North American Human Trafficking Conference 2024
Investigating and prosecuting human trafficking cases are complex and require techniques that carefully balance public safety with the rights of victim-survivors. The commercial sex ecosystem thrives on an unrelenting demand, which fuels the supply and ultimately leads to the prolific distribution of victims. This conference will explore advanced human trafficking investigation and prosecution skills, which will aid in successful investigations and ultimately convictions.
AGENDA:
Wednesday, October 23rd 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
- Las Vegas Case Study
- Cyber Threat Awareness and Creative Strategies for Managing Risk
- Navigating the Resistance to do Trafficking Work
- Investigating International Human Trafficking Organizations: From Commercial Sex to Homicide, a case study presentation
- Intersection of Forced Marriage & Human Trafficking
- 10 Steps to a Human Trafficking Conviction
Thursday, October 24th 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
- Beyond the Façade: Unpacking Culture and Coercion in Illicit Massage Businesses
- The Four Corner Strategy for Dismantling Illicit Massage Businesses
- The Special Victims Methodology: How to Interview a Trafficking Victim
Friday, October 25th 8:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
- His Story & Wellness
- Spiritual Care & Trauma
- The Las Vegas Laundromat
Who Should Attend?
Law Enforcement Officers, Prosecutors, Advocates, and other Criminal Justice Professionals
Session Type:
In-Person Conference
Duration:
3 Days
Hotel Information:
Click here to reserve your room at the Flamingo Hotel, or call (888) 373-9855 to secure your reservation on the group block, and use the group "North American Human Trafficking Conference."
Please be aware, there is a processing fee if you call to make the reservation. Rooms must be reserved prior to October 1, 2024 to receive the group discount.
Discounted Rate of $79.00 at the Flamingo (rate does not include resort fees or taxes).
Cancellation Policy:
- Full refund available, 60+ days prior to the event.
- 50% refund available 59-30 days prior to the event.
- No refunds will be made 29 days prior to the event.
Call for Sponsors:
If your organization is interested in sponsoring our conference we are now accepting applications. Click here to review our sponsorship opportunities. Not seeing what you're looking for? Contact our team to discuss other sponsorship opportunities.
Presenters/Speakers
Dan Nash
Founder Human Trafficking Training Center
Dan Nash is the founder of the Human Trafficking Training Center and a retired Missouri State Trooper. Dan retired after 27 years, 24 of which was spent as an investigator in the Narcotics/Vice Unit, Criminal Investigation Unit and Human Trafficking Unit. Dan was responsible for creating the Human Trafficking Unit and was the enforcement supervisor of the Missouri Attorney General’s Office Statewide Anti-Human Trafficking Statewide Task Force. Dan has instructed over 12,000 officers in anti-human trafficking training in numerous states and internationally. Dan created the Special Victims Methodology for investigating human trafficking cases which is being used by many law enforcement agencies around the country and created the Four Corner Strategy which is the most successful strategy for investigating and dismantling Illicit Massge Businesses. Dan has spoken at many conferences on human trafficking and has approximately 17 years’ experience investigating human trafficking. In his spare time, Dan lives on a farm in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri and is an avid outdoorsman.
Imran Ali
Attorney, Senior Director of Training, Consulting and Investigation Services
Imran is a distinguished trial lawyer and shareholder at Eckberg Lammers, bringing two decades of legal expertise to his role as the Executive Director of Training, Consulting, and Investigation Services (LETAC). Imran's commitment extends beyond the courtroom, where he has successfully handled intricate cases, including homicide, sexual assault, and human trafficking. With a passion for victim advocacy, Imran has become a prominent figure in the criminal justice profession, training judges, law students, and thousands of law enforcement professionals nationwide. Recognized for his outstanding contributions, he was named Minnesota Attorney of the Year in 2016 and 2020, solidifying his reputation as a legal luminary dedicated to upholding justice with honor and integrity.
Mark Lanterman
Chief Technology Officer of Computer Forensic Services
Mark Lanterman is the Chief Technology Officer of Computer Forensic Services. Before entering the private sector, Mark was a sworn member of the U.S. Secret Service Electronic Crimes Taskforce. Mark has over 30 years of security and forensic experience and has testified in over 2000 cases.
Mark is faculty for the National Judicial College in Reno, Nevada, and has conducted training for members of the federal judiciary through the Federal Judicial Center in Washington, D.C. Mark is a professor in the cybersecurity program at the St. Thomas School of Law in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Mark has provided training in digital evidence, computer forensics and cyber security to the United States Supreme Court.
Mark completed his postgrad studies in cybersecurity at Harvard University and is certified as a Seized Computer Evidence Recovery Specialist (SCERS) by the Department of Homeland Security.
Mark is a member of the Sedona Conference steering committee on the use of Artificial Intelligence. Mark was recently appointed by the Arizona Supreme Court to the Court’s steering committee on the use of Artificial Intelligence.
Ryann Jorban
Attorney
Ryann Gerber Jorban was born and raised in Los Angeles. She got her undergraduate degree in Sociology at the University of California, Riverside and her law degree at the University of Michigan Law School. She literally has spent her entire educational journey wearing Blue and Gold!
She joined the LA County District Attorney’s Office in 1998. Most of her career has been spent prosecuting violent crimes against the most vulnerable members of our society, including children, the elderly, people with physical and developmental disabilities, and individuals being abused by their significant others or family members.
In 2020 she was named the Deputy in Charge of the Economic Justice and Notario Fraud Unit of the Consumer Protection Division where she pursues criminals who prey on our most vulnerable consumers including the elderly, disabled, recent immigrants, and others who are frequent targets for consumer related crimes.
In 2022 she helped create the Consumer Protection Division’s new Labor Justice Unit where she also serves as the Deputy in Charge. The Unit focuses on the systematic theft of wages and labor exploitation of the most vulnerable workers in LA County through prosecution and collaboration with other organizations and agencies working in this area.
Ryann is recognized as an expert in the prosecution of labor exploitation and criminal fraud exploitation of vulnerable communities and provides training on these issues across the state and nation. She also leads several statewide and nationwide working groups and taskforces working in these two areas of expertise.
Mark Jenkins
Sergeant Merced Police Department
Mark Jenkins has been a Sergeant with the Merced Police Department in Central California for 5 years before being assigned as the Chief of police for Merced Community College. He is a 24-year veteran with extensive experience working with diverse communities. He has worked diligently to protect youth and adults against human trafficking and other forms of crime. Mark has identified and connected multiple human trafficking survivors to essential resources and supported them throughout the criminal justice process to ensure survivors receive comprehensive trauma-informed services. He has taught human trafficking prevention education to thousands of high school students and coordinated dozens of human trafficking operations, resulting in the identification of victims and the arrests of traffickers. He has also trained officers in Verbal Judo, hosted self-defense seminars for women, overseen the Volunteer in Police Service Program and managed Explorers. He has been recognized as Officer of the Year by City leadership and is respected by elders from various communities. Mark holds a master’s degree in business management, and he strives to teach other officers the importance of building bridges with diverse communities and the value of being culturally aware.
Kathy Chen
Kathy Chen is a highly respected subject matter expert with extensive experience combatting human trafficking and exploitation. Her focus is on understanding the intricate operations of illicit massage businesses in the United States and assisting law enforcement in dismantling these networks nationwide.
Chen's dedication to ending human trafficking and exploitation is evident in her career. She currently serves as the Special Population Anti-Trafficking Specialist at the Ohio Criminal Justice Services, previously working in DC, and her experience serving as the executive director of Asian American Community Services in Columbus, Ohio, she has dedicated her service at the national and local levels.
With a Master of Science in Psychology specializing in Forensics, Chen completed her fellowship in the Human Trafficking Leadership Academy, sponsored by the US Department of Health and Human Services' Office on Trafficking in Persons and the Office on Women's Health. Through this program, she and her peers devised strategies for addressing institutional inequities and improving access to services for survivors of human trafficking and marginalized communities.
Drawing from her own immigrant background, Chen possesses a deep understanding of the cultural intricacies surrounding trafficking and exploitation. She adopts a trauma-informed approach and practices cultural humility in all her endeavors. With over fifteen years of experience aiding women impacted by trafficking and exploitation in the illicit massage industry, Chen utilizes a storytelling model to empower victims to share their paths to recovery.
Gameelah Mohamed
Victim Advocate
Gameelah is a passionate advocate in the anti-human trafficking world, drawing from her experiences. She has dedicated her career to aiding survivors of all ages, backgrounds, and ethnicities. Gameelah has played a significant role in founding a coalition against human trafficking, organizing numerous awareness events, and delivering over 200 impactful presentations to diverse audiences, including law enforcement, firefighters, social workers, community members, and high school students.
Gameelah's relentless efforts have made a difference in the lives of survivors and have had a lasting impact on her community. Her work enabled her former agency to secure an incredibly competitive grant, to establish a comprehensive program supporting survivors. Her close collaboration with Merced PD helped secure an office within the police department, ensuring seamless access to advocacy services, including creating a trauma-informed interview room. She has been instrumental in fostering trust between law enforcement and the community.
Continuing her advocacy, Gameelah focuses on raising awareness about human trafficking, crime victims' rights, and forced child marriage. She remains a trusted resource for law enforcement and community members, offering assistance as needed. Her efforts have been recognized by community leaders, and elected officials. Gameelah recently founded her own nonprofit, Freedom Oasis Inc. to continue her advocacy work.
Paul Kroshus
Detective
Detective Paul Kroshus completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology/Criminal Justice from the University of Wisconsin, River Falls. Detective Kroshus is a license Police Officer in the State of Minnesota and has served with the Woodbury Police Department since 2001. Detective Kroshus also served as a licensed Police Officer in the State of Wisconsin from 1999-2001. Detective Kroshus has served as an Investigator since 2009 with various investigative responsibilities and experiences. Detective Kroshus has over 15 years of experience in reactive and proactive investigations for various types of crimes to include homicide, robbery, burglary, theft, narcotics, prostitution, problem property, retail interdiction, hotel interdiction, digital forensics, human trafficking, and organized crime. Detective Kroshus served as a Narcotics and VICE detective as a member of the Washington County Narcotics Task Force for between 2009-2014. Detective Kroshus served on the Woodbury Police Department’s Special Investigations Unit in 2014 with a focus on proactive and covert investigations. In 2016 Detective Kroshus focused his investigative efforts into Human Trafficking and was a member of the East Metro Human Trafficking Task Force between 2018-2023. Detective Kroshus is currently a member of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehensions Human Trafficking Investigators Task Force where he has served since 2023.
Chris Keegan
Attorney
Chris Keegan is the assistant section chief over the Georgia Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit. Georgia’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit was founded in 2019 to investigate, arrest, and prosecute offenders while rescuing victims of sex trafficking.
Chris earned his law degree from the University of Georgia School of Law in 2016. While in law school Chris interned with the Cobb County District Attorney’s Office, where he assisted in the prosecution of the Justin Ross Harris murder trial. As a result of his hard work at Cobb County, Chris was named the most outstanding Prosecution Student for the University of Georgia School of Law’s Class of 2016.
After law school, Chris served as an Assistant District Attorney in the Coweta Judicial Circuit, eventually specializing as the county’s gang and organized crime prosecutor. While with the Coweta Judicial Circuit, Chris obtained convictions on cases including murder, gang charges, child molestation, rape, child pornography, and domestic violence charges. Chris joined the Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit in February of 2023 where he helps oversee a team dedicated to the prosecution of domestic minor sex trafficking.
Tena Riley
Lake Area Human Trafficking Taskforce Coordinator and Camden County Grant Manager
Tena is currently the Coordinator for the Lake Area Human Trafficking Taskforce at the Lake of the Ozarks. She is also the Grant Manager for a Discretionary Grant under DOJ/OVC designated to combat Human Trafficking and Organized Crime. Before her current position, she worked as a Crime Victim Advocate at the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office. However, the bulk of her professional career has been spent with the Missouri Division of Probation and Parole. In 1992, she began as an officer, then was promoted to Unit Supervisor, promoted again ultimately spending the last 19 years of her 28-year career as a District Administrator. During her last years in Probation and Parole, she received training that sparked her interest in Human Trafficking. She was privileged to have become a liaison between the Missouri Highway Patrol’s Human Trafficking Unit and Missouri Probation and Parole. In 2021, she was named a Probation and Parole Human Trafficking Hero by MCA/MPPOA. Tena continues to be passionate about training Probation and Parole Professionals to combat Human Trafficking.
Hosts
Sponsors
LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAINING ACADEMY & CONSULTING
This course is offered and conducted by Eckberg Lammers’ Law Enforcement Training Academy & Consulting team of experienced trainers and consultants. Information provided in these trainings does not constitute or contain legal advice, nor do they establish and attorney-client relationship.