Private Investigator News

Know Your Rights: Photography in Public

admin — Sun, 27 May 2012 18:20:41 +0000

Nearly every modern phone has a camera attached to it and subsequently more and more people are taking photos in public places than ever before. The shot might be as simple as snapping a picture of a parade or as tricky as recording video of a riot. Regardless of the reasons, the rules for photographing [...]

FamilySearch Extends Its Relationship With BillionGraves

admin — Sun, 27 May 2012 18:16:40 +0000

On our FamilySearch blog we have been providing our readers with a lot of information about a website called BillionGraves.com which is owned and operated by AppTime, LLC. We like what they have to offer to the public and feel that they have a bright future in the field of genealogy and family history research. [...]

Jackson, Miss., public schools agree not to handcuff students to poles or other objects

admin — Sun, 27 May 2012 18:13:05 +0000

Jackson, Miss., public schools will no longer handcuff students to poles or other objects and will train staff at its alternative school on better methods of discipline. Mississippi’s second-largest school district agreed Friday to the settlement with the Southern Poverty Law Center, which had sued over the practice of shackling students to a pole at [...]

Bomb goes off at Phoenix Salvation Army distribution cente

admin — Sun, 27 May 2012 18:09:54 +0000

A device rigged with explosives went off inside a Phoenix Salvation Army distribution center Thursday afternoon, slightly injuring two employees, authorities said. Phoenix police said preliminary evidence suggests the incident is linked to two other cases in which a person or persons left flashlights packed with explosives in Glendale on May 13 and 14. In [...]

U.S. military developing miniature drones that resemble birds and insects

admin — Sun, 27 May 2012 18:05:04 +0000

The U.S. Air Force is developing the miniature spy craft with the goal of making them so small that they resemble birds and even insects. Some even have moving wings that military chiefs hope will look so convincing that people won’t pay them any attention. The Micro Air Vehicles (MAVs) are being developed at Wright-Patterson [...]

Dept. of Homeland Security Forced to Release List of Keywords Used to Monitor Social Networking Sites

admin — Sun, 27 May 2012 18:00:48 +0000

If you are thinking about tweeting about clouds, pork, exercise or even Mexico, think again. Doing so may result in a closer look by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. In a story appearing earlier today on the U.K’s Daily Mail website. It was reported that the DHS has been forced to release a list [...]

CIA remembers those lost in covert operation

admin — Sun, 27 May 2012 03:13:34 +0000

The CIA is remembering those lost in the hidden, often dangerous world of espionage, adding a new star to the intelligence agency’s memorial wall and more than a dozen names to its hallowed Book of Honor. The new star carved into the wall is for Jeffrey Patneau, a young officer killed in a car crash [...]

Extramarital Affair May Have Driven Woman to Kill Her 2 Children

admin — Sun, 27 May 2012 03:10:35 +0000

There is never any excuse for a mother killing her children, but as far back as Medea, women have taken the lives of their children in revenge for their husband betraying them with another woman. That may have been what was behind the tragedy that unfolded in Tacony, Pennsylvania yesterday. A man, Ron Smalls, frantically [...]

Bail bondswoman may have been killed by out-of-state hit man

admin — Sun, 27 May 2012 03:07:29 +0000

Patricia O’Neil wasn’t your typical bail bondswoman. Whenever “Patty” entered Linda Shimmin’s restaurant “Copperfield” in Downtown Denver she sparkled – and it wasn’t just because she was wearing a five-carat yellow diamond pendant necklace. “She was tall. She was blonde. She was pretty. She wore black leather miniskirts and a beautiful smile,” Shimmin said. “She [...]

Bonding companies ordered to pay $475,000 for missing client

admin — Sun, 27 May 2012 03:04:35 +0000

Three local bonding companies that lost a court challenge this week were required to pay a total of $475,000 toward a $1 million bond for an accused rapist who skipped town some 10 months ago. Circuit Court Judge David Bragg, after months of appeals, ruled Thursday that Chris Highers Bail Bonds must pay $300,000; Cumberland [...]

I Spy An Occupy: Obama’s DHS Surveils Legit Protesters

admin — Sun, 27 May 2012 03:02:05 +0000

The Obama Administration is not being completely straight with us when it comes to the Occupy protests. A growing body of documentation suggests that the Department of Homeland Security is deeply involved in coordinating surveillance of protesters–and maybe more. Remember the Occupy Movement? Since last November, when the NYPD closed the Zuccotti Park encampment in [...]

RCMP officer with history of sexual misconduct doesn’t belong in B.C., MLA says

admin — Sun, 27 May 2012 02:59:32 +0000

A senior Alberta Mountie guilty of a “disturbing pattern” of disgraceful sexual conduct should not be transferred to B.C., former top cop Kash Heed says. Heed, an MLA and former B.C. solicitor-general said the case of Staff-Sgt. Don Ray — who used his position to drink, have sex with, and expose himself to subordinates at [...]

Usher’s Child Custody Trial Shocks With Drug and Infidelity Allegations

admin — Sun, 27 May 2012 02:54:49 +0000

Usher’s child custody trial is taking a turn for the truly heinous with new allegations that Usher cheated on his then wife, Tameka Foster, with a bridesmaid from their wedding! The National Enquirer reports Usher, under cross examination, was asked by Foster’s attorney if one of her many nannies left their employment because she caught [...]

Third of all divorces cite Facebook

admin — Sun, 27 May 2012 02:51:58 +0000

It turns out the kiss of death for marriages might be more like a poke. A third of all divorce filings in 2011 contained the word “Facebook,” according to Divorce Online. And more than 80 percent of U.S. divorce attorneys say social networking in divorce proceedings is on the rise, according to the American Academy [...]

25 Supposed Signers of Petition Claim Forgery to Private Detective

admin — Sun, 27 May 2012 02:48:59 +0000

Cathy Kilgore said she took one look at supposed signatures from herself and her husband on nominating petitions for Michael Cavanagh and knew they were fake. And that’s the story that 25 other people told Lee W. England, a private investigator hired by state Rep. Tim Mahoney, a South Union Democrat who represents the 51st [...]

Ex-football player assisted by private investigator, wrongly jailed for rape, wants money from state

admin — Sun, 27 May 2012 02:45:45 +0000

A former high school football star who had his rape conviction dismissed plans no legal action against the woman who recanted the sexual assault claim she made 10 years ago. But Brian Banks, 26, does plan to file a claim against the state, seeking money for his time behind bars, his attorney said. “We do [...]

Winnipeg Children Abducted by Father 4 Years Ago Located in Mexico by Private Investigator

admin — Sun, 27 May 2012 02:42:27 +0000

Two Winnipeg children abducted almost four years ago have been found in Mexico, according to a private investigator who worked on the case. Dominic and Abby Maryk were 7 and 5 years years old when they were abducted by their father, Kevin Maryk, who was supposed to return them to his estranged wife Emily Cablek [...]

Private Investigator Takes on Case of Missing Popular Comedy Club Owner

admin — Sun, 27 May 2012 02:39:24 +0000

A missing person hunt is underway for the owner of Tempe Improv, a longstanding comedy club set to close next month. Mark Wilson Anderson, 60, was reported missing by his wife on May 12, said Thomas Martin, a private investigator with Martin Investigative Services, based Newport Beach, Calif. Martin and the Oklahoma City Police Department [...]

Scary Study: Murder Is The Top Cause Of ‘Injury Death’ For Women At Work

admin — Sat, 26 May 2012 22:14:07 +0000

When we think about workplace safety, we usually think about dangerous factory equipment or safety goggles. Office workers might worry about the danger of chairs or asbestos. But women with violent partners face another danger: Their partners coming to their workplace and committing violence. A horrifying new study finds that 142 women were killed on [...]

“Monitor” Busted For Stealing At Least $36,000 From Buffett Charity

admin — Sat, 26 May 2012 22:11:03 +0000

He was supposed to monitor the programs that get money from Omaha billionaire Warren Buffett’s foundation. Instead, investigators say 38-year-old Dhaval Patel was making up receipts for many of his business trips. According to police reports, an employee at the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation was suspicious of a hotel receipt submitted by Patel. When the [...]

Head of Fraud Indeed: Ex-Lloyds bank digital security chief ‘submitted £2.5m in false expenses

admin — Sat, 26 May 2012 22:07:50 +0000

A former Lloyds Banking Group head of digital banking fraud and security has been charged with defrauding her employer. Prosecutors said that Jessica Harper had submitted false expenses claims that totalled £2.46m. The Crown Prosecution Service’s deputy head of the central fraud group, Andrew Penhale, said in a statement: We have authorised the Metropolitan Police [...]

Montreal homicide detective guilty of passing data to criminals

admin — Sat, 26 May 2012 22:02:50 +0000

A Montreal homicide detective was found guilty Friday of using the police database to glean personal information and pass it on to criminals. Mario Lambert, 44, was arrested in September 2009 after the Montreal police internal affairs department discovered someone had used the computer between December 2008 and June 2009 for reasons other than legitimate [...]

Social media is a tool for cyber criminals

admin — Sat, 26 May 2012 21:59:29 +0000

Social media is the latest tool in the arsenal of cyber criminals, with groups using social networking websites such as Twitter to “manipulate the masses” into thinking a certain way, according to Kaspersky Labs’ co-founder and chief executive, Eugene Kaspersky. Speaking at CeBIT in Sydney, Kaspersky told delegates that by identifying key influencers, groups can [...]

Murdoch private eye targeted U.S. hedge fund boss

admin — Sat, 26 May 2012 21:57:01 +0000

A private detective working for Rupert Murdoch’s British newspapers used a legally questionable tactic to obtain a hotel bill that a New York financier ran up at one of London’s swankest hotels, records reviewed by Reuters show. A database of business records compiled by British government investigators shows that some time before his arrest in [...]

Police spy bikes

admin — Sat, 26 May 2012 21:54:11 +0000

Unmarked bikes are the latest weapon being used by the police in the hope of reducing road tolls and picking up drivers breaking the law. Fitted with hidden cameras these bikes film road users who have no idea they’re on camera. It’s undercover, but is it also underhanded? View source…

Pope’s butler arrested in Vatican leaks scandal

admin — Sat, 26 May 2012 21:49:18 +0000

The Vatican has confirmed that the Pope’s butler has been arrested in an embarrassing leaks scandal. Paolo Gabriele was arrested Wednesday in his home inside Vatican City with secret documents in his possession, Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi said in a statement. It’s reported that Gabriele, a layman, is being held in a secure [...]

Murdoch private detective tricked hotel into handing over bill of top U.S. financier

admin — Sat, 26 May 2012 21:46:35 +0000

A private detective working for Rupert Murdoch’s newspapers used a legally questionable tactic to blag a hotel bill run up by a top New York financier at one of London’s swankiest hotels, records show. Private investigator Steve Whittamore, or someone working for him, tricked Claridge’s in Mayfair, central London, to get a copy of a [...]

Global market for CCTV equipment to grow 12% in 2012, says report

admin — Sat, 26 May 2012 03:55:57 +0000

The world market for video surveillance equipment is expected to grow in excess of 12 percent in 2012, despite a shaky European economy, according to a new report from IMS Research, recently acquired by IHS Inc. Though the Eurozone debt crisis will have a dampening effect on the growth of the video surveillance market in [...]

A Brief History of the Diploma Mill Scam (and 10 Tips for Students to Avoid Them)

admin — Sat, 26 May 2012 03:53:47 +0000

Diploma mills, or businesses that make a profit by posing as a legitimate college, university or school, have a history that reaches back into the 19th century. But, diploma mills — and news about them — has proliferated since the onset of the home computer. Read on to learn about the history of diploma mills [...]

Proving love to the feds: Inside the unit that makes sure green card marriages are real

admin — Sat, 26 May 2012 03:49:58 +0000

There was the husband who knew how many stepkids he had but didn’t remember their names. And there was the guy who swore he slept with his wife every night, but was in the dark about the oxygen tank by her bedside. Immigration officers in New York City’s Stokes unit — who spend their days [...]

Chief calls on Calif. cops to find son’s stolen iPhone

admin — Sat, 26 May 2012 03:46:58 +0000

When Berkeley police Chief Michael Meehan’s son’s cell phone was stolen in January, 10 police officers were sent to track it down, with some working overtime at taxpayer expense, police said Monday. A police report about the theft of the teen’s iPhone from a school locker was never written and the Oakland Police Department was [...]

An Image is worth a 1000 words – with help from Tineye

admin — Sat, 26 May 2012 03:43:51 +0000

Tineye is a great tool that should be in every cyber investigators tool arsenal. The application is free and can be found at www.tineye.com. As referenced on the website, “Tineye is a reverse image search engine for images”. Just as Google searches for text on the Internet, Tineye searches for images. Tineye can even detect [...]

Texas school district to track kids through RFID tags

admin — Sat, 26 May 2012 03:40:08 +0000

It seems that certain schools in Texas are having trouble with their math. No, it isn’t the kids. It’s the school administrators. They keep losing kids. And, well, state funding depends, at least to some extent, on attendance. So Northside Independent School District in San Antonio has decided to insert a little technology into the [...]

Did your kid’s camp counselor pass a background check?

admin — Sat, 26 May 2012 03:37:07 +0000

Hey moms and dads: If your kid’s camp counselor didn’t pass a state and federal background check, the state wants to hear from you. The Florida Department of Children & Families says schools and community organizations have to follow new regulations to protect campers. In 2010, lawmakers expanded background check requirements from owners and operators [...]

Cops: Tech Exec Built Stolen ‘Legoland’ in $2M Home

admin — Sat, 26 May 2012 03:32:53 +0000

On the surface, Thomas Langenbach had it all. A $2 million home with a killer view high up in the hills of San Carlos, California; a wife; two children; a nanny; and a prestigious job at technology giant SAP. But when police searched his home on May 8, they found something else: meticulously sorted bins [...]

Security guard collapsed, died after apprehending shoplifter, suspect facing murder charges

admin — Sat, 26 May 2012 03:29:13 +0000

New video evidence has been revealed in the case involving a Target security officer who died after a scuffle with an alleged shoplifter. Mervin Bettis, 35, is charged with third degree murder for the death of Russell Horner. The 65-year old former FBI agent died after collapsing in the Target on W. Hillsborough Avenue near [...]

Scanner recreates crime scenes

admin — Fri, 25 May 2012 22:43:13 +0000

Kentucky State Police (KSP) showed off its latest gadget that is helping them investigate crimes. The agency unveiled a three dimensional laser scanner at its headquarters in Frankfort, Ky., Wednesday morning. The device scans an area 360 degrees to create a virtual “True View” of what the way a scene looked. KSP received a grant [...]

In-car spy cams beating fines

admin — Fri, 25 May 2012 22:39:51 +0000

Hidden cameras are being rolled out on our roads, recording every move and being marketed as the airplane black box equivalent for your car. The video dash cameras record constantly and provide undeniable evidence when it comes to determining fault in accidents. They can also help in traffic infringement disputes, and potentially save you thousands [...]

Private Investigator, Hidden Camera Catch Cleaning Lady Stealing Australian Countess’ Jewelry

admin — Fri, 25 May 2012 22:34:50 +0000

A Hungarian cleaning woman who stole tens of thousands of pounds worth of antique jewellery from an Austrian Countess and then sold it for “pocket money” unaware of its real value has been jailed by a court in Austria. Cleaner Beata Havassan, 38, passed out when she was told the real value of the property [...]

Company Forfeits 2 Million Dollars to DHS for Hiring Illegal Workers and Agrees to Use E-Verify

admin — Fri, 25 May 2012 22:31:07 +0000

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) – the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) – recently announced in a press release that a Houston, Texas-based tree trimming company has avoided criminal prosecution for employing illegal workers by agreeing to forfeit $2 million to the DHS related to revenue derived from [...]

Unfaithful Men Are More Likely to Have Heart Attacks

admin — Fri, 25 May 2012 22:26:29 +0000

Men who cheat on their wives are more likely to suffer “sudden coital death” when meeting with his lover outside of his home than when he was with his wife, according to Italian researchers. A review of previous studies, published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine, shows that unfaithful men risk not only their marriage [...]

How long would it take to crack your password?

admin — Fri, 25 May 2012 22:23:58 +0000

About three years ago, developer Cameron Morris had a personal epiphany about passwords, he recently told ZDNet’s John Fontana: The time it takes to crack a password is the only true measure of its worth. Not whether it has a minimum of x or a maximum of y characters, not whether it’s got blah-blah amount [...]

Dog the Bounty Hunter Possible New TV Series Prompts Trademark Issue

admin — Fri, 25 May 2012 03:29:30 +0000

If a new Dog the Bounty Hunter TV series is in development, not for A&E, a trademark issue may exist . Following the recent A&E cancellation of Dog the Bounty Hunter, fans began an online petition effort to bring the show back. But if the show returns to a different network, the trademark issues could [...]

Scotland Yard Detective & Three Private Investigators Arrested Over Nigerian Fraudster Case

admin — Fri, 25 May 2012 03:25:43 +0000

A Scotland Yard anti-corruption detective and three former officers have been freed on bail after being arrested in connection with suspected bribery involving a convicted Nigerian fraudster. The 45-year-old detective constable in the elite unit was questioned on Wednesday on suspicion of providing information about fraudster James Ibori, a former Nigerian state governor, in return [...]

Lease Disagreement Could Leave Australian Spies Out In The Cold

admin — Fri, 25 May 2012 03:12:12 +0000

Australia’s top spies will have to wait to move into their grandiose new headquarters if a suspected rental disagreement between their bosses and the Department of Finance and Deregulation is not resolved soon. The government insists there is no dispute over the lease and that all is on track with the $589 million new home [...]

Women in intelligence seek balance in life, value in work

admin — Fri, 25 May 2012 03:08:23 +0000

Nada Bakos used to go work with a Glock strapped to her thigh. The former targeting officer for the CIA started her intelligence career as an analyst in 2000. But then 9/11 happened. “Everybody’s life changed,” said Nada Bakos who, like many other women who were serving as analysts prior to the terror attacks of [...]

Sex Offender Case Highlights Need For Background Checks

admin — Fri, 25 May 2012 03:05:43 +0000

He worked for a company known for setting up bouncy houses at birthday parties and graduations. But tonight, Greg Sissala sits behind bars. He was arrested for failing to register as a sex offender, an arrest that took his employer off guard. The owner of USA Inflatables says they had no idea Sissala had issues [...]

Secret Service Probed for Polygraph Deviations In Prostitution Scandal

admin — Fri, 25 May 2012 03:02:38 +0000

Federal investigators are looking into allegations that the Secret Service deviated from normal polygraphing methods in the wake of a Cartagena prostitution scandal — including claims that polygraphy experts inside the service were uncomfortable with the deviations. Senior Secret Service managers are said to have ordered the unusual methods in a rush to take swift [...]