Cheryl Hyder, CFE, MT, CPA, CVA, CFF

President 

Cheryl Hyder has provided litigation support services, including performing financial investigations and other forensic accounting assignments, for most of professional career.  In addition to being a CPA, Hyder earned advanced professional designations as a Certified Fraud Examiner, Certified Valuation Analyst and is Certified in Financial Forensics.    Her corporate accounting experience, combined with her experience as a public accountant and forensic accountant, provide her with unique perspective to financial investigations.  She believes that there are no “cookie-cutter” solutions to the ongoing challenges created by fraudsters and would-be fraudsters, and providing anti-fraud education is but one of the tools a preventive program should include.   She speaks regularly on fraud prevention, fraud detection and related topics to diverse audiences, including Federal agencies, professional organizations and collegiate groups. 

Hyder has been active in the Metro-DC chapter since 2004, serving first as Program Chair and then as a Director, prior to her being elected as Vice President of the Chapter in 2009.   She co-founded the community outreach and speakers’ bureau programs, which have enhanced our visibility in the local business, government and collegiate communities, and at the same time these efforts have increased anti-fraud awareness among these groups.  She currently serves as a Chapter Liaison to the ACFE, is on the ACFE’s Editorial Advisory Board, and holds leadership positions in other professional and community-based organizations.

Gregory A. Paige, CPA, CFE
Vice President 

Mr. Paige has over ten years of public accounting, consulting, forensic accounting and litigation support experience in various industries such as technology, not-for-profits, financial institutions, healthcare, insurance, gaming, broadcasting, and e-commerce distribution. He has worked on engagements ranging in size from $50,000 to $1.5 billion in the areas of International Pre-Acquisition Due Diligence, Litigation Support / Forensic Accounting, Bankruptcy Asset Tracing, in addition to Whistleblower Investigations, Business Process Improvement and Risk Management, Financial System Implementations, Project Management, Financial and SAS-70 Audits, Tax Preparation , and Outsourced Accounting Services. Mr. Paige is additionally associated with the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants and Board and Audit Committee Chair, SOC Enterprises. 

Mr. Paige earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from George Mason University.

 

David Karakashian, CFE, CPA, CISA, CITP
Treasurer 

Dave Karakashian is a senior manager at WithumSmith+Brown, PC, (WS+B) Certified Public Accountants and Consultants, based in the firm’s Silver Spring, MD, office and has over 14 years experience in public accounting.  In addition to being licensed as a certified public accountant in the state of Maryland, Dave is a certified fraud examiner, a certified information systems auditor and a certified information technology professional. His expertise lies within the federal government where he has provided numerous audit, inspection and investigative services to various offices of the Inspector General. His specialties include federal financial statement audits and internal control evaluations, federal grant and contract audits, performance audits, and forensic accounting services.  Dave has also performed numerous A-133 “single audits” of nonprofit organizations, as well as performed audit and forensic accounting services to commercial entities.   

Dave earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting with a minor in business law from Penn State University.  He is a member of the Maryland Association of Certified Public Accountants (MACPA), the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the Association of Government Accountants (AGA), the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners and the Information Systems Audit and Control Association.  

Ghaz Shaw
Secretary 

   Ghaz Shah is an Associated Chartered Certified Accountant (ACCA) from the UK specializing in Forensic Accounting Investigations and Specialized Valuation/Damages Calculation engagements.  Mr. Shah has predominantly focused the last 4 years in providing significant and material support on investigations involving White Collar Fraud, FCPA violations, Intellectual Property Rights investigations, Damages, Business Valuations etc.

Mr. Shah has experience working on engagements in the United States, Asia and the Middle East, working as an auditor and forensic accountant with PricewaterhouseCoopers and Deloitte Financial Advisory Services LLP.  There he provided audit, business advisory services, and forensic accounting services to publicly and privately held companies in a variety of industries prior to joining Navigant Consulting in 2008.    Mr. Shah is well versed in International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), International Standards on Auditing (ISA), US GAAP, US GAAS, and has over 7 years experience in performing financial statement audits, as well as accounting, financial, and forensic consulting services.

Mr.  Shah is also a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) and a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS).  Mr. Shah graduated from Oklahoma State University with a Masters in Accounting with an emphasis in Finance.   Mr. Shah is fluent in English and Urdu, and has working knowledge of Hindi and Punjabi.

Sergeant at Arms

Ed has deep and varied subject matter expertise in AML compliance, having completed a career as a Special Agent with IRS Criminal Investigations where he conducted and supervised tax and money-laundering investigations for 25 years. During his tenure with IRS-CI, he assisted in efforts to enhance CI’s overall capacity to engage in intelligence-driven law enforcement. He also was a senior analyst in IRC-CI’s Financial Crimes Section, where he oversaw the national money laundering program and coordinated the efforts of 81 Suspicious Activity Report Review Teams across all field offices. 

In addition to being a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS), Ed is a Certified Financial Specialist (CFS), Certified Financial Crimes Investigator (CFCI) and IRS Enrolled Agent (EA). He is active in many professional organizations nationally.

Director/Membership and Community Outreach Chair

Aaron Brehove joined Ernst & Young’s Fraud Investigation & Dispute Services practice in Washington, DC in 2006. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting from West Virginia University.  Although his academic background is in accounting he has trained in interview/interrogation techniques and detecting deception through interpersonal communication and written statements by current and former government investigators from the ATF, FBI, State Police, among others.  While at Ernst & Young Mr. Brehove has gained valuable experience in many areas, including fraud & investigations, audits, insurance claims, health sciences reviews, and pharmaceutical pricing.  His investigations vary from shadow audits, multi-billion dollar ponzi schemes, IRS tax evasions, and whistler blower allegations, to regulatory investigations, including those related to corporate integrity agreements. 

Charles A. Anderson

Director / Membership and Community Outreach Chair

 

 

Carl W. Hoecker, CFE, CGFM, CPA
Director 

Carl Hoecker was appointed the first Inspector General (IG) for the U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) on July 10, 2008.  Mr. Hoecker’s office is responsible to conduct, supervise, and coordinate audits and investigations of the programs and operations of the Capitol Police. 

Mr. Hoecker is an accomplished criminal investigator with over 30 years’ experience.  His work has predominantly involved supervising and conducting specialized financial investigations, forensic audits and reviews, and business process improvement.  Carl’s office has conducted extremely sensitive investigations and audits, identified weaknesses and made recommendations in order to improve internal controls.  Carl views his off as a multiplier for positive change management.

Mr. Hoecker began his career with the U.S Army in 1976 as a military policeman, later becoming a special agent for the Army Criminal Investigations Command.  During his last assignment in the Army, Carl was a member of an investigative unit charged with investigating procurement fraud within the classified community.  In 1992, he joined the Inspector General community with the U.S. Information Agency as a criminal investigator and in 1996 he joined the Treasury Office of Inspector General (OIG) where he progressed to the Deputy Inspector General for Investigations.  In the IG community, Carl continued to conduct and oversee investigations and audits of procurement and other types of financial fraud matters with positive results for the government.

Mr. Hoecker graduated from Governor’s State University in 1982 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in business administration and a minor in accounting.  In 1988, while on active military duty, Carl completed his Master’s degree in Systems Management with the University of Southern California.  Mr. Hoecker is a certified public accountant, certified fraud examiner, certified government financial manager, and is certified in financial forensics.