Team

Enrique Garcia is a retired sergeant from the San Jose Police Department with almost 29 years of full-time law enforcement experience, plus 5 previous years in the Reserve Unit. Enrique worked assignments in Patrol and the Field Training Program as an officer and supervisor, Sexual Assaults, Homicide, Robbery, and the Office of the Chief of Police managing the Media Relations Unit. Enrique is a recognized Interview & Interrogation subject-matter expert for the State of California P.O.S.T. Commission. Enrique also received an Investigative Excellence Award from California P.O.S.T. – Robert Presley Institute of Criminal Investigation for solving a complex homicide case.

Paul Francois is a retired lieutenant from the San Jose Police Department with 29 years of law enforcement experience. Paul’s previous assignments include: Patrol Watch Commander, Detective and Supervisor in the Physical Child Abuse Unit, Detective in the Sexual Assault Investigation Unit, Field Training Program Supervisor, and the Office of the Chief of Police in Research and Development. Paul has also received the Police Academy Instructor of the Year Award.

Nicole Decker assists in handling many of our day to day communications with clients, processing registrations and payments. Nicole is also an Administrative Assistant and Graphic Designer for the San Jose Police Officers’ Association.

Helen Berman handles our day to day communications with clients, processing all registrations and payments. Helen graduated from UC Santa Barbara and has over 15 years of professional experience.

Mike Rains has a Bachelor of Arts magna cum laude in English Literature from the California State University at Long Beach. Mike, while serving as a police officer in the City of Santa Monica, received a scholarship to attend law school. He earned his Juris Doctorate summa cum laude at Golden West University School of Law. After graduating from law school, he entered the private practice of law, leaving police work in 1980.

Mike worked for 18 years at the San Francisco based law firm of Carroll, Burdick & McDonough and founded Rains Lucia Stern, PC in May, 1999. The firm emphasizes the representation of public safety personnel in administrative, disciplinary, civil, criminal and labor-related issues. Mike has over 30 years representing police officers and other high profile clients in civil and criminal litigation.

Captain Brian K. Spears has been with the San Jose Police Department since 1997. He is formerly the Silicon Valley Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force Commander as well as the Child Exploit Detail Supervisor. Brian is also a sworn member of the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force. He has hosted and facilitated various law enforcement symposiums on child exploitation. In addition, Brian has served as a detective in Homicide, Assaults, and Financial Crimes.

Jeff Profio is a lieutenant with the West Valley Mission Community College Police Department.  He retired from the San Jose Police Department after 25 years of service. Jeff is also a certified POST Master Instructor. In addition to Internal Affairs, Jeff has been assigned to the SJPD MERGE Team (SWAT), the Robbery Investigations Unit, the Vice Unit, the Covert Response Unit, and as a Field Training Officer.

Officer Johnna Watson has been with the Oakland Police Department since 1992.  She was a Reserve Officer for three years before being hired full time in 1995. She is currently assigned to the Office of the Chief of Police as a Public Information Officer in the Media Relations Office. She has held this position since 2011.  She has worked assignments in the FTO Program, as an Internal Affairs In-Take Officer, Community Policing, Walking Beat, Bicycle Officer, Dual Purpose Motorcycle, Honor Guard, and as a Reserve, a boat operator in the Marine Unit.  She has been an instructor for Firearms, Driving, Patrol Procedures, both in-service and for the Oakland Police Department Academy.  She was named Reserve of the Year in 1993 and received the Department’s Medal of Merit in 2017 for her media management of the Ghost Ship Fire.

Sergeant Chris Sciba has been with the San Jose Police Department since 1996 and is currently assigned to the Field Training Program. Chris graduated from San Jose State University with a degree in Administration of Justice. He has been assigned to the Parks Enforcement Unit, Horse Mounted Unit and the MERGE (SWAT) team. He is currently a collateral operator with the MERGE team as a sniper and explosive breacher after serving 8 years on the team full time as a team leader and unit supervisor. Chris has provided firearms and tactical instruction for local agencies and the SJPD Academy. Chris was awarded the SJPD Medal of Valor for his role in a hostage rescue crisis.

Michael Gaynor started his law enforcement career with the Daly City Police Department in 1979. In 1982 he left Daly City and went to the San Francisco Police Department where he retired in 2010 as an Inspector assigned to homicide. Michael currently works at the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office assigned to the Cold Case unit. His past assignments have been: Crime Scene Investigation, Robbery Investigations, Domestic Violence Detail, General Works Detail (person crimes), and Homicide Investigations. Michael has lectured on Death Investigation, Homicide Investigation, Crime Scene Reconstruction, Crime Scene Investigation, Bloodstain Pattern Analysis, Crime Scene Photography, and Officer Involved Shooting Investigations. Michael has Bachelor and Master degrees from San Jose State University in Administration of Justice.

Will Manion is a retired Sergeant for the San Jose Police Department. Sgt. Manion started his police career in 1989 and in 27 years of service worked the Narcotic Enforcement Team, Merge (SWAT) Team, DEA Task Force, Homicide Detective and Airport Security Sergeant. Sgt. Manion received (7) major police awards including California Post Investigator of the year award for a Homicide Case where a convicted person was exonerated of a murder he did not commit. 

Matt Irvine worked as a Detective with the Glendale, California Police Department, investigating sex crimes and family violence before transferring to Robbery/Homicide.  He moved to the San Francisco District Attorney Bureau of Investigations, assigned to public corruption investigations.  Matt reached the rank of Lieutenant, overseeing the Public Corruption Task Force (with the FBI) and the investigation of officer-involved incidents.  After retiring from sworn service, Matt joined the Portland Police Bureau as a background investigator.  He currently works as a cold case sex crimes investigator.  Matt is a graduate of Columbia University, the Sherman Block Supervisory Leadership Institute, and the FBI National Academy.

Nuno Tavares retired as a lieutenant from the Placer County District Attorney’s Office after a 27-year career in law enforcement. During his tenure, he held various positions, including assignments to narcotics and auto theft task forces, crimes against persons, and cold-case homicides. Throughout his career, Nuno received multiple commendations, including Investigative Excellence awards from both the International Homicide Investigators Association and the California Robbery Investigators Association, as well as recognition for Excellence in Instruction from the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST). Currently, Nuno serves as a POST instructor and frequently speaks at homicide conferences. Additionally, he works as an adjunct professor at the University of San Diego and holds a Master’s degree from Saint Mary’s College.

Jorge Ramirez is a Master Instructor with California POST. He retired after 29-years, having worked for the Hollister Police Department as a sergeant and the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office as a Captain. Jorge teaches many courses for POST. He is the primary I&I instructor for ICI Core, Science Based Interviewing Instructor, as well as several other courses. Jorge has spoken at symposiums and conferences on the topic of Science Based Interviewing.  He also holds a Master’s Degree in Administration of Justice with a minor in Security. In 2022 he was honored with the POST Excellence in Training award.

Maureen U. Okwuosa is a senior associate with the Rains Lucia Stern St. Phalle & Silver, PC Legal Defense Practice Group. Maureen defends public sector employees in administrative investigations, critical incident investigations, and disciplinary appeals. She also represents public sector employees in grievances and in restraining order matters. Prior to joining RLS, Maureen worked as staff attorney for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, wherein she advised and counseled executive staff on all matters pertaining to labor and employment law, investigations, public employee discipline, the Public Safety Officers’ Procedural Bill of Rights Act, and labor relations. Following her time with the Department of Corrections, Maureen transitioned to the private sector where she worked at a labor law firm exclusively defending peace officers.

Julia D. Fox is a partner in the Rains Lucia Stern St. Phalle & Silver, PC Legal Defense Practice Group. Julia represents peace officers in administrative investigations and disciplinary matters. Julia has significant legal experience, including almost eight years at the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office as a Deputy District Attorney, spending much of her time there in a felony trial unit. Julia is a very experienced trial lawyer and comes from a police family: her father, brother and husband are all cops. Julia graduated from Saint Mary’s College of California with a degree in Government and earned her law degree from John F. Kennedy School of Law.

Nicole Pifari is a senior associate with the Rains Lucia Stern St. Phalle & Silver, PC Legal Defense Group. She represents officers in criminal investigations and prosecutions, administrative investigations, disciplinary appeals, and Brady list appeals. She also responds to critical incidents. Nicole has successfully defended criminal cases in both state and federal court. Most recently she achieved a significant victory at trial when the court exercised a rarely-used power to dismiss the case and enter a judgment of acquittal prior to sending the jury to deliberate. Her client in that case, a San Francisco deputy sheriff, was accused of excessive force. Nicole is a graduate of UC Hastings School of Law. Prior to law school, she was a police officer for the City of Missoula, Montana. During her time at Missoula PD, she was a canine officer and a member of the POA Board of Directors.

Andrew M. Ganz is an associate in the Rains Lucia Stern St. Phalle & Silver, PC Legal Defense Practice Group. Andrew defends public sector employees in criminal matters, administrative investigations, critical incident investigations, and disciplinary appeals. He also represents public sector employees in disciplinary actions and related litigation. Prior to joining RLS, Andrew worked as a prosecutor for over 13 years, during which time he handled virtually every type of criminal matter. Andrew has the distinction of being named Solano County’s first ever “Prosecutor of the Year.” In San Francisco, Andrew spent most of his time in the homicide unit, handling several complex cases. Andrew has extensive trial experience, having individually conducted well over 100 jury trials in his career. He has also written and argued countless motions, conducted many hundreds of preliminary hearings, presented cases to grand juries, handled writs and appeals, represented the State in parole hearings, and presented several trainings to lawyers, law enforcement and criminalists.

Lieutenant Nqui Scherry began his law enforcement career with the San Jose Police Department in 2002.  As an officer he was assigned to Patrol, the Field Training Program and he served as an Investigator in the Traffic Investigations Unit. As a Sergeant Nqui served as an investigator for the Internal Affairs unit and he supervised the Traffic Investigations Unit and the Auto Theft Unit. Nqui is currently assigned to the bureau of field operations. He is a certified Post instructor and has been teaching various classes at the SJPD Academy since 2008. Nqui holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration.

Philip Mancini is a retired lieutenant from the Roseville Police Department and brings over 26 years of law enforcement experience at both large and medium sized agencies.  Phil has worked a variety of assignments which include Patrol, Field Training, Special Operations, and Investigations.  As an investigator generalist, Phil has worked cases ranging from fraud to homicide.  As a lieutenant, he led the Professional Standards Unit which was responsible for investigating officer complaints.  Phil is a POST Certified Master Instructor and currently works full-time as a Senior Financial Crimes Investigator for a Financial Technology start-up.

Darin DeFreece served in law enforcement for over 22 years, ultimately retiring as a Sergeant in 2015. He has held various positions (including patrol, investigations, FTO, CSI, etc.) but his final special assignment was as the detective sergeant in charge of Investigations. He has a Masters Degree in Organizational Leadership, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice. Darin taught at local police academies for 13 years, and as an adjunct professor for nine. His passion for instruction has led him to speak at national conferences on such topics as corporate investigations, human trafficking and investigative partnerships between the public and private sectors. He currently is the Head of Financial Crimes / BSA OFAC Officer for a national online challenger bank and lender.

Michael Andraychak served in law enforcement for 35 years, retiring from the San Francisco Police Department as a Sergeant. During his time with SFPD, he worked patrol, narcotics/plain clothes investigations, field training officer, field training sergeant and part time academy instructor.  He supervised the SFPD Media Relations Unit and was Public Information Officer for ten years.  He has prior experience in campus and transit law enforcement. Michael holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Organizational Management from the University of San Francisco and an Associate of Science degree in Criminology from City College of San Francisco.

Sean Pritchard is a retired Sergeant for the San Jose Police Department. Sgt. Pritchard started his police career in 1995 and his 28 years of service included working the Metro/VCET Special Operations Unit, Homicide Investigations Detective and Sexual Assaults Investigations Detective. Sgt. Pritchard has investigated some of the most complex sexual assault and homicides including the largest Santa Clara County serial gang homicide case to date.