Knowing a Phone Inside-Out Can Help Solve Drug Crime

This is the 17th installment in a series of profiles featuring both DEA personnel, as well as statewide drug misuse prevention groups. Learn about the tough but fulfilling, fascinating, and vital work these individuals and organizations do, as well as the many different ways to get involved in fighting drug misuse. For this profile, we will be interviewing Digital Forensic Examiner Jill.

What motivated you to join the DEA?

When I was a little girl, I used to love to read mysteries, everything from Hardy Boys to Bobbsey Twins. Nancy Drew was my favorite. In the back of my mind, I always thought, I want to be the one to find the clues and figure out whodunit.  Working in the computer forensics field at DEA is my way of solving mysteries as an adult. 

What does an average day on the job look like for you? 

One nice thing about this job is that there isn’t necessarily a typical day. Digital Examiners have a wide variety of activities we work on. We spend the bulk of our time working on a case, doing things like imaging (making a forensic copy) of digital evidence and analyzing the evidence. Or we may be on a trip, helping to execute a search warrant, seizing and processing the digital evidence.  Examiners also train people within the agency and other law enforcement groups. Or we may be researching the latest in the forensics field or cell phone forensics software and subsequently testing the software. It’s a good variety day-to-day.

Digital Forensic Examiner Jill Mossman uses a Dremel saw to cut a cell phone logic board in half in order to access the memory chip.

Digital Forensic Examiner Jill Mossman uses a Dremel saw to cut a cell phone logic board in half in order to access the memory chip.

Precision is needed to not cut through the memory chip while cutting a board in half.

Precision is needed to not cut through the memory chip while cutting a board in half.

Wow! It’s magic.

Wow! It’s magic.

Once the chip is removed, an examiner must further drill down on the chip, so that the chip reader can properly read the chip. Precision is again needed to not drill through the chip itself.

Once the chip is removed, an examiner must further drill down on the chip, so that the chip reader can properly read the chip. Precision is again needed to not drill through the chip itself.

DFE Mossman inspects the chip to determine if any repairs are needed before the chip is inserted into the chip reader.

DFE Mossman inspects the chip to determine if any repairs are needed before the chip is inserted into the chip reader.

DFE Mossman inspects the chip to determine if any repairs are needed before the chip is inserted into the chip reader.

DFE Mossman inspects the chip to determine if any repairs are needed before the chip is inserted into the chip reader.

This is an example of a deconstructed Blackberry phone. The phone logic board is sawed in half and the chip to the right contains the phone memory.

This is an example of a deconstructed Blackberry phone. The phone logic board is sawed in half and the chip to the right contains the phone memory.

What has been your proudest moment at the DEA thus far?  

Having worked at the Digital Lab for almost two decades, there are several things I’ve worked on that come to mind. I was a founding member and catalyst for the vehicle forensics program within DEA, championing for its place within the agency, adopting the software, and educating the agency on its value as an investigative tool. 

How can young people who are interested in becoming a Digital Forensic Examiner at DEA best prepare themselves for the positions?

This is a very technology-heavy field, so the earlier a person can start learning about technology, the better. Specific classes would include databases, coding, criminal law, and obviously digital forensics. Communication skills are important as well; you’ll need to be able to write clear notes and reports. Good speaking skills are a plus, because you may need to train agents or explain complicated technical concepts to a jury. 

Outside of education, curiosity and tenacity are important traits. You will likely have one piece of evidence or possibly several pieces of evidence from one case to work on at a time. It is up to you to identify the important information from the devices and assemble them together to help tell the story of the case.

The synthetic opioid fentanyl – often mixed into other drugs – is now responsible for tens of thousands of American deaths per year. How has the fentanyl epidemic changed your job?

When I started this job almost 20 years ago, the repercussions to your health from using illegal drugs, while dangerous, had nowhere near the lethality that fentanyl has. As fentanyl was introduced to street drugs, it made taking street drugs much more of a deadly proposition. From my position in the agency, this resulted in significantly more cell phones associated with overdose deaths. In my opinion, these cell phones cases are the saddest type. Part of doing forensics on a cell phone is reading the contents of the phone and in doing so, you get to know a person in an unfiltered way. You get to know their family and friends and their relationships. You can also see the struggle people have with addictions, how hard it is to overcome drug addiction, and how it can sometimes lead to an accidental overdose. It is tragic and makes me sad for the families left behind. 

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Nov. 2, 2023 Profile: Phone Forensics: Diving Into Digital Evidence

Nov. 16, 2023 Profile: Inside the World of Chemistry, Calculations, and Clandestine Labs

Jan. 4, 2024 Profile: Training Female Law Enforcement Officers in Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia

Jan. 18, 2024 Profile: Getting the 'Friday Scaries' as a Strategic Analyst

Feb. 8, 2024 Profile: Hear From a DEA Pharmacologist Who Collects Data to Schedule Drugs

Mar. 11, 2024 Profile: Classrooms to Conferences: Connecting the Community to Fight Drug Misuse

May 9, 2024 Profile: Tackling Cyber Crime With DEA's Special Ops

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November 19, 2025 Profile: What Do Zombies and Drug Prevention Have in Common?

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