Tim Sellers
Marty Duncan
Javier Pena
National Law Enforcement
Speakers Bureau, LLC
Gene Bachman
Mark Lucas
Dr. Harold Crossley
James Capra
Michael Grimes
Steven R. Peterson
Rodney Pierce
Instructors
Peter F. Boyce
Stephen Murphy
Stephen Murphy worked his up way from his start as a police officer in a small West Virginia town to the Deputy Assistant Administrator of the DEA. During his 37 years in law enforcement Steve was stationed all around the world, most notably as one of the two Americans present and involved in the hunt for the largest cocaine distributor in the world, Pablo Escobar. Murphy was present during the chase and eventual shooting resulting in the death of Escobar, and took all the photographs seen in the media following the event.
Instead of accepting that he would never again work a drug trafficking case the size and scope of Escobar's, Murphy continued to aggressively pursue local and international drug dealers just as he had pursued Escobar. His work ethic, conviction, integrity and character assisted him in climbing the ranks within DEA before his retirement in July 2013.
Murphy continues to serve in law enforcement roles, and lectures around the country on drug trafficking trends, security-related challenges and what it was like to pursue a criminal the magnitude of Escobar. He has appeared on a variety of television specials on Escobar’s death. Along with Javier Peña, he serves as a subject matter expert and senior consultant for the hit Netflix series Narcos.
Javier Peña retired in 2014 as the Special Agent in Charge (SAC) of the DEA Houston Field Division after 30 years of service with DEA.
In 1988, Peña volunteered for an assignment at the DEA office in Bogota, Colombia. Shortly thereafter, he was joined by partner Steve Murphy, and together they pursued the world's first narco-terrorist, Pablo Escobar. SAC Peña spent six years hunting Pablo, resulting in the final chase and shooting of Escobar in 1993.
During his DEA career, Peña was stationed all over the world, including in San Francisco, the Caribbean and elsewhere. Using his leadership and expertise in dismantling highly sophisticated criminal networks and organizations, Peña led and contributed to a large number of successful investigations in the war on drugs and narco-terrorism.
Peña is a subject matter expert on the Medellin Cartel and has delivered more than 100 presentations on the subject and related areas, including sharing rare photos of original events that were captured during the rise and fall of the Cartel. Along with Steve Murphy, he serves as a subject matter expert and senior consultant for the hit Netflix series Narcos.
At the time of his retirement, James Capra served nearly three years as the DEA Chief of Operations performing as the principal advisor to the DEA Administrator on all enforcement-related matters. In this role, he was also responsible for leading worldwide drug enforcement operations of the agency’s 227 domestic and 86 foreign offices, as well as the Special Operations Division, the Aviation Division, and the Office of Diversion Control. He began his 27.5-year federal law enforcement career with the DEA, in the New York Field Division (1987). As a field agent and a Group Supervisor, Mr. Capra served in the Los Angeles and New Jersey Field Divisions. In 1999, he was assigned to DEA Headquarters’ Office of Congressional and Public Affairs where he developed and maintained open lines of communication with the Congress, its committees, subcommittees and staff. In August of 2000, he advanced to the position of Executive Assistant to the Chief of Operations; in August 2002 he was appointed to the U.S. Senior Executive Service as Chief of Domestic Operations where he served as the principal advisor to DEA’s Chief of Operations and the Office of the Administrator on all operational and enforcement matters throughout the continental United States and its territories. In June 2004, he was selected to fill the position of Associate Special Agent in Charge of DEA’s Miami Field Division. In May 2006, he became Special Agent in Charge of the Dallas Field Division responsible for all enforcement and administrative operations conducted by DEA personnel assigned throughout the Northern and Eastern Districts of Texas and the State of Oklahoma. Most recently, August of 2012, Mr. Capra was selected by DEA Administrator Michele Leonhart to serve as DEA’s Chief of Operations in Arlington, Virginia. Prior to his law enforcement career, Mr. Capra served in the United States Navy, United States Navy Reserve, Air National Guard, and as a Military Intelligence Officer with the United States Army Reserve. Mr. Capra is also the author of “Leadership at the Front Line: Lessons learned from a Warrior and Public Servant”. Mr. Capra is an internationally recognized keynote speaker and instructor of leadership principle.
Steven R. Peterson had been a Special Agent (SA) of the United States Department of Justice, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for nearly three decades. At the time of his retirement in Charlotte, he was the most senior DEA street agent in the world. During this time SA Peterson has been stationed in Boston, New York, Atlanta, retiring in 2010. For over eleven years he had been the DEA Atlanta Field Division Training Coordinator (DTC), responsible for coordinating and conducting training to all DEA employees within the DEA Division, as well as Task Force Officers, State & Local Police Officers and civilians within Georgia, Tennessee and North & South Carolina. As a DEA DTC, SA Peterson has taught over 80,000 law enforcement officers, social workers, civilians and parents. Prior to training, as a street agent working undercover for over 17 years, SA Peterson received numerous awards and commendations, including two Administrator’s Awards for Group Achievement, fifteen Exceptional Performance Awards for performing duties above expectations during career with DEA, as well as over sixty-five awards from state and local law enforcement officers/agencies, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Drug Enforcement Officers Association in 2010. SA Peterson was appointed as Lead Investigator in the investigation of the murder of DEA SA Ray Stastny in 1987 in Atlanta by then United States Attorney, Robert Barr.
SA Peterson was a DEA Certified Firearms Instructor, Defensive Tactics Instructor, Tactical/Raids Instructor, Clan Lab Certified, a member of DEA’s Traumatic Incident Response Team, graduate from and later instructor for the DEA Instructor Development Course (IDC), a Georgia POST Certified Instructor, has a B.S. degree in Criminal Justice from Northeastern University in Boston, MA. SA Peterson served as the President of the National Drug Enforcement Officers Association (NDEOA) for three years, the longest term of any President in the NDEOA’s 41-year history. He was an adjunct instructor for the DEA Office of Training in Quantico, the DHS Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, GA, the North Carolina Justice Academy in Salemburg, NC and several colleges in NC. Currently, he is a full-time instructor at DHS’s Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Charleston, SC. Most importantly, he is the husband of a beautiful wife and father of three great daughters. In actuality, he’s just an ordinary guy battling the forces of evil in extraordinary ways.
DEA Supervisory Special Agent (retired) Timothy Sellers worked 33 years in law enforcement, is one of the most decorated agents in DEA and author of one of Amazon’s top selling books, “The Last Cowboy”. During his 26 years with DEA, he worked extensively in his Texas assignments in an undercover capacity, penetrating and dismantling large scale Mexican trafficking organizations. SSA Sellers still holds the DEA record for a hand-to-hand cocaine purchase from Mexican Cartel members, after purchasing and seizing 500 kilograms!
SSA Sellers completed his career with DEA in a Temporary Duty Assignment in Kabul, Afghanistan, where he initiated an investigation, which led to the arrest of fourteen Hizb-I Islam Gulbidden and Taliban terrorists. These terrorists claimed responsibility for the homicide bombing and murder of five Afghanistan National Directorate of Security (NDS) agents in late 2003. SA Sellers prevented a planned attack on U.S. and NATO forces by tackling a homicide bomber as he was boarding a bus loaded with innocent Afghans, blocks from US and NATO military headquarters, the Presidential Palace, and the American Embassy. SA Sellers sustained a fractured leg in the altercation, but still participated in the arrests of thirteen additional terrorists later that evening. Doubtless, many American, Allied, and Afghan lives were saved because of the apprehension of these perpetrators of heinous acts against the Afghan people, which in turn uplifted and renewed the Afghan’s support of the United States.
SSA Sellers also served as the Division Training Coordinator for DEA’s El Paso Division for two years, providing training to thousands of state and local law enforcement officers in Texas. He was a certified DEA Firearms Instructor, and a graduate of DEA’s Instructor Development Course, at the DEA Training Academy in Quantico, VA. SSA Sellers was awarded the United States Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Heroism, the DEA Administrator’s Award of Valor for Actions in Afghanistan, the DEA Administrator’s Award for Service at the Oklahoma City Bombing, and was nominated for a Service to America Medal for Counterterrorism. SSA Sellers retired from DEA in 2006, and has appeared with Sean Hannity on Fox News, MSNBC’s The Morning Meeting with Dylan Radigan, a variety of other cable and internet news stations and is an advisor to the Fox News Channel. He also runs a very successful real estate business in Texas.
Peter F. Boyce is a lawyer in private practice in the Atlanta area. For much of his career, Peter has counseled and defended police officers, their supervisors, their departments, and the governmental entity, which employs them when they are threatened with suit, or sued for allegations of wrongful conduct. As a nationally recognized speaker and instructor, in many aspects of police civil liability, Mr. Boyce has had the privilege and pleasure of making presentations to local, state, and federal law enforcement officers throughout the country on various liability issues associated with undercover drug enforcement work and a host of other topics directly related to police work.
Peter F. Boyce is a graduate of the United States Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration's Presentation Skills Course. In addition to his seminar presentations related to undercover buy-busts and the importance of training, he has made multiple presentations at the annual meeting of the Regional Organized Crime Information Center, as well as presentations related to police ethics, supervisory liability, street survival, profiling, street crimes, gangs, asset forfeiture, SWAT, and reacting to a critical incident. Since most of Mr. Boyce’s career has been devoted to representing, counseling, and advising police officers, he is able to bring to his presentations a “real life, on-the-street scenario” that street cops immediately understand and appreciate.
Peter F. Boyce regularly works with law enforcement agencies to tailor presentations to meet specific training needs. He is available to provide advice, consultation, representation, or referrals to police officers and their employing agencies when they confront the inevitable legal issues that too often frustrate effective policing. Mr. Boyce has had the pleasure of speaking to thousands of street level cops on issues related to buy-busts and the importance of training as an instructor for the DEA in its Basic Narcotic Investigative Schools across the country. He has also spoken to, and on behalf of, the Investigator’s Round table, the ROCIC, the Mid-West Counterdrug Training Center, and police departments and task forces throughout the country. Mr. Boyce is a member of the National Institute of Municipal Officers, the American Bar Association, the State Bar of Georgia, the Georgia Municipal Association, the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, and the Americans for Effective Law Enforcement, Inc. He has served as a city attorney for 20 years, a Special Assistant County Attorney for 13 years, and he has represented large metropolitan police departments, as well as small city police departments. Mr. Boyce is currently the General Counsel for the National Narcotic Officers’ Association Coalition.(NNOAC).
Rodney Pierce has been a Monroe (NC) Police Officer for fourteen years before reaching the rank of Captain. For over four years Rodney had been assigned to the DEA Charlotte Drug Task Force, working major Narcotic Trafficking Investigations, including wire taps, indoor Cannabis Cultivations, and Methamphetamine Clan Labs and Trafficking. For the past eleven years Rodney has been an instructor for the Carolina’s Institute for Community Policing , traveling around the southeast US teaching Police Officers. In 2006 he began an instructor for DEA, at all the DEA 2-Week Basic Narcotic Investigator Schools, conducted in DEA’s Atlanta Field Division. He is a graduate of DEA’s Instructor Development Course, at the DEA Training Academy in Quantico, VA and is a current Active Shooter Response Instructor. Rodney received his Associate Degree in Police Science from Central Piedmont Community College in 1989, and his Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Pfeiffer University in 2003. Rodney’s experience, and ability to draw upon a vast selection of real-life stories, makes his classes enjoyable, and thought provoking.
DEA Supervisory Special Agent (retired) Gene Bachman earned a Master of Science Degree in Education from the University of Southern Mississippi on a full scholarship for Varsity Football. Mr. Bachman was the elected Team Captain, and received every Defensive Player Award Offered by USM, as well as an honorable mention All American by UPI (United Press International).
SSA Bachman began his twenty-nine year career with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s predecessor agency, the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, in 1970. During his tenure with DEA, SSA Bachman was stationed in Jackson, MS; New Orleans, LO; Mobile, AL; Ft. Lauderdale, FL; Atlanta, GA; Knoxville, TN; and several tours of duty in Washington, DC. One of these tours was as the Chief Instructor in many Tactic-related courses and was appointed Acting Unit Chief over the Specialized Training Unit for one year. He currently holds a 3rd Degree Black Belt in Go-Ju Karate.
In July, 1987 SSA Bachman entered DEA’s volunteer operation, entitled “Operation Snowcap”, a Para-military operation in cocaine source countries of South America, with the objective of disrupting the flow of cocaine from source countries. This involved the locating and destruction of clandestine air strips used to fly the cocaine out of the jungles of Peru and Bolivia, to Colombia. During this time, SSA Bachman earned a Language Ability Level of 3 out of 5, in Spanish. As a pioneer, and Team Leader, SSA Bachman was called several times to testify before selected members of Congress, regarding “Operation Snowcap”. He continued deployments to South America for five years, and received DEA’s Highest Award (Administrator’s Award) for actions during “Operation Snowcap”.
SSA Bachman ended his career with DEA as the Resident Agent in Charge of DEA’s Knoxville Resident Office, in 1997. He continues to serve his community by volunteering with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and runs a working farm.
“Mike” Grimes is retired from 28 years service as a federal narcotics agent. He served with the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs and the successor agency, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. During his enforcement service Grimes served in the Washington, DC, and Wilmington, NC, offices with numerous TDY assignments in the United States and abroad before retiring as a Supervisory Special Agent (SSA) for DEA.
SSA Grimes, a leading expert in the field of informant development and control, is the author of “A Guide for Developing and Controlling Informants”, published by LawTech, Inc. He is President of Criminal Investigation Techniques, Inc., a consulting firm dedicated to protecting officers through risk assessment audits and establishing standards for informant handling. SSA Grimes is the author of numerous magazine articles dealing with informants.
During his career with DEA and since, SSA Grimes has been a primary instructor in federal, state, and local law enforcement academies, in informant handling, report writing, and conducting asset forfeiture investigations. He has also lectured extensively in community colleges and universities. He attended an FBI Instructor Seminar in Montgomery, Alabama. SSA Grimes has taught thousands of law enforcement officers and prosecuting attorneys in agencies nationwide, and has been a staple of the DEA Atlanta Field Division Training Unit’s programs since 1999, where he has received nothing but outstanding reviews.
Harold L. Crossley, DDS, PhD is Professor Emeritus at the University of Maryland Dental School (retired). A native of Rhode Island, Dr. Crossley received a Bachelor of Science degree in pharmacy from the University of Rhode Island in 1964. He later was awarded Master of Science (1970) and doctoral degrees (1972) in pharmacology. The University of Maryland Dental School in Baltimore awarded Dr. Crossley his DDS in 1980. His role as liaison between the classroom and his dental practice produced a practical approach to understanding the pharmacology of drugs used in the dental office.
Dr. Crossley has co-authored four books and a number of articles dealing with a variety of topics within the field of pharmacology. One of his books is required reading by every dental student at every dental college in America! Other areas of expertise include the pharmacology of street drugs and chemical dependency. Dr. Crossley serves on the Maryland State Dental Association’s Well-Being Committee, was a member of the University Interdisciplinary Committee for Drug Abuse Education, and served on the Governor’s Commission on Prescription Drug Abuse. He is an active member of Phi Kappa Phi, Omicron Kappa Upsilon Honorary Dental Society, the American College of Dentists, and International College of Dentists. He has been a consultant for the United States Drug Enforcement Administration since 1974. Drawing on this unique background, Dr. Crossley has become nationally and internationally recognized as an expert on street drugs and chemical dependency as well as clinical pharmacology.
Major “Marty” Duncan retired after serving over 26 years in state law enforcement and served the State of Florida in the follow positions:
Judicial Investigator for the 17th Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office in Broward County, Florida;
Contraband Interdiction Program Coordinator (Lieutenant) for the Florida Highway Patrol;
Chief Counter-drug Law Enforcement Liaison for the Florida Office of Drug Control;
Contraband Interdiction and Cargo Theft Commander for the Florida Department of Transportation Law Enforcement Division where he retired at the rank of Major;
Bureau Chief of Staff Development for the Florida Department of Corrections where he served as the Florida Corrections Academy Director and Commissioner in the Florida Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission.
Major Duncan holds a Master of Ministry, Bachelor of Biblical Studies, and Associate of General Education degrees. He is a graduate of the Florida Highway Patrol Training Academy, the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Management Fellows Program, and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration’s Drug Unit Commanders Academy.
Major Duncan is a certified law enforcement instructor and expert in areas of drug enforcement, and has delivered courses of instruction to thousands of officers, law enforcement executives and civic leaders across the United States, Puerto Rico, Trinidad, Bahamas, Virgin Islands, Mexico, Canada, and South Africa. Major Duncan is also the author of an interactive training CD entitled “Vehicle Stops: Drug Interdiction for Patrol”.
Major Duncan’s accolades include, the nationally distinguished, United States Drug Enforcement Administration, El Paso Intelligence Center, "Operation Pipeline/Convoy Instructor of the Year Award” and the “Director’s Award”. He also received two commendations from Florida Governor Jeb Bush for his distinguished service in the Florida Drug Control Strategy. Major Duncan is also an ordained minister and a certified Senior Level Chaplain in the International Conference of Police Chaplains.
Mark Lucas was an eleven-year veteran of the Memphis Police Department. Eight of those years he was a Narcotic Detective assigned to the Memphis Police Organized Crime Unit and DEA Task Force. While assigned to the special Organized Crime Unit, Det. Lucas trained newly assigned narcotic agents on how to conduct wiretaps, undercover operations, airport interdictions, surveillance techniques, and execution of search warrants. Det. Lucas has obtained numerous commendations throughout his law enforcement career.
After an outstanding Law Enforcement career, Mark became a Firearms training instructor for Glock inc., traveling throughout the United States teaching Law Enforcement classes for Glock Inc. He is a certified Glock Armorer and Firearms Instructor.
Mark is currently a Senior Corporate Security officer for a major US Airline. His assigned territory is the Caribbean and South American regions. His knowledge of airport/airline interdiction is unparalleled and his experience makes him an expert in international narcotic smuggling.