SERVICES OFFERED BY RMCF
Historical Call Detail Records Analysis
Rocky Mountain Computer Forensics (RMCF) uses specialized software to plot and analyze cell phone records; also known as call detail records (CDRs). Mark Pfoff is a court qualified expert in not only CDR analysis, but cellular technology and location data to include Real Time Tool (RTT), Timing Advance AKA Truecall, and NELOS (also known as Historical Precision Location Information).
He can explain the data and how cell phones work within the network. Mark was a computer engineer who worked for a phone company for many years prior to joining law enforcement.
If you need an expert to analyze CDRs; get one who understands cellular technology, how law enforcement works, and can explain it to you and a jury.
Cell Phone Forensics & Technology
Mark Pfoff is a court qualified expert in cell phone forensics and forensic cellular technology
Cell phones are more than wireless phones; they contain detailed information concerning the user to include call logs, contacts, text messages, emails, photographs, videos, calendar entries, GPS apps, social media, and a wide range of potential data from other apps installed on the phone.
Mark Pfoff has performed forensic examinations on more than 300 mobile devices of various makes and models to include iPhones and smart phones. He is experienced in examining, documenting, and testify in court as an expert witness in cellular forensics and technology.
Phone Records – While working as a detective, Mark wrote many search warrants and court orders for phone records. He is knowledgeable in the proper wording required to obtain phone records (cellular and land lines) and is experienced in reviewing Call Detail Records (CDRs). He has reviewed millions of CDRs and testified many times in court concerning CDRs, NELOS (location data by AT&T) and cellular technology.
RMCF has a consultant on staff who is a Cellebrite Certified Operator and Physical Analyst.
We use Cellebrite to preserve and examine mobile devices. We can import data from a Cellebrite UFED file. We have experience with Cellebrite; which is widely used by Law Enforcement (LE) for cell phone data extraction. This allows us to review the actual evidence extracted by LE.
With cell phones becoming vital pieces of evidence in many criminal and civil cases; Rocky Mountain Computer Forensics has become experts in preserving, examining and ultimately testifying in court about cell phone evidence.
Mark Pfoff is on the Colorado Alternate Defense Counsel’s list of approved Experts
Computer Forensics
Computer forensics is critical in many criminal and civil cases. Information contained within a computer’s hard drive can provide a wealth of information and most likely the best insights about its owner/user. Whether a criminal or civil case, this information needs be obtained in an environment to preserve the integrity of the evidence. Rocky Mountain Computer Forensics uses specialized hardware to “write block” the hard drives being examined and software specifically designed for discovering and recovering digital evidence, to include deleted files. This software also allows for “keyword” searches of digital evidence.
Mark Pfoff, a court qualified expert in Computer Forensics, has examined hundreds of hard drives as well as thousands of items of digital media. He has many hours of experience searching for items of evidence, documenting the results and ultimately testifying in court as to his findings. He has experience examining both Microsoft and Apple OS based systems.
John San Agustin and Ryan Harris are on the Colorado Alternate Defense Counsel’s list of approved Experts
Expert Courtroom Testimony
When you go to trial you want the best informative testimony from your expert witnesses. Mark Pfoff is not a cop who was trained in computers. He is a computer engineer of 20 years who became a Detective and trained in digital forensics. Mark can not only talk forensics, he can explain it in such a way everyone will understand it. He has, on numerous occasions, provided court qualified expert testimony. Rocky Mountain Computer Forensics is located in Colorado Springs, Colorado and is available nationally for consulting.
As a Detective for many years, Mark Pfoff worked on numerous major investigations to include over a hundred death investigations and homicides. He has investigated many burglaries, kidnappings, sexual assaults, robberies, and other major crimes. His knowledge of police procedures and investigations is invaluable when reviewing cases and helping to obtain a favorable outcome.
Mark Pfoff is a court qualified expert in the following areas:
Historical call detail records (CDR) analysis
Cellular technology
Cell phone forensics
NELOS (Network Event Location System)
PCMD (Per Call Measurement Data)
Computer forensics
Computer surveillance system analysis
Forensics computer technology
Social media
Police procedures and investigations
Interviews and interrogations
Proper witness interviewing techniques
Child exploitation / Sexual exploitation of children
Proper collection of digital evidence
Best evidence and proper evidence collection
Methods of conducting proper and thorough criminal investigation
Mark has worked on projects for Alaska’s Office of Public Advocacy and Public Defenders Agency
TRAX excluded from Colorado courtroom
Mark Pfoff with RMCF testified in a Shreck (Colorado’s version of Daubert) hearing which resulted in a court order excluding historical cell site location information and testimony based on TRAX software at trial. Quotes from this court order include; “TRAX isn’t reliable”, “… the Court doesn’t find [Sy] Ray credible”, “It’s completely unscientific”, “… they’ve been routinely labeled as junk science by the relevant scientific community”, “The bottom line is that [Sy] Ray isn’t credible”, and “Trax’s methods simply haven’t been accepted as reliable”.
(Highlighted court ruling: Colorado v Jones, 22CR196 Sept 2022)
According to this court order, TRAX software is not reliable, its methodology not based in science, and its creator Sy Ray not credible. However, TRAX continues to be sold and used by a few law enforcement agencies. It is routinely presented to juries in criminal trials as reliable and based in science.
It is inappropriate to state, suggest, or present to a jury any form of estimated coverage area for a cell tower sector. Even when multiple driving tests have been conducted the results are not reliable predicting coverage area (past and future) as tower antenna configurations change daily. Driving tests are only useful in estimating coverage area at the time of the test. The more days that transpire since the test the more unreliable the results. It should be noted, some driving test systems speculate coverage area adding even more uncertainty to their results.
Based on his experience and training; it is Mark’s opinion the TRAX software generates unrealistic and inaccurate coverage area maps which suggests mobile devices are within specific shaded areas. TRAX’s “one shape fits all” methodology for coverage areas has been shown not to be accurate or based in science. Want to know more about the issues with TRAX’s coverage area maps?
Link to technical publication written by Vladan M. Jovanovic Ph.D. & Brian T. Cummings J.D. supporting Mark’s opinions
Quotes from publication
“It is clear by now that a ‘‘one-shape-fits-all’’ solution for depicting a sector’s coverage shape, with or without overlap, has no foundation in the science of RF engineering”
“…it clearly indicates that neither the shape nor the ranges of the ‘‘Trax’’ estimates can be close to reality.”
“This has no foundation whatsoever in the science of RF engineering”
Mark Pfoff agrees with the statements and conclusions in Dr Jovanovic and Mr. Cummings’ publication concerning the issues with TRAX’s formula and agrees it is not based in science.
The court order makes it clear the TRAX application fails Shreck and Daubert. The federal court order US v EVANS is similar as to the reasoning why the software should not be allowed in court proceedings.
Are you working a case or an appeal where TRAX software was used?
Are you working a case where Law Enforcement is using TRAX or some other application and stating (possible) areas or locations of a mobile device based on CDRs (Call Detail Records)?
Are they using historical location data (RTT, True Call, NELOS, Historical location data, PCMD)?
RMCF can assist in presenting to the court that CDRs and location data are not as accurate in determining a mobile device’s location as some suggest; and some of this data does not pass Daubert standards.
If you want to challenge the veracity of the demonstratives generated by the TRAX application we can help
Mark and John have worked on projects from Alaska to New York City
The advantages of retaining an expert witness
Mark Pfoff has worked on numerous major criminal investigations to include homicides. He is knowledgeable in many technologies and can review discovery and provide opinions concerning forensics already completed and if additional forensic examinations are justified.
District attorneys utilized law enforcement, usually the lead detective to assist on their complicated cases. Why not have your own expert assist with your preparation for trial and during trial?
Rocky Mountain Computer Forensics is available nationally to work on your project
Private Investigations
Mark Pfoff, owner of Rocky Mountain Computer Forensics (RMCF), is an experienced private investigator. Mark has 17 years experience in law enforcement and was a detective for over 10 years specializing in computer related crimes. During this time he investigated hundreds of criminal cases to include Sex Assaults, Burglaries, Robberies, Kidnappings, and Homicides. He has a wide range of training and experience in homicide investigations, interviewing and interrogations, crime scene processing, and evidence preservation (especially digital evidence). Mark has testified numerous times in court and has been qualified as an expert in law enforcement procedures and investigations. He currently teaches Colorado Revised Statutes (CRS), preliminary investigations, and computer crimes at the Pikes Peak State College Law Enforcement Academy and was the lead CRS instructor at the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office. His knowledge of the Colorado criminal code is invaluable during an investigation.
Located in Colorado Springs, RMCF has private investigators with law enforcement experience who are knowledgable in both criminal and civil investigations. Our investigators are available to conduct your private investigation throughout the state of Colorado. Contact us for more information.
