ELLICOTT CITY, Md. — A few years ago, senior lecturer Samuel Handwerger at the University of Maryland Robert H. Smith School of Business spoke up at a faculty meeting simply to fill some awkward silence.
“I don't like them, probably more than the next person, so I spoke up,” he said.
They were seeking ways to get students interested and involved in forensic accounting.
That led to the creation of “The Justice for Fraud Victims Inc.” a non-profit that gives students hands-on, real-world experience investigating financial crimes.
The job can be tedious and labor-intensive, and sometimes governments can lack the resources needed to get the job done.
“The work that we do can get involved in the nitty-gritty and down in the dirt with these accounting entries and tracing the dollars,” Handwerger explained.
They work with Frederick and Prince George’s Counties. And now, with a new, recently signed memorandum of understanding, Howard County.
The students may be working on their hard skills, but Handwerger notes it was the soft skill of one former mock trial participant, Aadi Doshi, who connected the state's attorney's office with the JFV.
Deputy prosecutor Josh Felsen feels it was a no-brainer.
He recalls how when he switched from working on violent to financial crimes, it was like learning an entirely new language.
“That’s all that [the students] do. They speak that language every day,” Felsen said.
These cases can also be time-consuming, even with Howard County’s dedicated resources. It’s all about speeding up the process.
“We wanted to expedite these investigations, so that we could get justice for our fraud victims in the end,” Felsen said.
The partnership will operate on a case-by-case basis.
JFV also offers its services, pro bono, to individuals, businesses and non-profits.
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