Robert Hawkes’ career spans 23 years in police service. He is a member of the Durham Regional Police Service, Intelligence Unit—Asset Forfeiture and the team leader for the Provincial Asset Forfeiture Unit.

In the last eight years he has been assigned to the Proceed of Crime/Asset Forfeiture investigations where he has been the investigative lead on a number of Organized Crime Group Investigations, such as the Hells Angels, the Banditos and Eastern European Crime groups. In this capacity he successfully used Federal, Provincial and Civil statutes to seize and forfeit a Hells Angels Clubhouse and the residential home of a Bandito Outlaw Motorcycle leader.

In addition, Hawkes has been involved in the seizure of over $10,000,000.00 in criminal assets and forfeiture of over $3,500,000.00 in the last five years.

Hawkes is recognized as a subject-matter expert in the fields of money laundering, proceeds of crime, bulk-cash smuggling, money couriers and offence related property. He is also a regular instructor at the Toronto Police College, the Canadian Police College, the Ontario Police College and for the Criminal Intelligence Service of Ontario (CISO).

Hawkes has also provided training at the Annual Money Laundering Symposium, the Ontario Forum on Organized Crime and at the Money Laundering in Canada Training Conference.