Samuel Barrett Long
Digital Forensic Examiner
Augusta Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office • Georgia
I am a sworn law enforcement officer and digital forensic examiner with more than a decade of experience at the intersection of criminal investigations and technology. My work centers on recovering and interpreting digital evidence so that prosecutors and investigators can understand what happened, when it happened, and who was involved.
I have been qualified as an expert in digital forensics—specifically mobile device acquisition and analysis—and in digital video analysis in Georgia Superior Court. Beyond individual examinations, I help design and run the digital forensics laboratory and case-management systems that support multi-agency work across the Augusta Judicial Circuit.
Since January 2025 I have served as Chief Investigator for Digital Evidence with the Augusta Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office. In this role I oversee the intake, review, and forensic examination of digital evidence used in criminal prosecutions. I also lead the ongoing development of the office’s digital forensics laboratory and the platforms that manage evidence from local, state, and federal partners.
From 2020 to early 2025 I worked as an Investigator in the same office. I conducted complex criminal investigations, performed digital forensic examinations, and advised prosecutors on the technical and legal aspects of digital evidence. During that time I also served as Terminal Agency Coordinator for the Georgia Crime Information Center, trained officers on evidence handling, and participated in the Crimes Against the Vulnerable and Elderly Task Force.
Earlier, with the Grovetown Department of Public Safety, I moved from patrol into criminal investigations, focusing on crimes against persons and children. That period included crime-scene processing, evidence collection, and early digital forensic work that shaped the approach I still use today.
Most of my day-to-day work involves mobile devices. I perform both logical and physical acquisitions of iOS and Android phones, then parse the resulting data—chat databases, location artifacts, application remnants—so that the information can be presented clearly in reports and testimony.
When standard methods are not enough, I work at the hardware level. That includes identifying and extracting data from NAND flash, eMCP packages, and other storage media through chip-off techniques, micro-soldering, and interfaces such as JTAG, ISP, and UART. The same hands-on approach extends to IoT and embedded devices.
I also examine digital video and images, using tools such as Amped FIVE to clarify what the footage actually shows. In the laboratory I help maintain the systems that track evidence from the moment it arrives until it is ready for court, and I regularly consult with prosecutors on questions of admissibility and analysis.
I hold the Certified Forensic Computer Examiner (CFCE) credential from the International Association of Computer Investigative Specialists, having completed the Basic Computer Forensic Examiner course in 2026 and successfully finished the peer-review process. I am also a Magnet Certified Forensics Examiner, Magnet Certified GrayKey Examiner, and Magnet Mobile Certified Examiner, and I hold Cellebrite certifications as both a Certified Operator and Certified Physical Analyst.
Additional training includes multiple National Computer Forensics Institute courses (Basic Computer Recovery Evidence Technician, Internet of Things, Device Triage, and Introduction to Phone Repair). I have returned to NCFI as a proctor for the IoT class. I have also completed coursework through the National White Collar Crime Center, FBI Cellular Analysis Survey Team training, and DataPilot essentials courses.
Professionally I am a member of IACIS, a digital forensic partner with the U.S. Secret Service Cyber Fraud Task Force, and part of the Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
Professional inquiries via LinkedIn:
Augusta Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office • Digital Forensics Laboratory