Ralph Fatigate Joins Litigation and Fraud Investigation Team at BDO Seidman, LLP.

- Former NYSBD Director Developed Data Mining System to Identity Terrorist-Related Financings -

CHICAGO -- BDO Seidman, LLP, one of the nation's leading professional service organizations, today announced that Ralph M. Fatigate, most recently Executive Vice President of Optima Compliance & Consulting, Inc., has joined the firm. Mr. Fatigate, who will serve as a Director in BDO Seidman's Litigation and Fraud Investigation practice, will be responsible for the firm's anti-money laundering compliance initiatives. Mr. Fatigate's experience includes developing training guides for Bank Secrecy Act and USA Patriot Act reviews, as well as the European Union Money Laundering Directives and Suspicious Activity reporting for the banking industry.

"Ralph's experience training foreign banks and regulators in anti-money laundering compliance and his ability to conduct investigations abroad will benefit and add a further dimension to our already extensive overseas anti-fraud work," said Carl W. Pergola, National Director of BDO Seidman's Litigation and Fraud Investigation practice. "His experience developing a data mining system used to identify terrorist-related financing through wire transfer systems at the New York State Banking Department ("NYSBD") will add further depth to the practice's computer forensics and data mining capabilities."

Prior to leading Optima's financial services and regulatory risk practice, Ralph Fatigate, 58, served as an Associate Director at Protiviti in the Business Risk Division. He has completed significant consulting engagements for numerous financial institutions, including American Express, Commerce Bank, Riggs Bank and TradeStation Securities. Mr. Fatigate also served as the Director of Criminal Investigations at the NYSBD where he coordinated and supervised numerous money laundering and financial fraud investigations. Mr. Fatigate trained foreign banks and regulators in anti-money laundering compliance and investigations in numerous countries including, Russia, Poland, Germany, Panama, Tonga, Bahamas, Japan, Brazil, Argentina, Ukraine, the Netherlands and Spain. Prior to the NYSBD, Mr. Fatigate served as Police Commissioner for the City of Mount Vernon, New York Police Department.

Mr. Fatigate has a B.S. in Finance and Business Risk from the State University of New York, Empire College. He is certified in Banking Laws & Regulations from Fordham University Law School.

About BDO Seidman, LLP

BDO Seidman, LLP is a national professional services firm providing assurance, tax, financial advisory and consulting services to a wide range of publicly traded and privately held companies. Guided by core values of integrity, trust, professionalism, independence and service for almost 100 years, we have provided quality service and leadership through the active involvement of our most experienced and committed professionals.

BDO Seidman serves clients through 34 offices and more than 300 independent alliance firm locations nationwide. As a Member Firm of BDO International, BDO Seidman, LLP serves multi-national clients by leveraging a global network of resources comprised of 601 Member Firm offices in 105 countries. BDO International is a worldwide network of public accounting firms, called BDO Member Firms, serving international clients. Each BDO Member Firm is an independent legal entity in its own country.