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Instructor Bio

TOM TIPHAYACHAN - Executive Director

Tom's professional experience spans over sixteen years of law enforcement experience, encompassing a combination of patrol, investigations, training both in-service and advance officer training, tactics and Field Training Program. 

As the Founder and Executive Director of Strategic Training Systems International, Tom is responsible for all company operations, and the management of over twenty-three instructors and contract employees.  Quality assurance and customer service is paramount to ensure the professional delivery of each course, service and products to our clients and students.  Tom's additional role as the Founder / Executive Director include corporate strategy, business and corporate development, strategic alliances, expansion of the company's services and prducts, and business development with emphasis on capability expansion and technology integration. 

JORGE GIL-BLANCO - Training Coordinator, Outlaw Motorcycle Gang and Expert Testimony Instructor

JORGE GIL-BLANCO plans and coordinates all necessary functions required for the establishment, maintenance, and improvement of a viable Part I crimes and narcotics enforcement itelligence information system within WSIN's California Region V.  He lectures extensively on the topic of Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs, and provides expert testimony for the prosecution of Hells Angels.

Jorge Gil-Blanco has been in law enforcement since 1973.  From 1973 to 1974, he served as a police officer for the Los Angeles Police Department.  From 1974 to 1978, Jorge served as a Deputy Sheriff for the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department, working as a Narcotic Investigator, Patrol Officder, Court Security, and Jail Deputy.

From 1978 to 2004, Jorge served as a member of the San Jose Police Department, including 3 years as an instructor in the Training Unit where he was tasked with the developing and delivering in-service training for the department.  Jorge also served as a Field Training Officer, Task Force Agent with the Federal Drug Enforcement Agency Narcotics Task Force, Criminal Intelligence Officer, Narcotics Investigator, Burglary Prevention Investigator, Police Recruiter, Background Investigator, and Patrol Officer.

From 2004 to 2006, Jorge spent 13 months as a Dixon Police Department Narcotics Investigator and was assigned to the Solano County Narcotics Enforcement Team (SOL-NET.)

Jorge earned an Associates of Arts degree from Santa Monica College and is a graduate of the POST Master Instructor Development Program.

STEVE SWENSON - Training Coordinator

STEVE SWENSON is a Sergeant for the San Jose Police Department where he has over 15 years of law enforcement experience. Steve has worked various assignments including street level narcotics enforcement, covert narcotics investigations, and a 3 year assignment with the California Department of Justice Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement, investigating drug labs, primarily Methamphetamine labs. He is currently assigned to the San Jose Police Department’s Criminal Intelligence Unit. In addition to investigating organized crime, his collateral duties within the unit include dignitary protection details and human trafficking investigations. Steve’s responsibilities with Dynamic Solutions for Justice is to assist in coordinating training courses, and acting as a liaison for outside law enforcement and federal agencies.

TROY BENSON - Expert Testimony and Gang Prosecution Instructor

TROY BENSON is in his thirteenth year as a Deputy District Attorney in Santa Clara County. He earned his undergraduate degree from USC in 1992. He then attended UCLA’s School of Law and graduated from that institution in 1995. While in law school Mr. Benson interned with the United States Department of Defense where he wrote and reviewed Status of Forces Agreements (SOFA) between branches of the U.S. military and foreign governments. Mr. Benson’s professional legal career began in Manhattan Beach, California working for the medical malpractice defense firm of Huskinson & Brown. In 1996 he accepted a position with the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office.

Over the years, Mr. Benson has tried over seventy jury trials. He has had assignments in his office’s misdemeanor, preliminary hearing, juvenile wards, narcotics; general felonies and sex units. In 2001, he was assigned to prosecute gang members in the D.A.’s gang unit. Over the years Mr. Benson has prosecuted everything from DUI’s to violent child sexual assaults to multiple co-defendant multiple homicide gang cases. Mr. Benson has also been a grader for the California State Bar examination; he has coached high-school mock trial teams and is currently an instructor in trial advocacy for Santa Clara University Law School.

LANCE DAUGHERTY - Expert Testimony and Gang Prosecution Instructor

LANCE DAUGHERTY is a thirteen-year veteran Deputy District Attorney with the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office.  He is currently assigned to the Gang Unit an has been in that assignment for the last eight years.  During his career, Mr. Daugherty has prosecuted many complicated and serious cases, including a three defendant, gang related death penalty case and several complicated criminal conspiracies of the Nuestra Familia Prison gang.

Besides his extensive trial experience, Mr. Daugherty has provided training to numerous law enforcement agencies over the last six years.  He also regularly lectures to graduate classes at San Jose State University.

 

 

BYRON BOSTON - Mid-Level Narcotic Investigations Instructor

BYRON BOSTON began his law enforcement career with the Dallas Police Department in May 1996. In 1998, he was selected to join the department’s patrol division drug task force. While on the drug task force, Byron participated in hundreds of felony drug arrests.

After working on the drug task force for several years, Byron was recruited to work on an ATF Violent Crime Task Force. While assigned to the ATF Task Force, Byron was the lead undercover officer on numerous long-term narcotic & firearm investigations, one of which lasted nearly a year in duration. During that investigation, Byron rented an undercover apartment where he was taught by drug dealers how to cook, cut, and package crack cocaine. Byron was also trained in both “trap” and “stash” houses on the inside structure of how crack cocaine dealers truly operate. In addition to making undercover narcotic purchases, Byron purchased firearms that included: common street weapons, machine guns, and a grenade launcher.

Byron’s next assignment consisted of working a DEA OCDEFT case where he again was the lead undercover officer. The OCDEFT investigation did not fully materialize and Byron managed to salvage the case by meeting with the District Attorney’s Office and filing a true Organized Crime Conspiracy using State Law. Arrest warrants were granted for thirteen (13) defendants all with a million dollar bond.

Byron is currently assigned to a Mid-Level Enforcement squad within the Dallas Police Narcotics Division. Byron brought all of his knowledge and expertise to his new squad, and began targeting Mid-Level Drug Trafficking Organizations. Byron’s latest accomplishment involved infiltrating a large-scale PCP trafficking organization in which individuals were distributing over 3 ½ gallons of PCP per month. During this case, the suspects taught Byron how to obtain, cut, package, and distribute PCP. This investigation resulted in the arrest and prosecution of 26 defendants, and the seizure of multiple gallons of PCP with a street value of nearly $400,000.00. This case was one of the largest PCP investigations ever conducted in Dallas, TX, and was worked exclusively by the Dallas Police Department in conjunction with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

In 2007, Byron was requested by the Deputy Chief over the Narcotics Division to develop a curriculum for other narcotic detectives to successfully target Mid-Level Organizations.

 

ROBERT DILLON - Internet Crimes Against Children Instructor

ROBERT DILLON has been a police officer with the San Jose Police Department for over 11 years and is currently assigned to the  Special Investigations- VICE Unit.  His prior assignments included the Special Enforcement Unit where he worked undercover enforcing vice crimes and narcotic violations in the downtown area. He also spent three years as a Detective for the department’s Child Exploitation Unit. During his tenure in the Child Exploitation Unit, Robert investigated and developed rock solid cases against hundreds of child predators. He has extensive computer experience as it deals with capturing digital evidence, creating MySpace pages, proper online chat language, and tracking IP addresses. Robert has taught this ICAC course throughout the nation. He is often called upon by outside agencies and District Attorney Offices nationwide to assist in conducting complex online investigations and offering expert advice to overcome investigative obstacles. He is also a member of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and has been voted top instructor by a large California law enforcement agency five years in a row. His training is truly one of a kind, and will benefit even seasoned investigators involved in Internet Predator Investigations.

RICK TOMLIN - Advanced Auto Theft Investigations Instructor

Rick Tomlin is currently a Sergeant for the San Jose Police Department.  His law enforcement tenure spans over 18 years, with most of his specialized experience revolving around auto theft investigations, undercover field operations, Multi-Agency Task Forces and Field Training Officer.  Rick's achievements in auto theft investigations has earned him an impressive 25 awards from the California Highway Patrol / AAA for over 2000 auto theft recoveries.  In 2006, he received an Outstanding Service Award from Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers for his relentless dedication in conducting some of the most complex auto theft investigations resulting in the arrests and prosecution of hundreds of auto theives.  In 2006, he also received the San Jose Police Department's Day to Day Excellence Award for his efforts in auto theft and recoveries while assigned to the Santa Clara County Regional Auto Theft Task Force.

 

MATT BUECHNER - Prison Gangs Instructor

Matt Buechner is a 20 plus year veteran of the California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation.  During his 20 plus year tenure, he spent 13 of those years at Pelican Bay State Prison where he was assigned as an Institutional Gang Investigator/Security Squad Lieutenant, and also served as a department in-service trainer.  Currently, Special Agent Buechner is assigned to the CDCR Special Service Unit where he provides assistance to law enforcement agencies when prison inmates or parolees are the known suspects involved in or responsible for major crimes.  S/A Buechner is also responsible for debriefing prison gang members, gathering intelligence and validating prison gang members.  His teaching experience includes training law enforcement agencies throughout the country on prison gangs and criminal investigations.

 

 DAVE STORTON - Protection Driving Instructor / Instructor Development Course Instructor

DAVE STORTON holds a Master's Degree in Adult Education and has been teaching for over 16 years.  He is recognized by the State of California (POST) as an expert in Instructor Development and Instructional Delivery.  Dave is a Lieutenant with the San Jose Police Department and has experience as a Field Training Officer, Academy Recruit Training Officer, Academy Coordinator, Academy Director, and is a past 2-term President of the California Academy Directors Association.  As a member of the POST Realignment Committee, he participated in the re-writing of the curriculum for the police academies in California in order to implement the Leadership, Ethics, and Community Policing programs as tasked by the California Commission on POST.  He also teaches leadership, teambuilding, and teaches other instructors the art of facilitation and adult learning concepts for the San Jose PS and the California POST Instructor Development Institute.  Mr. Storton is also the lead instructor for the Emergency Vehicle Operations Course (EVOC) at the San Jose Police Academy.  Mr. Storton also teaches the EVOC Instructor's course, Off-Road EVOC, and Counter Terrorist / Dignitary Protection Driving.  In addition to teaching law enforcement and civilians, he also teaches Hollywood stunt drivers at the "Motion Pictures Stunt Driving School."  As a subject matter professional, Mr. Storton has been featured for his driving expertise on the Fox News Channel, "Fox Report with Sheppard Smith, The Discovery Channel, The New York Times, The San Jose Mercury News and the Monterey Herald." 

 LANNY BROWN - Leadership Course Instructor

LANNY BROWN retired from the Gilroy Police Department as the Assistant Chief of Police and has over 34 years of law enforcement experience.  During his tenure as the Assistant Chief, he lead a department with a staff of 108 and was responsible for managing an annual budget of $19 million.  he was also a co-project manager for the construction of a new $30 million- 105 square foot police facility.  Lanny is recognized by the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training to be a subject matter expert in SWAT, EVOC, Training, Community Oriented Policing, Defensive Tactics and Crowd Control.  He also holds a Master's Degree in Leadership with an emphasis in Organizational Development, and further holds a BS in Organizational Behavior and an AS in Criminal Justice.  Lanny is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy and is presently working as the Police Academy Coordinator at the Monterey Bay Police Academy.

 

 

CHRISTOPHER LALLI - Expert Testimony Instructor

 

CHRISTOPHER LALLI is a life-long resident of Las Vegas and a graduate of Bishop Gorman high School.  He received a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Minor in Philosphy from Loyola Marymount University in 1989.  While at Loyola Marymount, he was elected President of the Student Body.  In 1994, Mr. Lalli received a Juris Doctor from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles and was a recipient of the American Jurisprudence Award in Trial Advocacy.  He became a member of both the Nevada Bar and United States Bar for the District of Nevada that same year. 

Mr. Lalli joined the Office of the Clark County District Attorney in 1994.  In 2001 he became a member of the Major Violators Unit.  During his time in the office, Mr. Lalli has taught various courses at the International Gaming Institute at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, the National College of District Attorneys and the National Advocacy Center in Columbia, South Carolina.  He has tried many high profile murder cases including State of Nevada vs. Timmy Weber and State of Nevada vs. Alfonso "Slinkey" Blake.

 

STEVEN GUTIERREZ - Paralinguistic Interview and Interrogagtion and Workplace Violence Prevention Instructor

STEVEN GUTIERREZ is a Sergeant with the San Jose Police Department and has been in law enforcement for over 28 years.  His assignments have included Systems and Development, FTO, Narcotic Covert Investigations, Burglary Investigations, Gang Investigations, Intelligence Officer, DEA Task Force Special Agent, and Public Official Protection Detail.  He was an Honor graduate from Upper Iowa University with a B.S. in Public Administration, and holds two Masters Degree from Touro International University and Northcentral University.  Mr. Gutierrez is currently a PhD Psychology candidate.

With respect to Mr. Gutierrez's military carrer, he retired from the US Army as a Lt. Colonel.  Decorated with over 14 awards, inlcluding two Bronze Stars with Valor Device,  Mr. Gutierrez has a military resume above reproach.  To mention a few, he is a graduate of the US Army Rigger/Halo/Jump Master School, Army Military Police Advanced Officer's Course, Army Combined Arms Service and School, JFK Special Warfare School- Civil Affairs, Psychological School and Joint Operations School.  He also graduated from the US Air Force Command Staff College and Army Associate Logistics Executive Development Course.

Mr. Gutierrez has authoured "The Investigative Challenges in the 21st Century."  "San Jose Police Department, Statewide Training Seminar, p.1-3" and "Enemy Prisoner of War."  (EPW) Back-Haul Transport System.  US Army FM 19-4.

 MICHAEL RONCZKOWSKI - Homeland Security & Intelligence Analysis Instructor

MICHAEL R. RONCZKOWSKI, M.P.A., began his law enforcement career in 1983 as a sworn police officer with the Miami-Dade Police Department in Miami, Florida.  Having risen through the ranks, he continues to serve in an upper management capacity as a Major overseeing the Department's Homeland Security Bureau.  He is also an adjunct professor teaching courses on terrorism, analysis, and the criminal justice system at Florida Atlantic University.

A graduate of the FBI National Academy and recognized internationally for his analytical skills and crime mapping expertise, Mike has presented analytical material at numerous conferences and workshops for various international associations and the National Institute of Justice.  He managed a county-wide analytical intelligence unit for over 8 years, has written analytical policy, procedures, and training protocols, and has developed analytical databases and information resources.

Major Ronczkowski has also served as a certified Florida law enforcement instructor, field training officer, and supervisor of various criminal investigative units.  For several years he also served with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Marshal's fugitive task forces.  Mike is an authorized Environmental Systems Research Institute (ArcView) instructor, and has taught crime mapping and analysis courses for the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center.

Mike is the coauthor of "The Robbery Clearinghouse:  Successful Real-TIme Intelligence Analysis" (Police Chief Magazine), and Tactical Investigative Analysis of Targeted Crimes (Advanced Crime Mapping Topics, NIJ-Crime Mapping and Analysis Program).  He earned a bachelor of arts degree in criminal justice and a masters of public administration degree from Florida Atlantic University.

WARREN SWEENEY - Intelligence Analysis Instructor

WARREN J. SWEENEY, B.A., C.C.A., began his law enforcement career with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in 1968.  He performed general police duties in the Province of Saskatchewan until 1972 at which time he transferred into the RCMP Security Service and was assigned to Counter - Espionage duties in Toronto, Ontario.

Warren's analytical career began with his transfer to the Security Service's International Terrorism Unit and his investigation of Middle East terrorist organizations.  In 1984 he transferred to the Terrorist Desk within the National Criminal Intelligence Branch of the RCMP, and for five years worked on Sikh Extremism and the investigation of the bombing of Air India Flight #182.

With his noted facility for teaching, Warren was appointed Intelligence Analysis Coordinator for the Canadian Police College in 1990.  In his role as an instructor he has taught intelligence courses in the Czech Republic, the Slovak Republic, Jamaica, to members of 15 Caribbean countries, to the Haitian Police, to the Macedonian Police, Barbados, and Pakistan, as well as The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague, Netherlands.  Courses taught in the USA to police departments in Florida, North Carolina, Virginia, Washington, Arkansas, Kansas, Texas, the US Secret Service and the Joint Intelligence Center Pacific.

An internationally recognized authority in the fields of terrorism and organized crime at the local and national level, Warren has also given presentations in Strategic Intelligence Analysis to the Criminal Analytical Unit of Interpol in Lyon, France.

Warren Sweeney is a Lifetime Certified Crime Analyst and a former Director of Training, Education, and Career Development for the International Association of Intelligence Analysts Inc. (IALEIA).  He is also the former President of the National Chapter of IALEIA in Ottwawa, Ontario. 

 JOHN KASTER - Statement Analysis Instructor

 JOHN W. KASTER began his law enforcement career with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in 1967.  He was first posted to general law enforcement duties in the Province of Prince Edward Island.  In 1971 he was assigned to plainclothes criminal investigation units where he investigated crime in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, and New Brunswick.

For the past nineteen (19) years, John has been a professional polygraphist.  The RCMP recognized his polygraph expertise and noted teaching abilities and in 1986 appointed him to his present role as Manager of the World Renowned Canadian Police College's Polygraph Training School in Ottawa, Ontario.  As such, he is responsible for ALL police polygraph training throughout Canada.  In addition to this polygraph duties, John is a noted expert and trainer in the fields of cognitive interviewing, statement analysis, and interrogation.

A frequently requested speaker, John also served as guest panelist at the 1988 NATO Credibility Assessment Seminar which was held in Maratea, Italy, and at the 1989 Canadian Investigative Reporters Seminar which convened in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.  Additionally, he is a member of both the American Polygraph Association and the Canadian Police Polygraph Association.  Moreover, he was a recipient of the Canadian Association of Police Polygraphists Outstanding Service Award in 1986, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1994, 1995, and 1996.

John has conducted interviewing, interrogation, and statement analysis courses for both American and Canadian law enforcement officers.  Within the United States he has also served as a consultant in the investigation of major crime cases for the New Hampshire State Police, Vermont State Police, and Greenwich Police Department, and for the London Police Department, Waterloo Regional Police, Metropolitan Toronto Police, Ontario Provincial Police, and the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service within Canada.

An internationally recognized authority in his field, John has also presented his interviewing, interrogation, and statement analysis courses to police officers in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Bolivia.

 WAYNE PORTER - Criminal Investigative Analysis Instructor

WAYNE D. PORTER, M.S., is one of only fifty (50) sworn police-fellow profilers in the world.  In 1996 he was certified by the International Criminal Investigative Analysis Fellowship and sponsored by the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime (NCAVC).  Wayne's training consisted of a three-year program which included a review of thousands of cases and over 60 specialized crime topics taught by nationally recognized experts in the field of violent crime and sexual deviancy research.  Wayne's commitment to the program included three one-month internships with the last month's assignment to the Investigative Analysis Unit (Profiling) at the FBI Academy in Quantico, VIrginia.  One of the last steps in the certification process was his successful completion of an oral board examination at the FBI.

Prior to his full-time teaching and consulting on active serial rape and homicide cases, for 19 years Wayne served with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement as a Special Agent assigned the duties of a Violent Crime Investigator and polygraph examiner.  He currently maintains his sworn status as a Reserve Special Agent with that organization.  Wayne began his law enforcement career in 1969 as a patrolman and served over 33 years as a sworn law enforcement officer with local, county, and state agencies within the state of Florida.  His educational accomplishments include a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminology from Florida State University and a Master of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida.

Well respected within the law enforcement community as an expert in the evaluation of crime scene analysis, Wayne frequently consults on violent crime cases under investigation.

Additionally, he maintains a private consulting and polygraph practice that specializes in violent crime analysis, threat analysis, polygraph practice, Wayne specializes in sex offender testing as part of a Legislative mandate requiring those individuals on sex offender probation/parole to be monitored through semi-annual polygraphs.  Wayne has been a polygraph examiner for the past 21 years and has conducted over 5,000 examinations, both civil and criminal, ranging from theft to homicide.  Moreover, he has testified as a polygraph expert over 35 times in both State and Federal Courts.

 One of the more notable assignments of Wayne's career was the Gainesville, Florida, serial homicides where he was designated as the task force profiler.  The eighteen-month investigation involved the killing of five students at the University of Florida within a 72-hour period and the triple homicide of a Shreveport, Louisiana, family.  Other notable assignments include the sexual sadist serial mutilation/homicides of six Northport, Florida, males, and the investigation of the quadruple workplace homicides case in Bartow, Florida.  Additionally, several of Wayne's criminal investigative analyses of homicide cases have received national attention through television's A&E Investigative Reports and Court TV.

Wayne Porter currently lectures to law enforcement officers and civilian personnel throughout North America.  He has also presented in the Netherlands and in London, England, at The New Scotland Yard.