Kelly Ross is a seasoned expert with over 24 years of experience as a police officer with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), specializing in crimes involving diamonds, gemstones, and precious metals. As the lead Canadian delegate to the FATF Diamonds/Money Laundering typology review, he has played a key role in shaping international and national policy in this niche area of financial crime.

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Throughout his distinguished career, Kelly has investigated hundreds of complex cases tied to narcotics trafficking, proceeds of crime, money laundering, fraud, and intellectual property, and has been recognized as a judicial expert in several Canadian jurisdictions. His insight has been sought for legislative amendments to Canada’s Anti-Money Laundering (AML) laws, and he has directly contributed to the creation of government policies on diamonds.

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Beyond law enforcement, Kelly has held senior roles in the private sector, conducting complex fraud and ethics investigations for financial institutions, and designing operational risk management frameworks for a Canadian chartered bank.

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A committed educator, Kelly has trained hundreds of officers across dozens of police agencies in the criminal use of precious commodities. He also brings hands-on industry experience as a former owner-operator of an online retail jewellery business.

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In 2008, Kelly authored The Fifth C: The Criminal Use of Diamonds and has contributed articles to numerous law enforcement and industry publications.