William Golden

Bill joined Bank of America Merrill Lynch as a Operational Risk Officer for Global Equities immediately after retiring from the U.S. Army. He was subsequently named Global Operational Risk Lead for Equity Asset Management Services. In this capacity, Bill led enhanced monitoring, assessment and testing of the business, independently and with external consultants, focuces on establishing an Operational Risk Coverage Model and remediating numerous Matters Requiring Attetion. Prior to joining Bank of America, Bill served in the U.S. Army for 20 years as an aviator including 12 years in Special Operations Aviation, flying various types of helicopters, with a myriad of different leadership assignments. His final assignment was as the Battalion Commander for 3rd Battalion of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborn) and as the Task Force Commander for Special Operations Forces Rotary Wing assets in Afghanistan. Bill holds a Bachelor of Science degree in corporate finance from the University of Alabama and a Master of Arts Degree in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Air Force Air Command and Staff College. https://www.nightstalkerfoundation.com/board-members In mid-August, 1983, Colonel Duncan asked BSI's office manager, William Golden, to conduct an audit of the company's finances. Duncan never gave Golden any specific instructions on how to prepare the audit, nor did he expressly authorize Golden to examine his personal financial records. Shortly thereafter, Duncan left on a previously planned trip to Europe. While Duncan was away, Golden began the audit and noticed what he thought were irregularities in Colonel Duncan's handling of his expenditures. Without obtaining the Duncans' consent, Golden arranged to obtain their charge card records from American Express. He did not obtain a subpoena or court order for the records because "this account was used for Government business," because Duncan had already instructed him to audit BSI's records, and because a subpoena or court order might jeopardize "the integrity of the cover." It is not entirely clear how Golden induced American Express to release the records. Golden testified that he arranged for a government agent to identify himself to American Express as a "Special Investigator" for the Defense Department and to promise American Express that the records would not be used in a criminal prosecution. An Army investigator, however, testified that Golden's agent "had gone down to American Express, had a contact with a girl friend and had obtained [the records] that way." https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F2/813/1335/239960/