ACAMS New York Chapter December Double Session: Law Enforcement fireside chat, AI and Risk modeling panel, and networking

Harry Chavis is the Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation’s (CI) New York Field Office located in New York, New York, covering New York State – from the 5 Boroughs and Long Island to the New York-Canadian border.  He was named to this position in August 2025, having previously served as the Acting Special Agent in Charge since December 2024. 

Mr. Chavis is responsible for planning, directing, and evaluating the activities of Criminal Investigation employees located throughout the state of New York.  The CI mission is to serve the American public by investigating potential criminal violations of the Internal Revenue Code and related financial crimes in a manner that fosters confidence in the tax system and compliance with the law.

He brings over 24 years of experience in law enforcement, where he worked and managed significant CI cases involving income tax evasion, employment tax and refund fraud, cybercrime, narcotics related financial crimes, terrorism financing, abusive tax schemes, Bank Secrecy Act, and money laundering violations. 

As Special Agent in Charge, Mr. Chavis leads CI Special Agents and professional staff throughout New York, IRS CI’s largest Field Office, to ensure delivery of CI’s critical mission through significant investigations and prosecutions of impactful tax and financial crimes in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Offices to generate the maximum deterrent effect while enhancing voluntary compliance and greater public confidence in the tax system.

Mr. Chavis began his IRS career in 2001 as a Special Agent in the Atlanta Field Office. He held management positions that included Senior Analyst, Financial Crimes in Washington, D.C., Supervisory Special Agent, IRS Commissioner’s Protection Unit in Washington, D.C.; Supervisory Special Agent in Staten Island, New York; Acting Director, Security and Technical Operations in Washington, D.C., Assistant Special Agent in Charge in Washington, D.C., Acting Director, Financial Crimes in Washington, D.C., Special Agent in Charge in Boston, MA.; and Acting Special Agent in Charge in New York, NY. 

Mr. Chavis is a native of Virginia and holds a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree in Accounting from Radford University in Radford, VA.

Chris started at DANY 1996.  He has worked as a line assistant and supervisor over the years, in Trial Bureau 80, the Frauds Bureau, the Homicide Investigation Unit, the Major Economic Crimes Bureau, Executive Management, and the Rackets Bureau.  He currently serves as the Chief of the Rackets Bureau, where he oversees the Counter Terrorism Unit, the Worker Protection Unit, and cases involving individuals and organizations involved in fraud in various business settings.   

Chris has worked on and supervised all types of street crime and white-collar investigations including sanctions evasion cases, falsification of business records by individuals and entities, Ponzi schemes, art fraud, securities fraud, gun trafficking, robbery, homicide, and terrorism and cyber related investigations, among others.

In 2014, Chris received the U.S. Department of Justice’s Assistant Attorney General Award for Exceptional Service for his work as part of the prosecution team of BNP Paribas Bank. In 2019, he received the NYC Bar Association’s Thomas E. Dewey Award, presented each year to an outstanding assistant district attorney in each of the City’s District Attorney’s Offices. He has spoken at various conferences, including the DANY Financial and Cyber Crime Symposium, the Cambridge International Symposium on Economic Crime, and the American Conference Institute’s Economic Sanctions Boot Camp.

Richard Weber is a partner and Chair of Financial Services Investigations and Enforcement Practice in the Litigation Practice Group in Haynes Boone’s New York office, where he brings an exceptional breadth of experience from the highest levels of federal, state and local government, as well as leadership roles in global financial institutions. Widely recognized as a national authority on financial crimes, Richard advises clients on complex enforcement, compliance and regulatory matters across banking, insurance, digital assets, cyber, tax and anti-money laundering (AML). Most recently, Richard was a partner at Winston & Strawn LLP.

Richard previously served as General Counsel of the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS), where he oversaw all legal and compliance functions for the agency regulating more than 3,000 financial institutions. In that role, he led major supervisory and enforcement initiatives involving AML, sanctions, cybersecurity, digital assets and financial fraud. He also held key leadership positions at DFS, including Chair of the Monitor Selection Committee, Chair of the Audit Committee and member of critical innovation-focused groups such as the Virtual Currency Licensing, Risk and Regulator of the Future committees.

Prior to his tenure at DFS, Richard held senior positions in financial crime prevention at two global banks. At UBS, he was Managing Director and Head of Financial Crime Prevention for the Americas, responsible for AML, BSA, sanctions compliance, fraud, FCPA and anti-corruption programs. At Deutsche Bank, he served as Managing Director and Americas Head of Anti-Financial Crime, where he oversaw legal and regulatory compliance programs, internal investigations and financial intelligence operations.

Richard is also the former Chief of the Criminal Investigation Division of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), where he led a global team of 3,700 agents and staff responsible for investigating tax evasion, money laundering, cybercrime, digital assets, terrorism financing and sanctions violations. Under his leadership, the IRS conducted several landmark investigations, including the FIFA corruption case, the Silk Road darknet marketplace and the historic Swiss Bank Program, which resulted in over $1.3 billion in penalties. Richard launched the IRS’s first dedicated cybercrime unit and modernized the agency’s investigative capabilities through cutting-edge data analytics and AI.

Earlier in his career, Richard served as:

• Chief of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section at the U.S. Department of Justice;
• Deputy Chief of the Investigations Division and Chief of the Major Economic Crimes Bureau at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office;
• Assistant U.S. Attorney, Chief of the Asset Forfeiture Unit, and Deputy Chief of the Civil Division at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.

In these roles, he directed numerous high-profile and multi-agency domestic and international investigations and prosecutions, including over 100 complex financial, tax and money laundering cases. He has worked extensively with regulatory and law enforcement agencies including the IRS, SEC, FinCEN, CFTC, DOJ, Federal Reserve, FDIC, OCC and international counterparts.

Richard also serves on the Bank Receivership Task Force and has been a thought leader in financial enforcement policy, regulatory modernization and digital assets oversight. Throughout his career, he has trained and advised prosecutors, regulators and law enforcement agencies around the world on best practices in financial crime enforcement and compliance.

Tim Newman is a litigator with experience in white collar defense, government and internal investigations, complex litigation, and cybersecurity. He spends most of his time helping clients stay out of trouble with government agencies, including the Securities and Exchange Commission, Department of Justice, Texas Attorney General, Texas State Securities Board, and other federal and state agencies. Tim prides himself on being proactive, working closely with his clients, and leveraging technology to maximize the value of his work. Clients rely on Tim’s experience, diligence, and steady hand to guide them through some of their biggest challenges.

Tim is passionate about service and is consistently recognized for his leadership. He currently serves on the Dallas Bar Association Board of Directors and previously served on the boards of Capital for Kids CONNECT, the Texas Aggie Bar Association, the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers and the Texas Young Lawyers Association, which awarded him the Kirk Watson Excellence in Leadership Award in 2020. He also serves as the inaugural chair of Haynes Boone’s HB Building Leaders Committee, which supports Haynes Boone attorneys in developing their skills in people, practice, and community leadership.

In his spare time, Tim volunteers as a T-Ball coach and a Super Dad at his kids’ school.

Omesh is Managing Director, Advisory and Investigations Financial Crimes, Matrix-IFS with over 20 years of experience in banking and financial services. He is a leading expert in Anti-Money Laundering (AML)/Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) and Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) compliance, offering strategic guidance on policy, system implementation, and risk mitigation. A Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS), Omesh possesses deep hands-on expertise with cutting-edge compliance and sanctions platforms. Before joining Matrix-IFS, he spearheaded numerous AML initiatives as a at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

Itai Rechnitz is a seasoned entrepreneur and technology executive with over 25 years of experience founding, leading, and scaling companies across software, MedTech, and AI. He currently serves as the CEO and late co-founder of CitrusX, an AI validation and monitoring company that helps organizations ensure their AI systems are reliable, explainable, and ready for production. Itai stepped in as a professional leader to guide the company through its global expansion, building international distribution partnerships, developing long-term strategy, and scaling the team and operations to support sustainable growth.

Itai began his career in technology after earning a B.Sc. in Computer and Math Science and later an Executive MBA in Business Management from Tel Aviv University’s Recanati Executive Program. He joined Compile Ltd., where he advanced from developer to Vice President of R&D. During his tenure, Compile operated as both a software services firm and a startup incubator. Itai was a partner in initiating, productizing, and growing one of its internal ventures - Memory-Of.com, which became the world’s largest online remembrance platform and was later acquired in a multi-million-dollar deal.

Building on that experience, Itai co-founded MediaBoost, where he served in multiple leadership roles, from VP of R&D to President. At MediaBoost, he co-led the multi-million-dollar sale of consumer-rankings.com to Centerfield Media and later led the merger and sale of billy.com. These milestones positioned him as an emerging figure in Israel’s growing internet and digital media ecosystem.

In 2013, Itai co-founded Spectory, a software design and development company that provided high-end engineering services to global clients including Google, Cisco, and Waze. Under his leadership, Spectory grew from a bootstrapped startup into a profitable company and was acquired in 2018 by Taldor, a publicly traded Israeli technology firm, in a deal valued at nearly $5 million. The company also received first prize at the Counter Terrorism Through Technology (CTTS) competition, jointly organized by the U.S. Department of Defense and the Israeli Ministry of Defense, selected from over 200 startups.

Following Spectory’s acquisition, Itai co-founded Yonalink, a MedTech company that developed a cloud platform to automate data transfer and management for clinical trials. As COO, he led the effort to secure €5 million in funding from the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator, the Israel Innovation Authority, and the BIRD Foundation, supporting Yonalink’s technology maturation and expansion across Europe. His work at Yonalink was featured in MedCity News, Health Reporter, Applied Clinical Trials, and Clinical Trials Arena, highlighting both his leadership and his contributions to the convergence of data, AI, and healthcare.

After Yonalink, Itai served as COO at Cortwo, a U.S. cybersecurity startup, helping to shape its strategy and operational foundation before transitioning to CitrusX.

Beyond his executive leadership, Itai serves on the Board of Directors of SetBone Medical Ltd., where he works closely with the CEO to help steer the company’s growth, advising on fundraising, strategic partnerships, and startup operations. He also supports early-stage founders as an advisor and investor.

Earlier in his life, Itai served in the Israel Defense Forces, where he achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and received a certificate of merit for his service.

Across all his ventures, Itai has built a reputation for transforming innovation into impact, combining technical insight, strategic vision, and operational rigor to turn ideas into companies and companies into lasting success. His work has been featured in major publications including The Jerusalem Post, Globes, The Times of Israel, and Israel Defense, underscoring his influence in shaping Israel’s technology and startup landscape.