The National Computer Forensic Institute (NCFI) officially named Hall County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) Investigator Brett Roach a Top Forensic Examiner on Friday, Feb. 5, for his work in the year 2020. NCFI serves as the training center for the U.S. Secret Service (USSS).
USSS Atlanta Field Office Special Agent In Charge Steven Baisel and Assistant to the Special Agent In Charge Marc Debrody, CISM, presented Roach with the award at Sheriff’s Office Headquarters.
“I am honored to receive this award, and it is really a testament to the hard work of the entire agency,” Roach said. “The amount of dedication of the investigators with HCSO is clearly displayed in the amount of digital evidence recovered last year.”
Roach, who serves as a Digital Forensic Examiner with HCSO, conducted more than 350 examinations with over 40 terabytes of data recovered in 2020. In addition to his local digital forensics work, Roach serves as a Task Force Officer, or partner, attached to the USSS, a role he began in September of 2019.
His 2020 statistics put him in the top spot of all partners within the USSS Atlanta Field Office. The distinction places Roach 32nd in the U.S. among more than 2,000 partners.
“I’m extremely proud of Investigator Roach,” HCSO Criminal Investigations Captain Dale Long said. “He has always been our, ‘go-to individual,’ for technical assistance with electronic devices.”
Throughout his work in 2020, Roach also completed more than 240 hours of training in his field, the majority at NCFI in Hoover, Alabama.
“He volunteered for the Analyst Training Program knowing the time and effort it would take,” Long added.
And Roach’s effort is paying dividends beyond just statistics, according to Long.
“His work provides relief to fellow investigators who would otherwise wait weeks, if not months, for evidentiary data to return from analysis,” Long said. “We express our appreciation to the U.S. Secret Service for offering Investigator Roach the opportunity to attain this high level of training, and the equipment that goes with it, at no cost to Hall County citizens.”