PI’s Declassified!

If you are a producer of specialty products - particularly name-brand products, chances are you have faced product diversion or will at some point. From hair care products to purses.to specialty foods, product diversion is a practice where merchandise intended for a particular distribution channel is shifted and sold elsewhere without the knowledge or permission of the company. Diverters go to great lengths to entice suppliers with shell companies and elaborate presentations - all sounding too good to be true. The practice erodes the brand, interferes with a company's revenue and distribution channels, causes problems with existing customers, and creates difficulties with product authentication. Listen to Florida Investigator Reginald Reggie Montgomery explain how he tracks and exposes these diversion fraudsters to protect a company's image and brand.

The Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner or SANE, plays a significant role when a report of a sexual assault has been made. The sexual assault nurse examiner conducts forensic examinations on reported victims and suspects of sexual assault events and has special skills to assess patients, identify injury, and collect evidence. A SANE nurse must be objective and a good listener. The forensic nurse will memorialize the examination both through documentation and photography, all which will be incorporated as part of the criminal discovery file. Forensic Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Cari Caruso is just the person to ask about the examination process and serves as an expert examiner and an objective consultant for both prosecution and defense. Tune in to listen to Cari discuss the kinds of evidence she looks for during an exam and hear her experiences while performing these important protocols.

Have you ever been a target of violence in the workplace or been fearful of a co-worker? Do you know someone who has? Have you felt bullied or threatened? When are words more than “just words?” Is there physical violence or a restraining order involved? What about a weapon? Is there escalating agitation or aggression? What is happening in the background? What are you to do when you perceive a threat? Do you report it? What is your employer’s responsibility? Is intervention needed? Are there legal issues? PI’s Declassified will discuss these questions from experts who specialize in identifying and addressing violence risk prediction? Violence assessment experts’ psychologist Dr. Michael Corcoran, private investigator James Cawood and attorney Sue Van Dermyden will speak to this stressful societal dilemma and focus on recommendations for addressing and reducing threats in the workplace.

The more sophisticated technology gets, the easier it is to spy on another. The use of electronic bugging equipment crosses many boundaries. From board rooms to politicians to cheating spouses, no one is safe from prying eyes and ears. Enter Charles Patterson, an expert in Technical Surveillance Countermeasures (TSCM) and advanced technology threats. TSCM refers to a process of protecting private communications against electronic eavesdropping and other technical reconnaissance. Charles Patterson will offer insight into technical eavesdropping and what is required to counter these threats.

After retiring from the Orange County Sheriff Department as a Lieutenant and becoming a Licensed Private Investigator, Bill Hunt is often approached by those from federal, state and local law enforcement looking to make the same transition to the private sector as he did. Bill has successfully mentored numerous aspiring PI's who now operate profitable private investigation businesses. Tune in to hear Bill Hunt tell of his experiences and offer ideas and suggestions for those who are moving from law enforcement to the very different world of private investigation.

After a 2 ½ year battle with the Pima County, Arizona County Attorney, Private Investigator Richard Robertson prevailed. New case law was created in Arizona in support of public access to government records, an incredible win for the news media as well as for the citizens of Arizona. As a result, the Arizona Newspapers Foundation honored Rich with their Freedom of Information Award. Tune in to hear Rich Robertson tell his remarkable story of how he fought the county Goliath and won.

On-line dating has become a popular method to locate that once-in-a-lifetime prince or princess charming. Whether it is an on-line dating service or a social media site, it is a convenient and accessible way to meet others. It is no secret, however, that the internet can be fraught with scammers and fraudsters, ever-ready to prey on the vulnerable and unsuspecting. The idea that “it can’t happen to me” is common but, unfortunately, it can happen to anyone! What are the red flags? Tune in to hear DL “Diana” Garren, author of Who is the Real Man Behind the Screen? Diana will provide insight on the predator’s tools of deception as well as report on the inner workings of the scamming world as told to her by the fraudsters themselves.

With increasing numbers of veterans returning home and scores with physical disabilities, therapeutic horseback riding is getting attention. Wounded service personnel and veterans who have fought to preserve our freedom are being offered a process called Hippotherapy or Equine-Facilitated Psychotherapy. Tune in to hear Private Investigator Dave Townsend tell about his new passion and this important horse therapy program.

What is the process of extracting images from a video? With the advancement of technology, there is video evidence everywhere you look. It is on street corners, inside and outside stores and other buildings, parking lots, on highways and at toll stations buildings. It is unusual not to be video recorded, particularly in an urban environment. There are Smartphones and police officer body cameras. Cameras are watching us, and they become a critical component of a criminal, and even a civil investigation. Tune into PI’s Declassified! to hear former NYPD Detective Eric Grimes discuss his work as an expert witness and a video extraction specialist.

Israeli based Jacob Lapid has tales of intrigue to tell. From investigating the Dutch connection to the Enron Corporation fraud to exposing a secret association between managers, clients and a Swiss bank involving 90 million pounds to finding two abducted American children in Tunisia, Jacob has experiences spanning over 30 years. And, he is an acclaimed artist as well, often chronicling his experiences of the 1973 Yom Kippur War. You will definitely want to join in to hear the adventures of Jacob Lapid.

Do people really confess to crimes they don’t commit? Why would an innocent person incriminate himself and accept responsibility for breaking the law? What is it like to be falsely accused? And, w/hat would you do if you were the suspect? Fifteen-year-old Jacksonville, Florida’s Brenton Butler knows. Brenton was arrested for murder and confessed to the crime. His case was chronicled in the award-winning documentary, “Murder on a Sunday Morning.” Hear Brenton’s attorney Patrick McGuinness and private investigator Brian McGuinness talk about Benton’s case and their experience with confessions and police interrogations. False confessions and police interrogation expert Dr. Richard Leo, author of the multiple award-winning book, Police Interrogation and American Justice, has examined the practice and structure of police interrogation and will provide enlightening details about this fascinating phenomenon when an innocent person confesses to a crime.

Small business start-ups have common challenges, whether it is retail, manufacturing or offering a service. Private investigation agencies have an additional challenge. Most PI’s starting an investigation agency have no prior business experience or knowledge of how a business needs to function. This is mainly due to most people foraging into the private sector investigation arena are former law enforcement officers. Cameron Jackson, a former police officer, has navigated those choppy waters and has much to offer regarding his person al experience. Whether you are just starting out of have been in business for years, you will appreciate this program. Tune in to hear Private Investigator Cameron Jackson address his journey from law enforcement to a successful business man.

What is it that you know about cults? Tune in to hear all about cults from private investigator and professional cult expert, David Sullivan, a man who has spent his career infiltrating cults and learning their secrets. Sullivan will provide a view of cults from the inside-out, describing how cults recruit members and maintain control through varied coercive techniques. He will detail the process of identifying and investigating cults, and his collaboration with leading authorities in the area of undue influence.

After studying the tumultuous history of the Afghani’s and hearing about a woman named Meena, Private Investigator Melody Ermachild Chauvis traveled to Afghanistan to research the remarkable story of Meena, the founder of the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA). The result was an inspirational book chronicling Meena’s amazing life, her work, her struggles, her traumas and her tragedies against the backdrop of the ruthless Taliban that followed the years of harsh Russian occupation. Tune in to hear Melody describe the journey she traveled while using her investigative skills to create this important and timely story.

For two years, the sordid saga of conspiracy and criminal acts of a California Private Investigator and a Contra Costa County Narcotics Enforcement Team (CNET) Task Force Commander rocked Northern California. Not only did they sell drugs confiscated from evidence, but they also ran a brothel and provided paid protection for the bawdy-house prostitutes. It didn’t stop there! This PI, conspiring with a family law attorney and utilizing his female soccer mom PI’s, set up “Dirty DUIs” on husbands in contested child custody cases. Further driven by greed, he and his staff of mommy PI’s used actors to fake cheaters cases to gain media attention and develop a TV series. Tune in to hear Pete Crooks discuss his connection to this merry band of co-conspirators he chronicled in his recently released book, The Setup: A True Story of Dirty Cops, Soccer Moms, and Reality TV.

Achieving a balance between privacy of our own personal identifying information versus a legitimate need to access that same information is a difficult task. Don’t we each want to have all of our personal identifying details kept private? Of course we do! Conversely, if we were involved in a legal action, either civil or criminal, wouldn’t we want to be able to locate an individual who could provide information on our behalf? Consider if that person also has a common name name like John Jones or Robert Smith? How can that person be found? What about collecting a debt, finding a birth family or tracking down someone who has abducted a child? These are all important questions to contemplate. Privacy Advocate Beth Givens, founder and director of Privacy Rights Clearing House, Co-Owner & publisher of PI Magazine Jimmie Mesis and Rebecca Roberts, National Marketing Director on IRB Search, a subscriber based on-line date provider will be joining together for this provocative discussion.

Criminal Defense Attorney Gerald Schwartzbach has represented such clients as civil rights activist Stephen Bingham and Robert Blake, probably the most widely known for his role in the TV series, Baretta, an eccentric, street-smart undercover cop with the NYPD. A burning commitment to justice propels him to pull out all stops on behalf of his varied clients. He believes true justice is executed only when we refuse to objectify the defendant, regardless of the crime. Tune to hear Gerald Schwartzbach, a man who accidently became a lawyer, present his unique viewpoint of criminal justice and the clients he has represented.

Indicted on ten federal charges including conspiracy to commit murder, providing support to terrorist organizations, contributing services and support to Al Qaeda and the Taliban and using and carrying firearms and destructive devices during crimes of violence, John Walker Lindh is serving 20 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to all ten charges. As the images of Lindh in captivity in were circulating the globe, California licensed private investigators David Fechheimer and Barry Simon, experienced criminal defense investigators, were in Afghanistan where they spent three months investigating this extraordinary case. Tune in to hear the story of their investigation and their unique viewpoint of the impact of this case on America.

Award winning correspondent, Diane Diamond, always has a story in the wind. And she loves to work with private investigators who often have the inside scoop both on the front lines as well as behind the scenes. What is it like to cover the headline making crime stories of the day, every day? How does a lifetime of covering crime impact the journalists who cover it? How does an intense news-breaking story as big and as shocking as the Michael Jackson or Jerry Sandusky cases impact the life of an investigative journalist? Diane Dimond knows and is willing to talk about it! Diane promises to be entertaining, educational, and informative. Definitely a show not to miss!

It is not a surprise that any private investigator has a plethora of experiences and stories to provide terrific fodder for an interesting read. It could be a tale of an interesting case, a compilation of short stories, or an instructional how-to book. The topics are endless. Where do you start? How do you get published? What are your available options? Private Investigator and Chief Ethics Officer of a major global provider of whistleblower hotline and compliance services in over 150 countries, Eugene Ferraro has published more than a dozen books. Through the publishing process, Gene became annoyed with the tactics of big-name publishers and developed an efficient process to enable to individuals to get their works published. Tune in to hear Gene provide tips and guidelines to enable you to become a successful author.