Speaker profiles

Detective Superintendent Brian Hay
Queensland Police Service

Detective Superintendent Brian Hay has been a member of the Queensland Police Service for 26 years.  Since 2004, Mr. Hay had extensively worked in the area of fraud and corporate crime and at present has principal responsibility for the management and direction of the Fraud & Corporate Crime Group, including:

• Major Fraud Investigation Teams
• Identity Crime Unit;
• Arson Unit;
• Computer Crime Investigation Unit;
• Forensic Computer Examination Unit;
• Proceeds of Crime Unit;
• Case Evaluation Unit;
• Operation Copra (joint initiative with Qld. Department of Transport)
• Training, Development & Fraud Prevention Unit; and
• Fraud and Corporate Crime Intelligence Cell

In 2004 Mr. Hay was in charge of the Complex Investigation Unit (Public Sector Fraud & Corruption) with the Queensland Crime and Misconduct Commission. 

Mr. Hay has previously been an investigator with the Fitzgerald Commission of Inquiry, Carter Inquiry into Drugs &  Corruption, Joint Organised Crime Task Force – Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs, Ethical Standards Command, has regional Criminal Investigation experience, performed duties at the State Drug Squad, Sexual Offences Squad and has served as the Queensland Police Service Risk Management Coordinator.  

In 2006 Mr. Hay completed a Masters in Public Policy and Administration.

Detective Sergeant Brendan ROOK
Queensland Police Service

Fraud and Corporate Crime Group, Brisbane

Detective Sergeant Brendan Rook has spend over 17 years of his 20 years with the Queensland Police Service in various plain clothes roles including Property Crime and Drug Group, Homicide Squad, Sex Crimes Investigation Unit, Arson Squad, Major Crime Squad, Casino Crime Squad, Break and  Enter Task Force, Gold Coast Criminal Investigation Branch and secondments to the Australian Crime Commission, Office of Fair Trading and the Treasury Department.

Brendan has been the recipient of the Assistant Commissioners Certificate and the Australian Crime Commission CEO Certificate of Appreciation regarding drug investigations.

Detective Senior Sergeant David Lewis
Queensland Police Service

David was sworn into the Queensland Police Service in 1986. He has served in operation postings in Brisbane including general duties Upper Mount Gravatt , Juvenile Aid Bureau,  Upper Mount Gravatt CIB, Property Crime Squad, Covert and Surveillance Unit, Homicide Investigation Group, Prostitution Enforcement Task Force and the Fraud and Corporate Crime Group.

In 2003 David was selected to take charge of the newly formed Queensland Identity Crime Unit designed to tackle the growing crimes of identity theft and card skimming.

David is currently in charge of the Identity Crime Unit and the Computer Crime Investigation Unit.

Special Agent Zach Bulliner
USSS / Criminal Intelligence Section

Special Agent Zach Bulliner graduated college from Lipscomb University in Nashville, TN in 1997 (History major).  Zach received his masters in history from Pepperdine University in Malibu, CA in 2001. 

Zach was hired by the Secret Service in 2003 and started in the Nashville Field Office.  From 2004 to 2008 Zach was one of three agents who ran an online undercover operation called Operation Trojan Horse.  Their operation targeted the carding websites focusing mainly on credit card fraud and other financial crime. 

In February 2008 Zach was transferred to Secret Service Headquarters in Washington DC to be part of a newly assembled cyber crime team focussing largely on international targets involved in carding, hacking or other means of financial crime.

Acting Senior Sergeant Peter Kingsley
Queensland Police Service

Peter Kingsley is an Acting Senior Sergeant with 25 years service with the Queensland Police. Prior to joining the Forensic Computer Examination Unit (FCEU) in late 1998 he was a Police Prosecutor and had served in various general duties areas.

He is currently the senior police computer examiner and the operations manager of the FCEU. He is certified by the International Association of Computer Investigative Specialists (IACIS) as an Electronic Evidence Collection Specialist, Certified Forensic Computer Examiner and a Certified Forensic Computer Trainer. He holds an Advanced Diploma in Information Technology and is the Queensland Police Service’s representative on the Electronic Evidence Specialist Advisory Group to the National Institute of Forensic Science. He has conducted hundreds of computer examinations for various criminal matters and has presented expert evidence in Queensland Magistrates and Superior Courts as well as Australian Federal and New Zealand Courts. 

Detective Sergeant Steve Bignell
Queensland Police Service

Detective Sergeant Steve Bignell is currently the Officer in Charge of the Computer Crime Investigation Unit, a position which he has held for the past 18 months.  Mr. Bignell has been a sworn member of the Queensland Police Service since 1983 commencing duties within the Criminal Investigation area in 1987.  During his plain clothes career Mr. Bignell performed duties in the State Drug Squad, and Auto Theft Unit before performing duties at a number of busy Regional Criminal Investigation Offices.  In 1995 Mr Bignell was promoted to the rank of Detective Sergeant and was transferred to the now State Crime Operations Command where he has since performed duties as a Senior Investigator within a number of specialised units.  These include: the Special Operations Task Force, Child & Sexual Assault Investigation Unit, Proceeds of Crime Unit, and the Fraud and Corporate Crime Group.

Mr. Bignell has extensive experience in the investigation of a wide variety of Criminal Investigations. 

Detective Senior Constable Antony Foster
Queensland Police Service

During 1985 - 1986 – Antony studied computer science at James Cook University

In 1987 Antony joined the Queensland Police Service.

During 1988 – 2004 Antony performed General duties in various locations, including: Cairns, Longreach, Mareeba and the Traffic Branch at Atherton.

During 1995 – 2006 Antony was a Detective at State Crime Operations Command in the Fraud Squad, Major Crime Squad, Child Abuse Squad, Property Crime Squad, Corrective Services Investigation Unit, Drug Squad and Queensland Crime Commission.

Between July 2001 – July 2006 Antony was a leading investigator at the Computer Crime Investigation Unit specialising in hacking investigations.  He is the author and presenter of QPS “Computer Crime Investigation” lecture presented during detective and intelligence officer training.

From August 2006 until present Antony has been a Forensic Computer Analyst at the Forensic Computer Examination Unit

Detective Senior Constable Rodney Shelton
Queensland Police Service

Rod joined the Queensland Police Service in 1994 after being a teacher for 17 years.

Since joining, Rod has served in general duties in Ipswich and Goodna until 1998 when he commenced duty as an investigator at State Crime Operations in Brisbane.

Rod has served in the Drug Squad, the Child Abuse Unit, the Organised Crime Unit and the Property Crime Squad.  He has also served in the Fraud and Corporate Crime Group for 5 years as a Detective Senior Constable and now specialises in fraud prevention.

Detective Senior Constable Michelle Cavanagh
Queensland Police Service

Michelle Cavanagh is a Detective Senior Constable with the Queensland Police Service.  Detective Cavanagh has a Bachelor of Applied Science in Mathematics from Queensland University of Technology.  After graduating from the Police Academy in August in 1998, Detective Cavanagh spent the first 4 years performing general duties in the Oxley district.

In April 2002, Detective Cavanagh transferred to State Crime Operations Command where she has performed duties at the State Drug Investigation Group, Sexual Crimes Investigation Unit, State Property Investigation Group and State Flying Squad with brief secondments to regional CIB’s at Oxley and Dutton Park.

Detective Cavanagh has been at the Computer Crime Investigation Unit since September 2006.

Detective Senior Constable Graeme Edwards
Queensland Police Service

Detective Senior Constable Graeme Edwards is an investigator in the Computer Crime Investigation Unit in Brisbane. During the past two years, he has conducted numerous investigations into advance fee scams originating in West Africa which have targeted Queensland residents.

Mr. Edwards has been a member of the Queensland Police Service since March 1999, having previously been a Detective in the New Zealand Police Service. He has extensive experience in investigations involving corporate fraud and computer crime.

Mr. Edwards has completed a Bachelor of Business Studies (Information Technology) and is a Certified Fraud Examiner as recognised by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. 

Detective Senior Constable Brendan Read
Queensland Police Service

Detective Senior Constable Brendan Read is an investigator in the Computer Crime Unit and has previously worked in regional Criminal Investigation Branch offices.

Detective Read has been involved in joint operations with the Economic Financial Crimes Commission in Nigeria and the United States Secret Service which has resulted in numerous arrests both in Australia and overseas.

Detective Read is currently completing his Masters in Information Technology at Queensland University of Technology majoring in computer security in web development.