A native of Enid, Oklahoma, Steve graduated from Enid High School in 1967.  He attended Oklahoma State University, then volunteered to serve with the United States Air Force in 1969.  He served in Okinawa and Korea and was honorably discharged in December 1972.  Steve attended the University of Central Oklahoma, graduating in 1977 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting. During his junior and senior years, Steve worked as a Special Agent Trainee with the Criminal Investigation Division of the Internal Revenue Service.

Upon graduation, Steve was commissioned as a Special Agent.  He trained at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Brunswick, Georgia and in Washington, D.C. Steve received advanced training in the areas of money laundering, asset seizure/forfeiture, undercover, firearms, and indirect methods of proof.  He is a certified classroom and firearms instructor and taught classes at the Center and in Washington, D.C.  He is an associate member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners and a member of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association and the Association of Former Special Agents.

During the course of his 24-year career as a financial investigator, Steve conducted criminal investigations of alleged tax evasion, money laundering and other financial crimes.  His investigations involved extensive analysis of personal and business records, tracing domestic and foreign financial transactions, and identifying concealed ownership in assets.  The financial activities Steve investigated involved fraud against the government, as well as fraud against businesses and individuals.  An integral part of his investigations included careful, probing interviews of usually reluctant third-party witnesses.

Steve prepared fully documented and exhibited reports recommending prosecution under specific federal statutes.  He worked closely with Assistant United States Attorneys in preparing for and presenting evidence at trial.  He testified at grand jury proceedings and as a witness in both civil and criminal proceedings in state and federal courts.  He was a "deep cover" long-term undercover agent for 6 years.

Steve served 7 years as a Supervisory Special Agent.  During that time, he established a multi-agency drug task force, eventually supervising a total of 21 officers and agents from federal, state and local agencies.  Steve served 3 years as a Senior Regional Analyst.  He held the position of Regional Undercover Program Manager, Mid-States Region, upon his retirement in January, 1999. During the last 3 months of his career, Steve was a national office senior analyst in the Special Investigative Techniques Branch at IRS headquarters in Washington, D.C.  In this capacity, Steve worked closely with Department of Justice and IRS Chief Counsel attorneys in the development, approval and review of highly sensitive undercover operations throughout the United States and overseas.

Steve and his wife Kathy, also an Enid native, moved to the Florida Keys upon his retirement in early 1999.  In May, 2001, Steve organized and managed the service department for a large boat dealership.  He was the general service manager when family considerations brought he and Kathy back to Enid in February, 2002.

Steve is a licensed private investigator in the State of Oklahoma.

(License #03UPI43315)