit Compliance Review).

In 2007, Bryant transitioned to Gulf Coast Bank and Trust Company, the largest locally owned bank in the Metro New Orleans area, where he currently serves as the BSA Manager.   Bryant has received accommodations from the US Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, IRS Criminal Investigations, and the FBI for his contributions to combatting terrorism, international drug trafficking, identity theft, and money laundering.  Bryant is also a proud graduate of the University of New Orleans, with a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science.

Jason MacMorran is a Partner in EisnerAmper’s Financial Advisory Services Group with more than 25 years of experience. He specializes in business valuation, transaction advisory services and commercial litigation across a range of industries, and leads the firm’s Forensic, Litigation, and Valuation Services Group.

Jason provides valuation and transaction consulting services to individuals, growing companies and private equity, including financial due diligence and transaction support, financial reporting valuations, and tax valuations. He also serves clients and attorneys in complex valuation and economic damage matters, serving as a court appointed neutral, and providing testimony in a range of venues, including federal district court, federal bankruptcy court, state court, and international arbitration.

Jason has been an active member in the profession, having served nationally on the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ (AICPA) Business Valuation Committee, and as faculty for both the AICPA’s ABV Exam Review Course and Expert Witness Skills Workshop. He has also served on AICPA conference planning committees, various technical task forces, and he speaks nationally and locally on technical valuation and litigation topics. Jason was honored as the AICPA’s 2014 Business Valuation Volunteer of the Year and was in the AICPA’s inaugural Standing Ovation class for forensic accounting and business valuation professionals. Locally, Jason has served on the Society of Louisiana CPA’s board of directors, was its 2019-2020 chair, and has served on its Forensic and Valuation Services Committee since 2009, chairing that committee in 2013 and 2014.

Before co-founding Novum, Stephanie Palmertree served as the Deputy State Auditor and the Director of the Financial and Compliance Division for the Mississippi Office of the State Auditor (OSA), the largest division in the Office of the State Auditor. Under her leadership, the Division conducted and managed financial and federal audits of the State of Mississippi, 134 various State Agencies and component units, 158 school districts and community colleges, and eighty-two counties. Stephanie has led numerous hours of continued professional education and training in the areas of Government Auditing Standards, GASB Standards, Single Audits, school audits, legal compliance, and other auditing and accounting skills to her staff and other governmental auditors around the State and Country.

Before her career at the Auditor’s Office, Stephanie served as the Director of Finance and Administration for the Mississippi Museum of Art, Mississippi’s largest art museum. She also worked for Certified Public Accounting firms as a staff and senior auditor and specialized in governmental accounting. Stephanie received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree from Mississippi College in 2004 and her Master of Professional Accountancy degree from Mississippi State University in 2005. She is a Certified Public Accountant, Certified Fraud Examiner, and a Chartered Global Management Accountant. Stephanie has over eighteen years of governmental and non-profit audit and accounting experience. She has served the CPA community in Mississippi as a Board of Governor, a Governmental Auditing Committee Member, and a Young CPA Board Member for the Mississippi Society of CPAs (MSCPA). She is also the recipient of the AICPA Outstanding CPA in Government Impact Award – State Level for 2020 and served as a Technical Advisor to the AICPA Auditing Standards Board.

Matthew Reidenbach is an Associate Professor of Accounting at James Madison University and the Hantzmon Wiebel LLP Faculty Scholar. Previously, he was an Assistant Professor of Accounting at Pace University in New York City and a financial statement auditor with Deloitte LLP. He is an inactive CPA licensed in Pennsylvania.

His research interests include the determinants of accounting disclosure and the regulation of the public accounting industry. He has published articles in various journals, including Issues in Accounting Education, Journal of Accounting Auditing and Finance, Journal of the American Taxation Association, Journal of Forensic and Investigative Accounting, and Marquette Law Review.

His areas of teaching interests include Accounting Information Systems, Data Analytics, Information Technology Assurance and Cybersecurity, and Financial Accounting.

He has served professionally as an expert witness, a deacon in his local church, and as a board member of the Blue Ridge Free Clinic in Harrisonburg, VA. He is an incoming member of the editorial board of the AIS Educators Journal and has conference chair experience, including the AAA Ethics Symposium and the Deloitte Trueblood Case Study Seminar for Faculty.