Thursday, December 30, 2010

Dewani Link in South African Doctor Murder Dismissed

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Dr Raghavjee, 60, was carjacked and shot dead for no apparent reason during his drive to work in the Eastern Cape town of Port Elizabeth.

His widow Heather travelled to Cape Town to support Shrien Dewani when he and his new wife were carjacked and she was shot dead last month.

Police, who allege that Mr Dewani arranged a fake carjacking to have his wife killed, later suggested that there could be a link with the death of Mr Raghavjee because the families knew each other, and sent detectives from the capital Pretoria to investigate.

But Christian Botha, a private investigator based in the Eastern Cape commissioned by Mrs Raghavjee in June to look at her husband's murder again, said he was executed because he was about to disclose incriminating information.



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Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Retired Tennessee Police Officers Find Home in Private Investigation

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Patrick Wells isn't intimidated by discreet techno-gadgets or the sophistication of the private investigation industry's up-and-comers in computer forensics.

The former Drug Enforcement Administration agent, with sideburns that stretch to his cheekbones, has a good-natured Tennessee twang and a bald eagle on his business card.

His technology includes a laptop computer and a tape recorder.

"They call it the ol' gumshoe," Wells, 61, said. "You've just got to pound the pavement. No amount of technology is a substitute for knocking on doors and putting in the legwork."

When a cop retires from the force, he never really stops being an officer. So many, like Wells, become private investigators.

In Davidson County, there are 70 private detectives who work for 135 firms, according to the state Department of Commerce and Insurance, which provides licensing to private investigators. There are 1,162 private investigators statewide, who work for 635 agencies.

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Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Rachel Uchitel, alleged Tiger Woods mistress, to be private investigator

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Rachel Uchitel, the first woman outed as an alleged mistress of golfer Tiger Woods, told news sources she’s going back to school to be a private investigator.

During an interview with Fox News, Uchitel said “I decided to go back to school and get my private investigation license.”

PerezHilton.com reports that Uchitel told sources she recently had to use a Taser gun on someone.

“I’m going to work under my professor, Dale Gustafson, who runs DGA Detectives,” she said. She also noted she’d love to find missing people and recently tried to convince some of her friends to accompany her on a trip to Orlando to search for a missing girl.

Ironically, Uchitel also said she’s “scared of dating” and would never get involved with someone if he's “dating somebody or married.”

Uchitel can currently be seen on the latest season of VH1’s ‘Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew.’


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Thursday, December 23, 2010

Sienna Miller Seeks Damages From Murdoch Newspaper Over Hacking

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Actress Sienna Miller is seeking damages from the U.K.’s News of the World newspaper for hacking the voice mail on three of her phones to get personal information, according to court documents.

Miller claims the newspaper, owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp., paid private investigator Glenn Mulcaire 2,500 pounds ($3,270) a week to eavesdrop on personal messages between her, her friends and business associates. The actress, who also works as a model and fashion designer, claims news editor Ian Edmondson approved the work contract.

Miller, whose movies include “Layer Cake” and “Factory Girl,” is seeking an injunction to restrain the newspaper from “using, accessing or attempting to access voicemail messages left for her or by her and from publishing or causing to be published any confidential information,” as well as “exemplary damages” according to a court document dated Nov. 30.

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Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Private Detectives on Megan Waterman Missing Woman Case

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Private detectives hired by an international activist group are investigating the disappearance of a Maine woman once thought to be among the four dead women found in Gilgo Beach, the woman's family said Monday.

Relatives of Megan Waterman, 22, who worked as a prostitute and vanished after meeting a client in Hauppauge in June, said they worked with Avaaz - an online group advocating on climate change, human rights and corruption - to hire two female investigators in mid-November.

Suffolk detectives have turned up no evidence that Waterman is among the dead whose bones were found wrapped in burlap on Dec. 11 and 13 off Ocean Parkway, police say, but they have not ruled her out definitively. Monday, Suffolk police said there was nothing new in the probe of the bodies.

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Thursday, December 16, 2010

Private Investigator Hunts Budgie Killer

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The birds' owner, Andrew Pooley, 58, returned home on August 20 to discover that two of his prize exhibits, including Penmead Pride, had been killed and 21 others, worth £2,000, stolen.

The theft and destruction of the prize-winning budgies took place the night before the Cornwall Budgerigar Show – where Penmead Pride was crowned champion last year – leading to suspicion it may have been carried out by a rival.

Mr Pooley, from Delabole in Cornwall, has sought help from John Hayward, a former Thames Valley Police detective.

He announced today that he would offer a reward of around £200 for information leading to the birds' safe return or to the arrest and conviction of the thieves.

Mr Pooley said: ''Either somebody hates me a lot and wanted to kill that bird to hurt me or they've accidentally stepped on the birds.

''You can't explain to somebody how you feel. All my life I've been trying to breed a bird like this and I eventually got there.

''I had two or three like it to be honest, which were stolen and taken away from me and this one (Penmead Pride) was killed.

''I picked it up in my hand and I just couldn't believe that somebody had killed that bird – it's like me losing one of my children.''

Mr Pooley added that concern for the stolen budgerigars' welfare remains high.


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Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Bycroft Board to Hire Investigator to Check Workers Comp Costs

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LISBON - Columbiana County Board of Developmental Disabilities members agreed Tuesday to hire a private eye to look into Workers' Compensation issues with employees.

Superintendent William Devon cited the high cost of employee claims the last few years as the reason for the action.

"I think we're exceedingly high," he said by phone.

The cost of claims last year was about $473,000 and this year's claims will go over $400,000. He explained that Boards of Developmental Disabilities across the state are generally the highest when it comes to Workers' Compensation claims.

Considering some of their clients can be hard to handle due to their challenges, it's to be expected, but he said recent years have been costly. The CCBDD has the highest amount for claims of all government agencies in the county.


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Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Wife of doctor murdered in South Africa calls on Dewani link investigation

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The wife of a doctor murdered in South Africa has asked a private investigator to explore any link between her husband's death and Shrien Dewani, the British bridegroom wanted over the murder of his wife.

Heather Raghavjee asked Christian Botha to examine both cases to see if there was any connection.

The move came after the South African police said they were investigating possible links between the death of Dr Pox Raghavjee in 2007 and that of Anni Dewani in November.

Mrs Dewani was on honeymoon with her new husband Shrien Dewani in Cape Town when their taxi was carjacked and she was shot dead.


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Thursday, December 02, 2010

The Undercover World of the Female Private Investigator

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Going undercover to expose cheating partners, finding long-lost dads and recovering snatched kids is all part of the job for Anna Willson.

As a private investigator, she has found being a woman in what was a man's world is an asset because people tend to be less suspicious of her snooping.

The majority of her cases involve cheating husbands, though she's not keen on the idea of honey traps. But hidden cameras and fake identities are among the tools she uses, while social network sites such as Facebook have been a huge help for her spying.

Anna says her job involves digging into people's pasts as well but added: "I love the fact that every day is different and every new case is a challenge. My job is about wanting the truth."


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Wednesday, December 01, 2010

Simon Will Fight: Private Investigator Was Hired

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NOBLESVILLE — Bren Simon has turned over documents pertaining to a private investigator that she hired to collect information on beneficiaries of her late husband Melvin Simon’s trust.

Revelations about the investigation came in a court hearing held today in a legal challenge to the Simon will.

It’s the latest step in the nearly year-long dispute over the late billionaire mall developer’s estate in Hamilton County.

Attorneys for Deborah Simon, who has sued her stepmother in the will dispute, said they want sanctions against Bren Simon for failure to promptly turn over the documents.

Bren Simon turned over those documents earlier this month; she was requested to turn them over last summer.

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Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Female Atlanta Private Investigator Uses Bounty Hunting Skills to Help Attorneys and the Public

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Atlanta, GA, November 29, 2010 --(PR.com)-- Traici Sexton, M.A. is not your typical private investigator. In addition to her work as a criminal defense investigator, this Atlanta area female private investigator has tracked down bail jumpers, lost loves, deadbeat dads, debtors, runaways, kidnap victims, fugitives and more. From high profile hard-skip fugitives to tenants who have skipped out on rent and defendants in civil cases, Traici gives each case special attention that only someone with her experience and expertise can. “I find people sometimes in the most unusual ways. It seems to be more like a sixth sense and something that cannot really be explained or taught,” Traici remarks.

After more than six years traveling throughout the United States tracking down and apprehending bail jumpers for Georgia bondsmen, and three years instructing bounty hunting classes for the Georgia Association of Professional Bondsman, Traici is now applying her skills to help attorneys, landlords, financial institutions, corporations, and the general public. The change has not affected her numbers: she maintains a higher than 95% success rate since 2003 and has a reputation for being able to find people when others have failed. “One of the attorneys I regularly do work for refers to me as the “clean-up crew”, Traici quips,“I often find myself cleaning-up after other investigators who were not able to complete the job… and that is how I get most of my referrals”.


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Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Charges Dropped Against Craft Private Investigator

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A Catoosa County judge has dropped the criminal case against a private investigator who worked for Tonya Craft.

Eric Echols was originally charged with three counts of influencing a witness after he was hired to do work for Craft on her child custody suit against her ex-husband.

Craft was acquitted on 22 counts of various child molestation charges in May.

The charges against Echols stem from an August 2009 conversation in the father of one of
Craft’s alleged victims said Echols threatened him. But a transcript of the recorded conversation between Echols and the father shows the men having a polite conversation.


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Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Private Investigator Says He's Uncovered Other Leads In Marmolejo Case

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EL PASO, Texas -- The court-appointed private investigator in David Marmolejo's case claims he uncovered more than three leads, that, if followed, may prove Marmolejo did not kill his mother, Gloria.

Gloria Marmolejo's body was found in the Santa Teresa Desert in the summer of 2009. Her face was buried in the sand, her head wrapped in plastic and her shirt pulled up.

For days before the gruesome discovery, her son, David Marmolejo, mourned his mother in front of relatives, and in a news conference with media, in which his family asked for assistance in finding her.

El Paso Police later charged him with murder, and in his first trial, prosecutors argued he killed his mother because she disapproved of his romantic relationship with his significantly younger stepsister, Mariah Wilson.

Wilson was granted immunity for her testimony in the case against Marmolejo. She told jurors she saw Marmolejo hide his mother's body in the desert and that he described to her how he killed Gloria.

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Thursday, November 11, 2010

Hawthorne Officials Mum on City Manager's Hiring of Private Investigator

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Hawthorne residents who sought answers for why the city manager hired an unlicensed private investigator to nose around City Hall have been met with silence.

City Council members called Tuesday night for a closed-door meeting to discuss the issue, after residents asked for a public explanation for the secret investigation.

City Manager Jim Mitsch spent at least $8,000 in taxpayer funds last summer to hire unlicensed private investigator Edward Ortega to interview employees. But he has not explained why he hired the investigator or what exactly Ortega was tasked with uncovering.

"The council should do a thorough investigation of this matter," Olivia Valentine, a former City Council candidate, told the council on Tuesday. "The council promised the people transparency and should live up to its promise. The people have a right to know exactly what is going on."


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Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Hit-mom Private Eye Got Tough-Guy Language From 'Sopranos'

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A private detective - who yesterday testified in a Long Island courtroom that accused hit-mom Susan Williams asked him to find a hitman - said he got some of the tough-guy language he used with Williams from an episode of ``The Sopranos.’’

Joseph LaBella said that when Williams, 43, asked him in a Carle Place diner to find someone she could pay to injure or kill her estranged husband Peter Williams, he said he responded that someone could ``beat him up with a bat, a pipe’’ and put him into a coma ``sipping through a straw in a hospital bed.’’

Under cross-examination, defense lawyer John Carman asked the retired undercover cop if he had switched into his ``alter-ego as a street thug?’


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Tuesday, November 09, 2010

Private Detective Tells You How to Stay Safe

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The profession of private detective conjures up visions of cheating spouses, undercover stings and covert operations. Really, it's like every other job, but with a bit more excitement. I have been working the streets of Erie for the past 25 years in various public sector criminal justice jobs and recently struck out on my own, opening Rogan Investigations, a private detective agency based in Erie.

I've seen a lot in my years in this business and the lack of attention that others pay to their surroundings has always concerned me, particularly when it comes to women.

As women, we need to always be aware of the environment around us so we can respond and react appropriately. It's important to think before you leave your home, car, or office.
I can't tell you the number of women, and men for that matter, I have followed who have no idea that I am watching them. I must be a good private detective, right? Wrong, sort of. I am a good private detective, but the truth is that most people just don't think about their own personal safety and surroundings.

If I am watching you, who else is?

Now that we're entering the holiday season, women can be more distracted than ever.

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Thursday, November 04, 2010

Miley Cyrus To Play Private Investigator In 'So Undercover'

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Miley Cyrus has landed another movie role - this time in the forthcoming action-comedy So Undercover.

The 17-year-old has been tapped to play a young private investigator who goes undercover at a college sorority - after being hired by the FBI.

Tom Vaughan (What Happens in Vegas) will direct the movie say reports, which is based on a script written by Allan Loeb and Steven Pearl.

So Undercover will be produced and financed by Guy East and Nigel Sinclair's Exclusive Media
Group, with Sinclair saying of the forthcoming movie: "There will be a touch of real danger when she goes undercover.

"We have a sharp, funny, accessible and commercial script from Allan and Steven that is a perfect match for her comic talents," he added to Variety. "We are also thrilled to have Tom Vaughan at the helm."

Meanwhile, Miley's next film to be released is LOL: Laughing Out Loud in 2011. Cyrus plays the role of Lola and stars alongside Demi Moore and Twilight's Ashley Greene.

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Wednesday, November 03, 2010

Investigators Hired by South Beloit

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The South Beloit City Council voted to hire a private investigation firm out of Rockford to investigate allegations against newly appointed Police Chief Waylon Weber.

The council voted 5-0 Monday following an executive session meeting to hire Stewart Investigations to investigate allegations of department policy violations regarding an incident that took place in February of 2009 involving Weber when he was a patrol officer.

Council member Robert Stone requested the investigators be hired.Mayor Randy Kirichkow had filed a complaint against Weber with the Fire and Police Commission regarding the incident. The commission has set a hearing on the matter to be held at 2 p.m. Thursday at South Beloit City Hall. There has been no indication that the hearing will be affected by the outside investigation. It also was not announced what the cost of the investigation will be.

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Tuesday, November 02, 2010

Katie Price Hires Private Detective To Track Down Lost Mobile Phone…

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As her book signing tour continued, Katie Price arrived at Waterstones in Northampton yesterday where she showcased a variety of odd facial expressions obviously to demonstrate the fact that she’s definitely not having Botox anymore – and boy do we believe her.

Meanwhile Jords is said to be mad, MAD with fear over Andrew Gould’s lost mobile phone. Apparently her horse-trainer’s phone contains a variety of intimate message sent from Gould to his wife, and the glamour model is for some reason worried that it’ll fall into the wrong hands therefore she’s allegedly hired a private investigator to track it down. A source close to Jords tells the Mirror today:

“As soon as Katie found the phone had been lost she went ballistic. People were wondering why she was so worried. There were some risqué text messages on the phone.

“Kate said she was worried that, no matter how harmless or innocent they may have been, the phone would fall into the wrong hands.”


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Thursday, October 28, 2010

Politicians Using Private Investigators to Take a Closer Look at Opponents and Themselves

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ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — A questionable military service record. An immigrant housekeeper without a visa. A criminal charge from long ago. Sexual indiscretions.

Such private issues thought long buried are the currency of the secretive and growing world where campaigns hire private investigators. PIs dig up dirt on opponents and, increasingly, the candidates who've hired them.

"Were they really in the military? Did they actually serve in combat? well, maybe not," said Randy Torgerson, a PI and president of the United States Association of Professional Investigators based in Montana. "Some of the biggest things, as people move up the ladder, are sexual issues ... and then the embellishments.

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Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Private Eyes Aim to Kill Black Ops Video-Game Piracy with Kindness

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Private investigators have begun tracking down pirates of Call of Duty Black Ops, an unpublished video game that’s expected to be the hottest game of the season.

But instead of busting them and turning them over to the FBI, the investigators are trying a different tactic. They’re approaching the pirates and telling them to please stop selling illegal copies of the game.

One of the people who bought a disk online has even posted a four-part video on YouTube describing his experience (part one of BlackGate is posted below) of buying a game and getting caught. He described the investigator who cornered him as “polite.”


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Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Family Launches Private Investigation into Spokane Pastor Shooting

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SPOKANE VALLEY -- The family of an elderly Spokane Valley pastor killed in an officer-involved shooting in August has hired a private investigator to dig deeper into the case.

On the night of August 25, Spokane County Sheriff's deputy Brian Hirzel shot and killed Scott Creach, 74, in the parking lot of Creach's business, The Plant Farm.

Creach's family is still waiting for a decision from Spokane County Prosecutor Steve Tucker on whether Hirzel will be criminally charged, but they are also conducting their own investigation into what happened that night.


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Thursday, October 21, 2010

Casey Anthony: Texas EquuSearch Volunteers Cite ‘Tampering’ by Defense Private Eye

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Two Texas EquuSearch complained to WFTV-Ch. 9 that a defense private investigator in the Casey Anthony case tried to tamper with their testimony.

The two men said investigator Jeremy Lyons tried to get them to change their testimony about searching for Caylee Anthony’s remains, WFTV’s Kathi Belich reported tonight.

Volunteers Brett Churchill and Brett Reilly say the area — where the toddler was later found — was underwater when they searched it. Both men are prosecution witnesses in the murder case, and both told Belich that Lyons’ actions were like tampering. The two volunteers “say Lyons lied to Churchill that Reilly had changed his story about whether the woods were flooded,” Belich reported.


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Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Body Confirmed to be Missing Banker; Cause of Death Still Sought

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Harrison Township — The Macomb County Medical Examiner Office has determined the body found along the shores of Lake St. Clair is that of missing Mount Clemens bank executive David Widlak, but it's still unclear what caused his death, officials said.

The body of the 62-year-old from Grosse Pointe Farms was found in a marshy area of Lake St. Clair on Sunday night.

Macomb County Sheriff Mark Hackel said this afternoon the examiner's office was able to positively identify the victim from dental records.

The medical examiner was not able to find any evidence of blunt force trauma to Widlak's body and is waiting for the results of the toxicology report to shed more light on the cause of his death, Hackel said.



Link
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Thursday, October 14, 2010

Investigator: Kamp Grew Angry During Interview with Neighbor

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CHARLESTON — Heather Kamp grew angry when she learned private investigators were at her neighbor’s house, flashing money and asking questions about Kate Waring’s disappearance, according to testimony today.

Investigator Eugene Frazier told a Charleston jury said he and two other investigators went to Terry Williams apartment on James Island in August 2009 hoping to learn something about Waring. Williams lived next door to Kamp and Ethan Mack, who emerged as suspects in the case.

Frazier said he had been contacted by landlord Isaac Washington, who was troubled by an article in The Post and Courier in which Mack claimed to be living on Johns Island. Knowing that Mack and Kamp lived beside him, Washington was worried that Mack was trying to mislead police, Frazier testified.


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Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Forsyth Investigators Search Grounds Around Missing Woman's Apartment

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Forsyth County investigators Tuesday afternoon were preparing to search the grounds around the apartment of a 66-year old Cumming woman who has been missing for a week.

The family of Ann Marie Barker, who lived alone at the Oxford Summit apartments on Ronald Reagan Boulevard in Cumming, has hired Alpharetta private investigator T.J. Ward to help find her, Ward said Tuesday.

“I’m working with the sheriff’s office, and so far it’s still a mystery what happened,” said Ward.

Forsyth County sheriff Ted Paxton said in a statement released by his office that there was no sign of a struggle at Barker's apartment and her purse and cell phone were at the residence. Barker was last seen Oct. 5 when she made a routine transaction at a nearby Wachovia Bank.


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Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Testimony: Private Firm Hired for Booker Investigation

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ROCKFORD — Winnebago County Sheriff Deputy Chief Kurt Ditzler told a disciplinary panel today that the department hired a private investigator to look into allegations against Sgt. Aaron Booker because department staff couldn’t give the probe the time it deserved.

Ditzler, who holds the department’s No. 2 position, testified this morning in a Sheriff Department’s Merit Commission disciplinary hearing regarding Booker. The hearing has recessed until this afternoon.


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Thursday, October 07, 2010

Director John McTiernan Prepares to Appeal Sentence

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LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - "Die Hard" director John McTiernan was sentenced to a year in prison and fined $100,000 on Monday for lying during the wiretapping investigation of Hollywood private investigator Anthony Pellicano and about his involvement in the wiretapping of producer Charles Roven. U.S. District Judge Dale Fischer gave a stinging rebuke from the bench before sentencing McTiernan, saying "the defendant doesn't feel the law applies to him."

McTiernan declined the opportunity to address the court or speak with reporters outside the courtroom, but free pending an appeal, he spoke to The Hollywood Reporter.

The Hollywood Reporter: You were given the opportunity to speak before sentencing, but you chose not to. Why?

John McTiernan: My lawyers said that if I said one thing that's really on my mind, than they could guarantee that I was going to prison right now. I was all prepared. They spent basically 36 hours pleading with me. (I was told,) "You'll feel good for about five minutes, and then you'll curse yourself for a long time afterwards."

THR: What would you have said?

McTiernan: I'm not saying anything. There wasn't any point in saying anything in that venue; that venue wasn't listening.

THR: There were pointed comments from the bench about not eating "aged cheese and fine wine" in prison. Where did that come from?

McTiernan: (Judge Fischer) was trying to ridicule me. I take a very heavy-duty antidepressant; I've lived on it for 35 years, and it has heavy dietary restrictions. And what they did was take the silliest of them and put them in. It was some ridicule the prosecution had put in their papers, and she just repeated it over.

THR: You'll be appealing?

McTiernan: We're already filing the papers. I've already paid the appeals lawyer.

THR: Are you optimistic that you will not serve the sentence?

McTiernan: I didn't start this because I was afraid to go to jail. It would have been much easier to go to jail. And less expensive. And some of the minimum-security prison camps are not bad, and there are actually interesting people there. And I have managed to live my life not being too afraid of new experiences, including going off to a federal prison for four months. That isn't why I started this fight. I started because these people have less respect for the law than they accuse me of having.



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Wednesday, October 06, 2010

Private Investigator Sues Fraser-Kirk

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Frank Monte, a private investigator, says he is suing the David Jones publicist Kristy Fraser-Kirk for claiming he has been illegally bugging and stalking her.

Mr Monte said in a statement yesterday that he had hired a barrister and directed his solicitor to launch defamation and perjury proceedings against Ms Fraser-Kirk, who is suing her employer and former boss, Mark McInnes, for sexual harassment.

''They've dragged me into this screaming,'' he said. ''I've kept my nose clean for some time now.''

Ms Fraser-Kirk's legal team said this week in the Federal Court that the 27-year-old had developed a psychological disorder as a result of ''extreme'' media interest in the case.

Barrister Rachel Francois said in court that her client was ''particularly intimidated'' by reports that Mr Monte was running background checks and surveillance on her.

Mr Monte said yesterday he resented insinuations he was involved in illegal surveillance, such as ''bugging, stalking or bombing''.


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Thursday, September 30, 2010

Few Clues in Brown Graduate's Disappearance

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PROVIDENCE-- Providence police and a private investigator are trying to determine what happened to a recent Brown University graduate from Russia who was reported missing.

Konstantin Salikhov is 31 years old and hasn't been seen since a trip to the West Coast last month.

Salikhov is 6 feet tall and recently completed a doctorate in math. He's an avid runner.

"Just a quiet reserved kid. Didn't need much. A minimalist. Never knew he was a Ph.D. in math," said Stephen Kariotis, Salikhov's landlord.

Salikhov has lived at 210 Waterman St. in Providence for the past five years. He left a note inside his small apartment saying he was on vacation until Aug. 24. He told his parents in Russia he was going out west on a camping trip in early August by himself.

He sent photos to his parents, whom he talked to regularly. He hiked in Sequoia National Park and visited geysers in Wyoming before returning a rented car to San Francisco on Aug. 20.

He called his parents the next day.

"I believe this because of the connection and whatever the time was, it (the phone call) was kind of broken up. He just stated, 'Mom and Dad, I'm home and I'm safe.' And that was pretty much the extent of the phone call and, 'I'll talk to you at a later time,'" said Mark Chauppetta, a private detective.

Salikhov's parents hired Chauppetta when they didn't hear from their son.

"They were pretty close-knit, kept in touch with each other. And then after not hearing back from him, that's when they became concerned and called the Russian consulate office," Chauppetta said.

Providence police said Salikhov's credit cards have not been used since Aug. 20 and that there has been no cell phone use in the past 2 weeks.

They said they believe Salikhov is still in California, but San Francisco police told NBC 10 that they know nothing about the case and that no one has contacted them.

"They probably felt that there was no crime committed, that he's a 31-year-old male. He likes to camp. He hasn't shown up. He graduated from college. So, I don't think they were that concerned," Chauppetta said. "But now, not being in touch with his parents, not being in touch with anyone, not being seen here."

The car Salikhov used in Providence is also missing. It's a silver Hyundai Elantra with Rhode Island license plate 712-678.

Officials at Logan International Airport and at T.F. Green Airport reported no sign of it.

The detective is trying to obtain records from Salikhov's checking account and to find any record if he flew back from California.

Providence police asked anyone with information about Salikhov to call them.

Brown University released a statment on Wednesday, saying Salikhov received his PhD in mathematics from Brown in May 2010.

In early September, Providence Police contacted Brown's Department of Public Safety (DPS) concerning a possible missing person investigation of Salikhov. Although Salikhov is no longer a student at Brown, DPS has been cooperating with Providence police on this matter.


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Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Famed Private Investigator Hired by Bishop Eddie Long

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DULUTH, GA -- He's investigated some of the highest profile missing persons cases in the country. The disappearance of Natalee Holloway made private investigator T.J. Ward a superstar on cable news. Now he's been hired by Bishop Eddie Long.

11Alive News spoke to Ward in his Duluth home.

"I was called by attorney Dwight Thomas," Ward said. "They said they needed somebody that was experienced in doing investigations to look into these allegations that have been brought against Bishop Eddie Long and the church."

Dwight Thomas stood behind Long as he held a press conference inside New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia on Sunday. Ward has been been hired by the Bishop's team to investigate each of the allegations made against Long and to investigate the four young men making the claims.

"Each of these charges is frivolous and we plan to address them accordingly," Ward said.

This is a time when the tables will be turned.

The four accusers have made shockingly intimate sexual allegations against their church leader. Now it's Ward's turn to delve deep into their lives, their pasts, to defend his client.

Whatever he finds will be used to help Eddie Long.

Meantime, Long got some support from his peers. Approximately 30 area pastors met with Long for a prayer service Tuesday night at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church.


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Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Private Investigators Offering HD Surveillance Footage For Clients Online

Davis Investigators, Inc. are among the first in the country to offer High Definition (HD) surveillance footage that their clients can access online at any time. Davis Investigations has always been at the forefront of technology, using the latest equipment to obtain surveillance footage for their clients.

There’s both a science and an art to video surveillance. After 21 years of video surveillance in medical malpractice, personal injury and matrimonial cases, Davis Investigations has the practical experience and the equipment to obtain the best footage.

In maintaining Davis’ commitment to professionalism in both conduct and evidence produced, delivering our videos via our personalized “Client Home Page” presents a user experience that is straightforward, fast, and easy to navigate. Additionally, our highly praised photos extracted from the video are available next to the video on the surveillance case page.

Delivering High Definition (HD) video online increases our client’s day to day efficiency, allowing them access to their videos from any computer, anytime. By viewing the video on a computer screen the client will be able to enjoy the benefits of our HD videos - crystal clear and sharp; exposing the subject’s true abilities and / or intentions like never before.

“Delivering our surveillance videos to our clients online via our secure website revolutionizes the way we present our videos to our clients,” said Adam Frasca LPI/Vice President Davis Investigations, Inc. “Viewable from any computer, clients receive their videos faster and no longer need to secure a DVD player to view them.”

This means clients aren’t dependent on technology to view their footage, but can be strategizing or conferring about the content footage immediately.

About Davis Investigations, Inc.:
Davis Investigations, Inc. is a family owned and operated private investigations firm whose three principal owners have over 40 combined years experience in the specific discipline of video surveillance. Davis Investigations, Inc. are licensed Private Investigators in the states of New York and Connecticut.

Our private detectives are experts in executing the most sophisticated surveillance techniques and the use of the latest high technology equipment including: High Definition (HD) video cameras, hidden video cameras, GPS tracking devices and other surveillance equipment.

Davis’ investigators are not just highly skilled at understanding human behavior to maximize surveillance success, but they are highly reliable and credible expert witnesses when testifying about our videos and observations; a critical point often overlooked when hiring a Private Investigator.

Our surveillance videos project a professional image - whether exchanged with plaintiff’s counsel to initiate settlement negotiations or offered in to evidence to influence juries. If the case goes to trial, our surveillance videos ultimately win defense verdicts.

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Thursday, September 23, 2010

Boynton Beach Commissioners Oust CRA Director After Investigation into Relationship with Vendor

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BOYNTON BEACH -After months of back-and-forth allegations, the city commissioners, acting as the Community Redevelopment Board, voted 4-1 not to renew the contract of Lisa Bright, the CRA executive director.

Commissioner Woodrow Hay cast the dissenting vote.

The decision came just days after commissioners were hand-delivered the final report from a private investigator hired in August to look into the ties between Bright and one of the CRA's vendors. The investigation concluded Bright did not disclose the connections to the board.

Bright's contract would have automatically renewed for another year at the end of September. The board voted at last week's CRA meeting to put Bright on administrative leave with pay, but the commissioners were split 2-2 on not renewing Bright's contract, with Commissioner Bill Orlove undecided.

Commissioner Marlene Ross, who spoke in support of Bright last week, said that her decision was made based on the findings of the investigation.

"Based on all of these reports, I can see that according to this information, some procedures were not followed and some disclosures were not made," she said.

Orlove said that he found some information revealed in the report to be "troubling."

"In my opinion, Lisa Bright, as a government employee, should have disclosed her relationship regarding Joseph Ferrer to the CRA Board and let it determine the outcome of the contracts," he said.

During the public comment portion of the meeting, prior to the discussion about the investigation, Bright's attorney, Isidro Garcia, spoke on behalf on his client, calling the investigation a "witch hunt."

The report states that evidence shows that Bright has known the vendor, Joseph Ferrer, for at least 10 years, and that she lived at and leased a cottage on Ferrer's property prior to her employment with the Boynton CRA.

It also says that Bright was "untruthful or misleading" at a July 20 CRA Board meeting when she publicly said that she never lived at Ferrer's home and only used that address to get her daughter into a different school.

Hay, who voiced his support for Bright last week, said tonight that Bright should be given back her job.

"The problem is not the CRA," he said. "The problem is the CRA Board. I've lost confidence in many of us who are sitting up here with me tonight."

Bright, who sat calmly composed in the audience during the discussion, declined to comment after the vote was made. She will get a severance package of 150 days paid, according to her contract. The Palm Beach County State Attorney's Office also is investigating Bright, according to Bright's attorney, but the reason is not known.

Due to time constraints, the commissioners voted to table the appointment of a seven-member independent CRA Board until the Oct. 5 commission meeting.



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Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Newspapers Used me as Fall Guy, Says Convicted Private Eye

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A private investigator paid by journalists to illegally obtain information about celebrities and public figures has said he was a fall guy for the powerful newspaper groups he worked for. Steve Whittamore told Radio 4's PM programme that he had played "Oliver to the press's Fagin".

He said it seemed unfair that newspaper executives and journalists who commissioned him had not been convicted of any wrongdoing. "It would appear unfair," he told the programme. "It would appear they should have stood and be counted but quite frankly I wasn't expecting any support from them.

"[Journalists] actually asked me to do it on their behalf. I suppose you could view it as my Oliver Twist to the press's Fagin. Something along those lines. Requests were asked of me by people who I viewed as really being above reproach. They were huge corporations. I assumed they knew what they were asking for."

Whittamore was found guilty of obtaining and disclosing information under the Data Protection Act in 2005 after passing information obtained from the police national database to newspapers. He was given a two-year conditional discharge.

His office in Hampshire was raided by the Office of the Information Commissioner two years earlier as part of Operation Motorman, an investigation designed to crack down on the growing trade in information obtained illegally.

Newspapers who used Whittamore included the News of the World and many other titles. A report by the information commissioner said more than 50 Daily Mail journalists bought material from Whittamore on 952 occasions. Other customers included the Daily Mirror (681 transactions), News of the World (228), Sunday Times (4) and Observer (103). The Observer is owned by the Guardian's parent company Guardian Media Group.

Whittamore was speaking for the first time since the Guardian revealed last year that the News of the World's owner News Group Newspapers, a subsidiary of Rupert Murdoch's News International, had paid three people whose voicemails were hacked more than £1m out of court.

The revelation cast light on the extent of phone hacking at the paper and led to several investigations into how much Andy Coulson, the paper's former editor, knew about it. Coulson is now David Cameron's director of communications.


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Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Indictment of Private Investigators Hired by Oleg Deripaska's Aide to Spy on Michael Cherney

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TEL AVIV, Israel, September 20, 2010 / -- On Sunday, Tel Aviv Magistrates Court charged two private investigators, Rafael Pridan and Maxim Gurevich, with the illegal wiretapping of Businessman Michael Cherney. The two had been hired by an aide to Russian aluminum tycoon Oleg Deripaska, Cherney's ex-partner.

According to the indictment, in April 2007 Alexei Drobashenko (Director of the "Eurasian Group", one of Deripaska's companies) turned to a previously convicted Israeli radical activist Avigdor Eskin, with an offer to conduct a smear campaign to discredit Michael Cherney. Eskin has introduced Drobashenko to PIs Aviv Mor and Rafael Pridan who had been earlier stripped of his Private investigator license. From May to October 2007 Eskin, Mor, and Pridan met several times in Moscow with Drobashenko, who wanted to dig for any compromising information on Mr Cherney. The detectives conducted surveillance of Mr Cherney and illegal wiretaps of his line for about 6 months.

After being arrested in November 2007 Rafi Pridan was charged yesterday with illegal actions in private investigation, illegal wiretapping, and illegal use of obtained materials. Avi Mor, another private investigator involved, cut a deal with the Prosecution last January. For the illegal surveillance of Mr Cherney, he was sentenced to six months of communal service and eight months of suspended jail time.

Michael Cherney claims that a smear campaign against him was launched by his ex-partner in aluminum trading Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska. In early 2007 Mr Cherney filed a suit in UK against Deripaska for $3 billion for violating their contract; Mr Cherney believes that this caused Deripaska to launch a smear campaign, including illegal wiretapping.

In February 2008 Mr Cherney filed a suit in Tel Aviv's District Court against Deripaska and eight other people, demanding a compensation of 10 million shekels (about $3 million) for moral damages suffered in the smear campaign. Among the respondents are also Eurasian Group's


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Thursday, September 16, 2010

Cops: Phony DEA agent tried to pull over a Suffolk Police detective

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Detective William Zambito was driving home from work Monday afternoon in his private vehicle when he was stopped by an unmarked car with flashing lights and sirens, police said.

Victor Alfaro-Marquez, 35, approached the vehicle and identified himself as a Drug Enforcement Agency agent, police said.

Mr. Zambito, of 43 Ruland Rd., identified himself as a detective and Mr. Alfaro-Marquez quickly returned to his black 1999 Mercedes Benz SUV and left the scene, police said.

But the detective was suspicious of Mr. Alfaro-Marquez's behavior and conducted an investigation, which led to the arrest of Mr. Alfaro-Marquez at his home, police said.

Mr. Alfaro-Marquez's vehicle was impounded and police recovered two badges, handcuffs, a pellet pistol in a holster and a DEA baseball hat and shirt. Mr. Alfaro-Marquez was charged with criminal impersonation second-degree and released on bail, police said.



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Cops: Phony DEA Agent Tried to Pull Over a Suffolk Police Detective

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A Selden man was arrested Monday and charged with impersonating a federal officer after he pulled over an off-duty Suffolk Police detective in Centereach, authorities said.

Detective William Zambito was driving home from work Monday afternoon in his private vehicle when he was stopped by an unmarked car with flashing lights and sirens, police said.

Victor Alfaro-Marquez, 35, approached the vehicle and identified himself as a Drug Enforcement Agency agent, police said.

Mr. Zambito, of 43 Ruland Rd., identified himself as a detective and Mr. Alfaro-Marquez quickly returned to his black 1999 Mercedes Benz SUV and left the scene, police said.

But the detective was suspicious of Mr. Alfaro-Marquez's behavior and conducted an investigation, which led to the arrest of Mr. Alfaro-Marquez at his home, police said.

Mr. Alfaro-Marquez's vehicle was impounded and police recovered two badges, handcuffs, a pellet pistol in a holster and a DEA baseball hat and shirt. Mr. Alfaro-Marquez was charged with criminal impersonation second-degree and released on bail, police said.



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Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Nevada settles Able Services suit over Private Investigators Licensing Board investigation for $580,000

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Nevada has agreed to pay $580,000 to the owners of a former credit screening firm who said their business was ruined by comments from an investigator with the Private Investigators Licensing Board.

The Board of Examiners approved the settlement Thursday with Hugh, Bret and Janice Lantz of Able Services in Reno.

Able Services provided credit screenings for landlords and employers. The state attorney general's office said an investigation was launched in 2003 after a citizen complained the firm also was conducting background checks, which requires licensing.

A federal court jury in Reno awarded the owners $670,000 in March. A settlement was later reached on appeal for $580,000.


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Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Minister Hired Private Detectives to Spy on Aides

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LONDON — A justice minister on Friday admitted hiring private investigators to spy on colleagues, after publication of their findings revealed they thought he was dishonest, lazy and a "disaster" who needed to be removed.

Conservative Jonathan Djanogly admitted he might have "overreacted" by using the investigators to unearth their private criticisms of him following allegations about his parliamentary expenses.

But he insisted they had not acted illegally and said he had not used public money to pay for the probe, which he said was sparked by a series of "very malicious, anonymous attacks on my family."

An aide to Cameron said he agreed Djanogly had gone over the top but said: "He will be judged as a minister on the work he does for the government."

Djanogly, MP for Huntingdon -- a constituency once held by former Conservative prime minister John Major -- spoke out after the results of the private probe were published in The Daily Telegraph newspaper.

The paper revealed that investigators had been instructed by Djanogly to conduct "discreet inquiries under the pretext of writing a newspaper article."

They questioned Peter Brown, the minister's election agent who reportedly described Djanogly as "lazy", as well as another senior colleague who said the minister was "dishonest" over his expenses.

Yet another colleague told an investigator: "He has been a disaster and we need to de-select him (remove him as a lawmaker), but it will take time."

The junior minister at the Ministry of Justice ordered the probe by Morris Chase International, which reportedly cost more than 5,000 pounds (7,700 dollars, 6,000 euros), after the Telegraph alleged last July that he had claimed 13,000 pounds in expenses to pay a Polish student who was working for his family as an au pair.

In a statement Friday, Djanogly said: "Following a series of malicious allegations made against me in newspapers last year, I felt I had to act to find out who was spreading these untrue stories."

He said he was "very disappointed" that the investigators' report had been published, adding: "I am sorry if some people judge that I made a mistake.

"With hindsight I can see that I may have overreacted, but I was being subjected to very malicious, anonymous attacks on my family."



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Thursday, September 09, 2010

Kerry Katona tells detective: Find me a decent man

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Having clawed her way back from the brink of bankruptcy after her ex-husband Mark Croft wasted all her cash, Kerry Katona, 30, could be forgiven for being a little wary of the next guy who comes sniffing around.

Now can reveal that Kerry has hired a private investigator to complete background checks on all potential suitors.

‘Kerry was very hurt by Mark and he took her for everything she had,' a friend tells Now.

‘She was totally destroyed, emotionally and financially.'

Kerry, who now lives in Surrey, split with Mark, 38, seven months ago.

But instead of being able to make a clean break, she was left with nearly £500,000 of debt after discovering he'd spent all her money on fast cars and fruitless business ventures.

Kerry has since dated painter and decorator Adam Waldron, 33.

But that soon ended in tears after she dumped him, citing his drinking as a reason.

Adam's family have denied the accusation.

Now she's dating kick boxer Scott Gibson, who she met on the dating website Match.com.

And it seems her investigator - who's helped Kerry with various situations in the past - has put her mind at rest as she happily arranged to meet Scott for a drink two weeks ago at a bar in Brighton.

‘The private eye finds out where they live, what their financial situation is and if they have children, ex-wives, a criminal record or any other skeletons to hide,' says the friend.

‘Although Kerry loves a bad boy, Mark lost a lot of her money and she doesn't want to end up high and dry again.

‘Her management fully support her decision to safeguard her finances.'


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Wednesday, September 08, 2010

San Bernardino Argues Private Investigator's Claim Lacks Merit

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San Bernardino contends that a private investigator has failed to provide clear-cut evidence to support claims in a lawsuit that the city owes him nearly $39,000 for investigating allegations of police misconduct.

Private investigator William Schneid filed the four-page lawsuit July 6, alleging the city breached its oral contract and still owes him $38,815.38 for his services.

The city argued in its three-page response to the lawsuit Aug. 5 that the city entered into a written contract with Schneid that called for a payment of $22,000.

"The parties agreed orally and confirmed in writing that any obligation of the city to plaintiff (Schneid) would be satisfied in full by the city's payment of approximately $22,000 to plaintiff," according to the city's response to Schneid's lawsuit.

Schneid, however, alleges that he investigated allegations of police misconduct for two years, including a police sergeant accused of illegally detaining suspects and stealing department funds. When he submitted billing statements to the city totaling more than $38,0000, the city refused to pay him.

City Attorney James F. Penman said he is unaware of any oral agreement between Schneid and the city that stipulated for more money.

"No one had authority to enter into that kind of agreement anyway. The Mayor and (City) Council would have to approve that, and they did not," Penman said.

The city believes that the allegations in Schneid's complaint are vague and fail to state specific facts and details.



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Tuesday, September 07, 2010

Retired Santa Clara DA's Investigator Wins Honor from International Organization

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The International High Technology Crime Investigation Association (HTCIA), a consortium of law enforcement, private investigators and corporate security professionals, has awarded its annual Lifetime Achievement honor to retired Lieutenant John McMullen, formerly of the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Bureau of Investigation.

A founding member of HTCIA and a pioneer in the investigation of high technology crime cases, McMullen played a key role in the successful prosecution of several high-profile Silicon Valley criminal cases. He served as supervisor of the Silicon Valley Computer Forensic Lab, Project Director for Silicon Valley’s regional high tech crime task force (REACT), and as HTCIA’s representative on the California Governor’s High Technology Crime Advisory Committee.

Also a highly respected and sought-after instructor, McMullen helped develop the computer crime investigation and computer forensic training curriculum for the California Department of Justice Advanced Training Center.

“John McMullen has been one of the best HTCIA has to offer,” said Todd Shipley, HTCIA International President. “His dedication not only to investigating his cases, but also to bringing his knowledge and expertise to his colleagues and the next generation of investigators, is something we want every member to strive to emulate. His kind of example is the reason why we have an annual Lifetime Achievement Award.”

McMullen added: “I am deeply honored to be this year's recipient of the HTCIA Lifetime Achievement Award. There is no greater honor then to be singled out and recognized by your peers for your achievements. My membership in HTCIA over the last 25 years truly enhanced my career and the many opportunities that were presented to me.”

McMullen will formally accept his award at the HTCIA International Conference being held this year in Atlanta, GA. The conference, which runs from September 20-22, will also honor the association's Case of the Year and Chapter of the Year Awards.





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Friday, September 03, 2010

Prescott May Seek Judicial Review of Phone Hack Claims

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Lord Prescott has said he is prepared to take legal action to find out whether News of The World journalists hacked into his phone messages.

The ex-deputy prime minister said he would seek a judicial review if the police did not say whether claims his phone had been tapped were true.

The paper's royal editor was jailed for conspiracy to access messages in 2007.

The paper said that was an isolated case, but suspended a reporter earlier this year pending an investigation.

It has also confirmed it was looking into the conduct of a unnamed journalist regarding alleged attempts to hack into the phone of a public figure. The paper said it would take "swift and decisive action" if there was proof of wrongdoing

Last year, the Metropolitan Police chose not to launch an investigation into claims, made by the Guardian newspaper, that a host of public figures - including Lord Prescott - had had their messages hacked by journalists.

'Clearly available'

At the time, it said the evidence did not warrant it and suggested Lord Prescott's phone had not been tapped.

But Lord Prescott told the BBC this had never been confirmed and he now wanted to "find the truth".

He said he expected to hear from the police next week and, if he did not, he would take further action.


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