In Memoriam: Joseph W. Koletar, DPA, CFE, and three members join ACFE Board of Regents for 2024-2025

In Memoriam: Joseph W. Koletar, DPA, CFE

Joseph W. Koletar, DPA, CFE, passed away on Nov. 24, 2023. The former FBI agent and member of the ACFE Board of Regents is remembered for his remarkable strength and courage.

Koletar was born in Pennsylvania. He earned a bachelor of arts degree from Pennsylvania State University, a master of science in industrial administration from George Washington University, and a master and doctor of public administration from the University of Southern California. He was an intelligence officer in the U.S. Army Special Security Group and served as a special agent and senior executive in the FBI for 25 years. While in the FBI, he was a special agent in charge, inspector, section chief and national program manager for the Witness Protection Program.

“I’d known Joe Koletar for nearly five decades, having met when we were both FBI agents in Manhattan,” says ACFE founder and Chairman Dr. Joseph T. Wells, CFE, CPA. “Mr. Koletar’s reputation for tenacity was unsurpassed. At the time, he was on the Fugitive Squad, where his conquests were the stuff of legends. Whether it was a dangerous fugitive or a Top Ten criminal on the FBI’s ‘Most Wanted List,’ Koletar’s name was called by his superiors more often than any other agent I knew.”

After retiring from the FBI, Koletar led the fraud and investigation practices for Ernst & Young LLP and Deloitte & Touche. He managed and directed corporate investigations in all major industry sectors. He also served as chair of the ACFE Board of Regents for a year.

Mr. Koletar’s reputation for tenacity was unsurpassed... where his conquests were the stuff of legends...

“After his retirement from the FBI, Mr. Koletar was a formidable force in the private sector and was even elected to serve on the ACFE’s Board of Regents — the highest honor our members can bestow on a fellow fraud fighter,” says Dr. Wells.

Koletar authored four books and wrote extensively on fraud-related topics for professional journals. He was also a guest lecturer for universities across the U.S. and abroad. Koletar was active in military charities and a member of many fraternal societies.

Joe Koletar is survived by his wife, Martha McKee Koletar, his daughter, Lauren Koletar Duhon, and his two granddaughters, Clary and Tate Duhon.

“In every way, Joseph W. Koletar was outstanding and will be sorely missed,” says Dr. Wells. “I am proud to have called him my friend.”

Three members join ACFE Board of Regents for 2024-2025

CFEs elected three new members to the 2024-2025 ACFE Board of Regents. Kimberly A. Howell, CFE; Maheswari G. Kanniah, CFE; and Robert J. Smolich, CFE, took their oaths of office in February.

“Kimberly, Mahes and Bob all boast outstanding credentials as CFEs and leaders in the anti-fraud industry,” says ACFE Chief Executive Officer John Warren, J.D., CFE. “We’re very excited to have them bring their knowledge and expertise to the Board.”

The new Regents replaced retiring members Wendy Evans, CFE; Collins Wanderi, CFE; and Chrysti Ziegler, CFE.

“Chrysti, Wendy and Collins have been outstanding examples of what it means to be an ACFE Regent,” says Warren. “They have conscientiously represented the global membership, improved the standards that guide our profession and been a pleasure to work with. We’re so grateful to them for their service, and we know each of them will continue to be leaders in our profession.”

Kimberly A. Howell, CFE

Kimberly Howell, CFE, is the inspector general (IG) for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). Howell was appointed by the CBP’s board of directors in 2019 to provide independent oversight and conduct audits, evaluations and investigations of CPB funding, programs, operations and initiatives.

Before joining the CPB, Howell worked in federal law enforcement for 25 years, conducting and leading nationwide health care, grant, procurement, counterfeit and intellectual property fraud investigations. In 2011, she joined the Senior Executive Service and led compliance and oversight efforts and worked with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies on various initiatives.

The governor of Maryland appointed Howell to the Maryland Commission on Judicial Disabilities in 2018. She’s also an adjunct associate professor with the University of Maryland Global Campus’s criminal justice program, and has a master’s degree in public administration.

Maheswari Kanniah, CFE

Maheswari Kanniah, CFE, is the executive director and group chief regulatory and compliance officer for Kenanga Investment Group. Kanniah has a 44-year career in the financial-services sector with expertise in compliance, governance, ethics, financial crime and risk management.

Kanniah was instrumental in forming the ACFE’s partnership with Kenanga, the first corporate entity in Southeast Asia to join the Corporate Alliance program. In 2023, she received the Outstanding Achievement in Outreach and Community Service award from the ACFE, and was the first Asian to receive this recognition.

As past chair of the Compliance Committee with the Malaysian Investment Banking Association, Kanniah spearheaded various consultations with the securities commission, stock exchange and Central Bank of Malaysia for regulatory changes. She currently serves on the board of the Institute of Corporate Directors Malaysia.

Robert J. Smolich, CFE

Robert Smolich, CFE, has over 22 years of U.S. military and civilian law enforcement experience. He’s currently the assistant inspector general for investigations of the U.S. State Department’s Office of the Inspector General where he leads a 69-person office in charge of  overseeing criminal, civil and administrative violations affecting State Department programs and operations, including the U.S. Agency for Global Media and the U.S. Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission.

Smolich is also an Air Force Reserve Colonel (special agent) with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. He serves as the individual mobilization augmentee to the Commander, Field Investigations Region 2 (Air Combat Command), where, when in status, he leads 30 offices that conduct investigative, counterintelligence, and force protection support for the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force in the U.S., South America, Middle East, Europe and Africa.

He’s active with the ACFE’s Law Enforcement and Government Alliance program, routinely participates on ACFE’s Executive Roundtable and serves on the ACFE Board of Regents Advisory Working Group.

ACFE Board of Regents disciplines two members

The ACFE Board of Regents voted to revoke the CFE credential of Tanisha Dunn of Stafford, Virginia, and to permanently expel her from the ACFE. The Board found that Dunn violated two of her employers’ outside employment policies in violation of Article II of the ACFE Code of Professional Ethics and Section 5.07(D) of the ACFE Bylaws, and that she failed to fully cooperate with the ACFE’s disciplinary investigation.

The Board of Regents also voted to suspend Musomi Maira of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, from the ACFE for two years. The Board found that Maira engaged in unprofessional conduct in violation of Article I of the ACFE Code of Professional Ethics when he terminated a fraud investigation without delivering a report to his client or, alternatively, refunding the client’s fee as promised. The Board also found that Maira failed to submit a formal response to the ACFE’s complaint.

Reporting disciplinary cases

If you believe an ACFE member has violated the ACFE rules of conduct, you may report directly to the ACFE Legal Department at Legal@ACFE.com. The ACFE also maintains an anonymous hotline. For more information, visit ACFE.com/disciplinary.