Forensic Assurance Team

Brandon Giroux

President / Records and Receiving Officer

Brandon Giroux has a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry from the University of Michigan, and a Master of Science degree in Forensic Science from the University of Illinois at Chicago.  He began his forensic science career in 2004 at the FBI Laboratory, Quantico, VA where he became a court-qualified expert in the forensic firearm and tool mark identification discipline.  In the fall of 2009, Mr. Giroux accepted a position as a Laboratory Manager at the Michigan State Police (MSP) Northville Laboratory.  Mr. Giroux left the MSP in the summer of 2012 to launch Forensic Assurance, and he is currently involved as a private consultant for forensic firearm and tool mark cases.  He has participated in numerous committees and boards, including the Scientific Working Group for Firearms and Tool Marks (SWGGUN), the Standards, Practices and Protocols Interagency Working Group (SPPIWG), the NIST Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC), and is a past President of the Association for Firearm and Tool Mark Examiners (AFTE).

Katherine Richert

Contracts Officer / Subject Matter Expert – Tool Mark Identification

Katherine T. Richert earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology/Chemistry from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 1992. She was employed with the University of Alabama at Birmingham Immunogenetics DNA Diagnostics Laboratory until 1994.  She began her employment with the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences in the Firearms Section in 1996. During her employment with the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences, she has served as the Statewide Technical Leader for the Firearms/Tool Marks discipline, the Section Chief of the Montgomery Firearms/Tool Marks unit and currently holds the position of Laboratory Director for the Montgomery Regional Laboratory. She has been active in the forensic community, serving as chair of the Bylaws and Nominating committee for the Association of Firearm and Tool Mark Examiners, and is a past President of AFTE.  In addition, she has been a board member of the Scientific Working Group for Firearms and Toolmarks (SWGGUN) since 2006 and serves as the ASCLD representative for SWGGUN. She is a member of the Delegate Assembly of the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors/Laboratory Accreditation Board.  Ms. Richert is an instructor for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) National Firearms Examiner Academy (NFEA).

Brett Sojda

Development and Delivery Officer / Subject Matter Expert – Firearms Identification

Brett Sojda has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Honors Criminology from the University of Windsor, Ontario, Canada and a Master of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan.  Mr. Sojda worked for nearly 15 years with the Michigan State Police where he held the ranks of Trooper, Specialist Trooper, Specialist Sergeant, and Detective Lieutenant.  Over half of Mr. Sojda’s career with the Michigan State Police was spent in the Forensic Science Division where he worked as a court qualified firearm and toolmark examiner.  Mr. Sojda has been an adjunct faculty member at Wayne State University, Oakland Community College and Macomb Community College teaching courses such as Firearms, Ballistics and Explosives and Introduction to Forensic Science. Mr. Sojda is currently a member of the Association of Firearms and Toolmark Examiners (AFTE) and the American Academy of Forensic Science (AAFS).

Brandon Good

Subject Matter Expert – Forensic Biology, Forensic DNA and Body Fluid Identification

Brandon Good graduated from Madonna University with a Bachelors of Science Degree majoring in Forensic Science. Upon graduation in 2006 he began his career with the Michigan State Police as a Forensic Technician in the Biology Unit. Soon after, Brandon was promoted to a Forensic Scientist in the Biology Unit and has since been qualified in numerous courts as an expert in Body Fluid Identification, DNA analysis, and Bloodstain Pattern Interpretation. In April of 2013 he was promoted to the position of Lab Manager in the Biology Unit of the Michigan State Police Northville Crime Laboratory. Brandon is an Associate Member of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and a Regular Member of the Midwestern Association of Forensic Scientists. Brandon served on the Training and Education Committee of the Midwestern Association of Forensic Scientists for two years and was awarded the New Scientist of the Year award in 2012 from the Midwestern Association of Forensic Scientists.

Tracee McIntosh

Subject Matter Expert – Fingerprint Identification

Tracee McIntosh has a Bachelor of Science degree in Forensic Science from Michigan State University.  She began her career at the City of Wyoming, Michigan, as a Crime Scene Technician and Fingerprint examiner in 1995.  In 2001, Ms. McIntosh accepted a position as a Forensic Scientist with the Michigan State Police, assigned to the Latent Print Unit at the Sterling Heights Crime Laboratory and has been qualified as an expert in District, Circuit, and Federal courts.  In 2009 she was promoted to Laboratory Manager of the Latent Print Unit at the Michigan State Police Northville Laboratory.  She was promoted to Latent Print Technical Leader in 2013.  In that capacity, Ms. McIntosh is responsible for audits and quality control in the Latent Print Units of the seven Michigan State Police Crime Laboratories as well as maintaining her position as Laboratory Manager of her unit at the Northville Laboratory. She has been Chairman of DART (Disaster Assistance Recovery Team), which is part of the State of Michigan’s Emergency Response plan, since 2010.  She has taught crime scene courses at two community colleges and teaches at the Macomb Community College Police Academy.  She was a voting member of the American Society for Testing and Materials for several years and has been a member of the International Association of Identification since 1997.

Derek Knoll

Subject Matter Expert – Controlled Substances Analysis

Derek Knoll has a Bachelor of Science degree in Forensic Science from Michigan State University. He began his career at the Louisiana State Police Crime Laboratory, as a Forensic Scientist in the Drug Analysis Unit in 1996. In 2001, Mr. Knoll accepted a position as a Forensic Scientist with the Michigan State Police, assigned to the Controlled Substances Unit at the Sterling Heights Crime Laboratory and has been qualified as an expert in District, Circuit, and Federal courts. In 2002 he was promoted to Laboratory Manager of the Controlled Substances Unit at the Michigan State Police Sterling Heights Laboratory. He has taught expert witness courses for the Michigan State Police Forensic Science Division and is a member of the Midwestern Association of Forensic Scientists (MAFS).

Michael Kusluski

Subject Matter Expert – Bloodstain Pattern Analysis

Mike Kusluski is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Forensic Science Program at Pennsylvania State University. He received his B.S. in Applied Physics from Wayne State University and a Master of Forensic Sciences degree from George Washington University. His forensic laboratory career with the Michigan State Police, Detroit Police Department and Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation includes experience in Firearms & Tool Marks Examination, Bloodstain Pattern Analysis, Controlled Substances Analysis and Crime Scene Investigation. He was also an adjunct faculty member of Wayne State University, teaching forensic science courses for 16 years. He is a member of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) and the International Association of Bloodstain Pattern Analysts (IABPA) as well as a Diplomate of the American Board of Criminalistics (D-ABC).