Wayne Dolcefino may be gone from TV, but he's still picking up awards — in his usual no-holds-barred manner.
The Emmy Award-winning former KTRK Ch. 13 investigative reporter received the inaugural 2013 Greater Houston Fraud Impact Award from the Houston Chapter of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE). The award is for an "individual who made outstanding, significant contributions to the worldwide effort to prevent, deter or detect fraud," according to ACFE.
In his 27 years with KTRK, Dolcefino uncovered countless instances of fraud and corruption across the region, notably spurring the case that led to the indictment of Harris County Constable Victor Trevino.
"One of the things I miss about Channel 13 — and quite honestly, I don't miss a lot — is the lack of indemnification."
Dolcefino somewhat mysteriously left KTRK on Thanksgiving eve and it's clear the departure is not without some bad blood.
Dolcefino accepted his award at a Hess Club luncheon and, after making a joke about the lasagna on his shirt, he quipped, "One of the things I miss about Channel 13 — and quite honestly, I don't miss a lot — is the lack of indemnification."
The reference goes to the many times he was hit with lawsuits while at KTRK. Dolcefino even told a story about a man who sued him for loss of consortium.
"If you don't know what that means, it means he can't have sex anymore because of an interaction with me," Dolcefino said.
At the deposition the plaintiff's lawyer asked Dolcefino if he felt bad that his client could no longer have sexual relations as a result of an evidently stress-inducing interview with the investigative reporter. A self-described "smarty pants," Dolcefino said he responded, "It's funny, I was in the same interview, and I have sex just fine."
Dolcefino also talked about his new political and media consulting company Dolcefino Communications, which has already been linked to some high-profile figures. He joked that the company's website could actually be his undoing. Apparently several nights in a row, Dolcefino woke up to banging on his door and sets of eyes peering through his front window.
"I'm such a crack investigative guy," he joked. "I didn't realize my home address was on mobile apps, which explains why every psychopath in the world is finding my house."
Dolcefino said he considers himself "sort of a Godfather-esque guy — you know, I start fights, help people end fights . . . " But he lamented the future of Houston's media scene while thanking everyone who helped him get where he is today.
Wayne Dolcefino in a promo photo that appeared on the Channel 13 site when he worked there.
