Criminal Defense Investigations

Appearance by investigation personnel at legal proceedings to support developed or documented information.
Criminal defense cases involve something much more important than money. They involve liberty.

A carefully planned and proper defense investigation in a criminal case can lead to a number of favorable results. The best result, of course, is proof that the client is innocent of the charge. That is the ultimate goal.

The next best result is evidence. The criminal defense investigator must look at developing evidence, which may create reasonable doubt among the juror's as to the client's guilt. The evidence may show that the client is guilty, but of a lesser degree of the crime charged. The defense investigation may also show that the client's constitutional rights were violated.

When conducting a criminal defense investigation, the investigator must be knowledgeable of police procedures, interview techniques, and, most of all, the investigator must be prompt. In most cases it is important that the investigator start the case as soon as possible after the charges are brought against the client. Things change in criminal cases and they can change quickly. The crime scene changes, physical facts change, the site of pertinent events change, or moves or is replaced. An object of importance may be discarded or destroyed. Witness may move or forget.

The investigators role is not to counsel the client. The attorney would have advised him of his rights with regard to trial and the legal methods. The investigator must be very careful not to undermine what the attorney has said, and not to promise things which the attorney may not be able to deliver. That's why it is so important for the attorney and the investigator to work closely together so those prospective roles are clearly identified. The investigator must know what to say to the client and what not to say.

Security Services

Armed Agents

No other security corporation has the breadth of highly trained professional security personnel providing our clients with the highest level of security and protection. We employ off-duty and retired police officers all over the nation. These agents undergo a comprehensive vetting process and are chosen for their vast field experience and expertise. Armed Security personnel are available 24-hours per day and can usually be deployed within 4-hours. Our agents routinely provide armed protective services for courier services transporting high-end jewelry, commodities and fine art. Whatever your security need may be. Our Armed Security Division is the industry leading experts in safeguarding you, your family or business.

Uniformed Guards

Our uniformed agents are highly trained professional. Armed or unarmed, we have the solution that's right for you. We are available 24-hours a day to customize your security solution. No matter what your security need is, Equalizer Security Services has the resources, training and experience for every detail! Our Uniformed Guards are available for any venue or location, including:

• Retail Establishments
• Restaurants, Bars
• Homeowner Associations
• Commercial Centers
• Construction sites
• Community Events
• Hotels
• Hospitals

Executive and Dignatary Protection

With the increased threat of international and domestic terrorism and the ever-present threat of injury or kidnapping by criminal organizations, the importance of personal protection has never been greater. Equalizer Security Services specializes in providing security services and protection for some of the nation's Fortune 500 CEO's, visiting dignitaries, and entertainment industry celebrities, and can provide these services for you. Just as important, but often overlooked, is the specialized security we provide to the families of at-risk individuals. Our agents, working with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies when appropriate, complete a detailed threat assessment and provide clients with a security plan that can accommodate any situation to give you the security and peace of mind you deserve.

workplace violence Prevention

Nearly 2 million American workers report being the victims of workplace violence each year. Workplace violence is unpredictable and affects businesses small and large. Employee terminations and disgruntled workers significantly increase the likelihood of a violent encounter or event at the worksite. Companies who fail to adequately protect their employees expose the business to civil liability. Equalizer Security Services is the only professional security corporation able to dispatch off-duty or retired police officers to your business within hours. Our team of Workplace Violence Prevention experts have years of threat mitigation experience. Never leave the safety of your employees and staff to chance, call us 24-hours a day and let our team of agents secure your site.

corporate Security

Armed and unarmed agents trained in providing security for high-rise buildings, corporate centers and industrial complexes. From perimeter security to access control, CCTV monitoring, reception services, fire alarm monitoring and responding to emergencies, Platinum Protection Group has a security solution for every business.

Estate security

Your home, your family: our commitment to providing only the most highly trained dignitary protection agents in the industry. Our agents are bound by strict privacy policies and dedicated to duty. Never compromise you or your family's security-we won't!

Special Events

Equalizer Security Services can provide any venue with a security solution for your company's sporting, entertainment or corporate event. Our services include crowd and parking control, canine patrol, and access control for the perimeter and auditorium. We assign an account executive familiar with the your venue and the local law enforcement agency. Homeowners associations, construction sites, retail and commercial sites, agents are available 24-hours a day to provide our clients with a cost effective and highly visible proactive solution to every security need.

Schools Security

We believe that there can be no greater responsibility than providing a safe and secure environment for our children. Private security for our nation's school system requires a security company with the experience, training and systems in place to secure our schools and protect our children.

Security Patrols

Equalizer Security Services offers static security guards and Mobile Patrol to conduct random security patrols at any venue, commercial or residential. Our agents will provide parking enforcement, lock/unlock common areas, respond to resident complaints while discouraging unauthorized and criminal activity. All officers will be trained for site specific duties which may include gate access, traffic control, parking enforcement and tenant or vendor response.

specialized Services

Labor Disputes/Strikes

Attorney Investigations

Our company offers investigative support for the legal profession. If you are an attorney and require an investigation in connection with a civil lawsuit, criminal case or trial preparation, Equalizer PI Inc. can assist you.

Equalizer PI Inc. provides criminal defense services to many criminal defense attorneys in New York, Florida and International services.

Often, legal investigations require locating a party to a lawsuit or a witness or serving that individual with a subpoena or other document.

In other instances, we can be helpful by running a Background on parties to a lawsuit. The purpose here is to reveal facts that may be pertinent to the lawsuit, such as the existence of hidden assets, previous lawsuits, marital problems, criminal conduct, and the like.

Sometimes, the aim is to explore avenues of legal attack and possibilities for settlement. In a recent case, for example, an insurance defense attorney hired Equalizer PI Inc. to investigate a plaintiff who (our client believed) was propagating a frivolous lawsuit. Our investigation revealed the plaintiff's use of several aliases to fraudulently receive government benefits. This revelation permitted our client to settle the case on favorable terms.

In addition, we can take extra steps to ensure that the investigation is thorough, such as finding witnesses and debriefing them, locating hidden and/or unidentified witnesses, checking the background of parties to the case, and obtaining signed statements.

Finally, legal investigations sometimes involve Surveillance of witnesses or parties involved in a lawsuit. The information uncovered through this kind of detective work can expose the existence of fraud or reveal patterns of activity that may be useful to our attorney client.

Liability Investigations

Investigation of accidents including, but not limited to, automobile, medical malpractice, product liability, airplane, explosion, fire, gunshots, falling objects, motorcycles, and slip and fall.

Corporate Litigation

Complete backgrounds or profiles on all corporate individuals involved in specific litigated matters, as well as a complete background on all principals or officers associated with the corporation.

Jury Panel Investigations

Complete background information on jury panel members and trial attorneys, e.g., political affiliations, church affiliations, membership in social organizations, police or arrest record, accident history, lawsuit history and/or other information desired.

Worker's Compensation Investigations

Development of a complete background profile of the claimant. Includes investigation of the circumstances surrounding the accident, along with the claimant's previous work history and claim history.

PREVENTING A SINGLE FRADULANT CLAIM COULD EASILY SAVE AN EMPLOYER $80,000.

THE BIG SECRETS:

• Insurance companies usually LOSE money by proving applicant fraud.
• There is no incentive for the insurance company to prove fraud, if they do they LOSE money.
• The primary pressure on overworked claims adjusters is to avoid penalties, no catch fraud.
• The vast majority of workers' compensation claims are legitimate. Most injured workers just want appropriate medical treatment and compensation for lost wages, until they can return to work.
• While some workers might fake an injury just to get a few days off, fraudulent claims usually involve upwards of 120 days off work and significant lump-sum settlements.

Unfortunately, fraud has become a widespread problem in the insurance industry generally and especially in the workers' compensation insurance industry. One of the ways the industry has made some inroads in combating fraud is through the use of sub-rosa investigations. If you are conducting an AOE/COE investigation (that is, an Arising Out of Employment/Course Of Employment investigation) in connection with a workers' comp claim, Equalizer PI, Inc. can assist with a critical aspect of the investigation you may wish to outsource: surveillance.

In the course of an AOE/COE investigation -- when witness interviews, doctors' reports, and other evidence point toward possible fraud by the claimant -- it is essential that prompt efforts are made to document that fraud.

That's where Equalizer PI, Inc. comes in.

Utilizing standard investigative and surveillance techniques, we can track the movements of an individual and document his or her activities -- all without his or her knowledge. Frequently, these activities can be captured in still photographs and/or video.

At the conclusion of our surveillance, we will document our findings in an Investigative Report and turn over any photographic evidence for use in wrapping up the claims process.

Locates Investigations

Finding missing persons, witnesses.

Statements

Interviews documented through written, audio, and/or video recording or statements, for legal or other proceedings.

Child Custody

Investigation to describe the conditions and care of children and, when necessary, to locate the present whereabouts of children.

Contested Wills

Investigations of potential heirs or other specifically relevant information.

Personal Injury Cases

If you are an insurance industry professional, Equalizer PI, Inc. can offer a range of insurance coverage and liability investigations. We investigate claims under various lines of insurance, including life, auto, homeowner, and business policies.

During the insurance claims process, we are accustomed to interacting with claims representatives, managers, supervisors, and in-house or outside counsel -- as well as policyholders and claimants -- in conducting our investigations.

One particular area of focus is vehicle accidents. We are practiced at conducting after-the-fact investigations in all types of accidents -- from single-vehicle rollovers to multi-car crashes. These investigations involve a thorough work-up of the case facts through file review, examination of the scene, property or vehicle inspection, interviews, and witness statements.

If our investigation requires it, we can locate individuals who may possess information pertinent to the claim, conduct backgrounds, or perform surveillance to monitor the activity of relevant individuals. As in our investigation of workers compensation insurance claims, we are always on the lookout for evidence of fraud and deception.

Identity Theft Cases

Identity Theft is now listed as the most commonly reported fraud complaint received by the United States Federal Trade Commission. The misuse of a person's name, date of birth, Social Security number or other identifiers is beneficial to the thief and devastating to the victim. In fact, victims of identity theft are often overwhelmed by the magnitude of the problem and attendant impact it can have on their personal and family welfare.

Unfortunately, victims of Identity Theft are required to take a proactive approach to the proper resolution of problems generated by the theft of their identities. Help can be found from a variety of government agencies and financial institutions involved in combating such crimes.

Identity Theft is a crime and should be reported to law enforcement. Due to the intimate and immediate nature of this crime, victims often find themselves in the midst of an unresolved, unsettling circumstance. Equalizer Private Investigations Inc, is able to provide assistance in such cases by undertaking investigation to identify and expose the perpetrator to law enforcement agencies and creditors.

Missing Persons Cases

Runaway, Unexplained Disappearance and Predator Abduction: Those cursed enough to have experienced such a cruel fate can tell of the endless days of footwork, chasing and following up on leads, driven in desperation as they searched for their missing kids. The amount of exhausting work required in these situations is often more than an entire community can accomplish. Equalizer Private Investigations, Inc. works alongside families, communities and local and International law enforcement to develop and follow up on leads in the fastest manner possible because time must not be wasted. We are prepared with a full network of contacts and resources dedicated to the return of missing children.

Kidnapping & Ransom Cases

While no longer very common in the US these days, this type of child abduction occurs on an ever-increasing scale in South and Central America . The targets of these child abduction plots are often US citizens working abroad, and the families sometimes find little or no cooperation from the local authorities in recovering their missing children. When the embassies get involved, they cannot always achieve quick results due to diplomatic difficulties, so the families must resort to engaging private assistance. With our law enforcement network and overseas operatives, Equalizer Private Investigations Inc. is an effective alternative for recovering missing children.

Undercover Investigation Services

Undercover Investigation, Hidden camera, Undercover sting operation, Employee theft, Violation of a non-compete agreement, Discreet Undercover Operations That Get You the Evidence You Need Investigation consulting, Fraud detection & Litigation Support. .

Electronic Sweeps & Debugging Services

Do you want to be sure that your family is not exposed to illegal or malicious eavesdropping? We can help. Utilizing the most advanced equipment available today, our TSCM team can pinpoint sophisticated electronic surveillance devices, including audio and video transmitters. Our equipment is designed to detect all major types of audio and video monitoring equipment. This includes illegal eavesdropping transmitters that may be in a "non-operating" mode, or even inexpensive baby monitors or wireless microphones that can be easily and inexpensively obtained. Our TSCM Sweep Team will conduct a thorough physical and electronic search of your home and property. All TSCM surveys include a security assessment to identify potential problems and actual breaches in every aspect of physical and information security. We work closely with clients to respond to their unique situations. Protect your family. Contact us today to schedule your security evaluation. .

Corporate Investigations

Unlike traditional investigative agencies, our primary focus is on business entities and the business owners.....performing background checks and public record due diligence...... searching for irregularities and crimes measuring a company's ability to repay a loan, produce a product, or fulfill a contract.
Our world-wide network of contract investigators and acquisition of hard-to-find records sets us apart from the competition. .

Background Checks

Know exactly who you're dealing with. Prospective spouses, child care providers, and partners - you need to know who they are and if you can trust them with your family, your money, and your life. We conduct thorough research into personal, legal, and business affairs to provide the information you need.
Below are a few examples of the information we can retrieve with the appropriate legal documentation:

• Address History
• Airline Travel Records
• Bank Account History
• Bankruptcies, Liens, Judgments & Foreclosures
• Booking & Arrest Records
• Credit Card Activity
• Credit History
• Divorces
• Driving History
• Education History

• Employment Verification
• Litigation (Civil, Criminal Felony or Misdemeanor County, State, or Federal)
• Medical Treatment History
• Military Service
• Personal References
• Professional Licenses
• Real & Tangible Property
• Relatives & Neighbors
• Social Security Number

Competitive Intelligence

Many employers are realizing the importance of pre-employment background investigations and are utilizing investigative companies to assist them with this responsibility. This vital information allows businesses to better evaluate their applicants, and avoid the possibility of a threatening or violent employee.

INTERNATIONAL and UNITED STATES BACKGROUND INVESTIGATIONS With our international resources we are available to provide background investigations in the United States and International. All reports are provided in English and are usually available within a few business days. We are able to offer detailed international credit reports on individuals and companies, as well as criminal, civil and available public records. Pre-employment background investigations may include a criminal screening, DMV record research and a social security trace. Each search is thorough and conducted in a highly confidential manner, so you are assured that your information is accurate and current.

Why Conduct Pre-employment Screening?

Current Statistics: The Society for Human Resource Management states 45% of all resumes contain one major fabrication.
The Wall Street Journal said that 34% of all application forms contain outright lies about experience, education and the ability to perform essential functions of the job. College and University registrars report that at least 60% of the verifications they receive contain falsified information.
The Small Business Administration said that employees at all levels falsify their backgrounds.
The American Management Association and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said that 30% of all small business failure is caused by employee theft. According to the Bureau of National Affairs, from $15-25 billion is lost each year due to employee theft. Today, employers are increasingly turning to pre-employment background screening to minimize legal and financial risk to their companies. No longer can a company take an applicant at face value.

Background checks are no longer a luxury, backgrounds checks are a necessity.

Benefits to Pre-screening Applicants:

• Discourages applicants with something to hide.
• Uncovers falsified or "puffed" credentials.
• Eliminates uncertainties in the hiring process.
• Demonstrates due diligence.
• Encourages good applicants to be honest and truthful.
• Saves money and time spent in recruiting, hiring and training.
• Can help protect against negligent hiring lawsuits.
• Reduces chance of injury to employees.
• Reduces employee theft.
• Reduces turnover.
• Reduces workplace violence.
• Reduces insurance premiums.
• Increases productivity and employee morale.

Pre-Employment Screening Is Cost-Effective:

With the cost of hiring a new employee averaging over three thousand dollars ($3,000), less than 3% can be attributed to the amount of a standard background check. A bad hire can mean an estimated loss to companies of approximately $40,000 in severance pay, training, wasted human resources time, possible search firm fees, loss of productivity, and impact on employee morale. The expense of a bad hire far outweighs the cost of a background check. As with insurance, each employer must decide the level of protection they seek. Usually, the average cost of a background check is equivalent to the cost of a new employee's first day of work. The following searches are the most common types requested by our corporate and individual clients.

Equalizer PI, Inc. provides the following comprehensive employment and pre-employment background screening services.

• Criminal History
• Civil History
• Motor Vehicle Reports
• Identity Checks (SSN Verification)
• Education and Credential Verification
• Employment and Reference Verification
• Workers Compensation History
• Bankruptcy History
• Judgment History
• Liens
• Corporate Filings
• Business Registrations
• Real Property Ownership

Equalizer PI Inc. brings added-value to any organization. We believe that our customers come first, and that you experience a positive partnership with our firm. Our goal is to provide our customers with quality, confidential, affordable and personalized services.

Industrial Espionage Detection

Bugged by the competition? Chances are this could be happening right under your nose and you wouldn't even know it. Worse, industrial espionage just doesn't happen in an industrial setting. Whether you are manufacturing computer chips or potato chips, if the competition wants to know what you are up to bad enough, they just might resort to criminal activity of a rather pesky nature.

Illegal phone taps, hidden cameras, email and internet infiltration, radio listening devices, and even company insiders could be revealing what goes on within your cubicles, your boardroom, and your own office.

A technical surveillance countermeasures service could be initiated to sweep out the bugs, cut off the unwanted lines of communication, and rat out the company rats who are giving away your proprietary trade data.

Skip Tracing

Skip Tracing is the process of tracking someone who owes you money. In order to successfully collect on a delinquent account, you have to locate the debtor. A debtor may relocate and/or have his telephone disconnected, believing they are leaving creditors with no immediate means of contact. However, skip tracing allows creditors to locate debtors through various outlets available to them.
A skip trace can be done for current address and phone, fictitious business names, social security death index, bankruptcies, judgments, liens, national property and deed transfers.

• When mail is returned.
• When the phone is disconnected
• When consumers stray and leave debts behind, follow in their tracks!

• Full name (first, middle, last)
• Social Security Number
• When consumers stray and leave debts behind, follow in their tracks!
• Date of Birth
• Former address
• Employment information
• Vehicle and drivers license information
• Spouse information
• Any & all the information you have on file!

Accident Investigations

Outsourcing your accident investigation, can save you (or your client) time, money, and frustration. To uncover exactly what happened, we can review police accident reports and other reports, examine the scene, inspect vehicles, obtain interviews, take photographs, and draw diagrams.
In addition, we can take extra steps to ensure that the investigation is thorough, such as finding witnesses and debriefing them, locating hidden and/or unidentified witnesses, checking the background of parties to the accident, and obtaining signed statements.

At the conclusion of our investigation, you will receive a full Investigative Report , detailing our findings. If

Necessary, the investigator will be available to testify about these findings in deposition, arbitration, or court. Why go to the tremendous expenditure of an "accident reconstruction expert" when a straightforward (but comprehensive) accident investigation is often enough to obtain a successful conclusion to your case?

Child Abduction Recovery

Parental or relative abduction has become a worldwide crisis. International, Federal and State laws mandate the role of law enforcement in such matters, but such agencies have limited ability, time or funds to pursue a single case, to resolution.

According to the United States Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, more than 200.000 children are parentally abducted every year in the United States, That's more than 3,846 per week, 550 per day or 23 per hour, by a non-custodial parent or other family member. Fifty-four percent are gone without a trace for more than a week. We work with the local law enforcement agencies in the state or country involved. IFRS Group investigators are fully qualified and trained, with previous experience in the military or law enforcement.

There are now several groups, primarily based in the US, that aid the non-custodial parent or relative in crossing state lines, leaving the country and concealing the children. In most cases, the aiding "underground" person or group has never been in contact with the custodial parent and have relied only on what the "Kidnappers" have told them. It is rarely the truth. When a kidnapping or abduction takes place, children are forced to adapt to the lifestyle of a fugitive; a process that may scar them permanently. Equalizer Private Investigations offers rapid response to any incoming tips. It is an unfortunate truth that law enforcement agencies cannot devote the manpower and other resources to provide a rapid response to information derived

From various sources, including poster respondents. Sometimes authorities in other countries do not respond to tips or other information as quickly as desired or needed, due to matters of a 'higher' priority, a lack of manpower or simply, a lack of caring. This time lag can seriously jeopardize a recovery, as it gives the kidnappers more lead time. Equalizer Private Investigations should be contacted immediately.

No children should remain missing or be withheld from a rightful parent or guardian due to a lack of money. Equalizer Private Investigations will work with you, and your budget.

DOCUMENTATION YOU NEED:
-All Court Orders
-Custody papers
-Court Judgments
-Certified copies of police, agency warrants and notification of case numbers
-Visitation Orders
-Divorce Decree or Separation Agreement
-References of character of both parents
-Companies that have been contracted and what measures were already taken

INITIAL CONTACT & INTERVIEW:
This informal interview conducted by representatives of Equalizer Private Investigations will be based on certain criteria and guidelines which must be met:
-The victim-parent must have certified sole legal and physical custody
-The victim-parent must agree to personal background investigations
-The victim-parent must detail the abduction and details leading to the abduction.
-The victim-parent must agree to accompany the team or individuals on the recovery case.
-The victim-parent must agree to sign a non disclosure agreement & contract.
-The victim-parent must exhaust all legal measures prior to contact with Equalizer Private Investigations.

INVESTIGATION & PLANNING:
This gathers all the necessary information & will be based on:
-Child location.
-Agency liaison locally and in the country of negotiations.
-Litigation and legal preparation to support such negotiations.
-Geography, climate and social structure of the country of recovery.
-Liaison with local organizations and law enforcement.
-The threat, direct and indirect to the team or individuals involved.
-Past situations and operations conducted.
-Child or children's routines and lifestyle investigation.
-Methods of entry and exit of the country intended.

NEGOTIATIONS & RECOVERY ASSESSMENT:
This will be formulated and given to the client:
-The recovery feasibility.
-The general operation and risks involved.
-The cost and list of specific requirements needed.
-This service requires logistical planning and it is therefore essential that all legal steps to recover the child locally has been exhausted by the client.
-The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction States that have ratified or acceded to the Hague Convention 18 USC 1204 International Parental Kidnapping Act.

Fraud

1. Watch for changes in your employee's lifestyle, especially his/her spending habits.
2. Employee attendance problems.
3. Unusual billing addresses or payment arrangements.
4. Excessive department or individual expenses or purchases.
5. Frequent complaints from your suppliers or customers.
6. Low employee morale.
7. Missing documents/ files or documents with numerous alterations.
8. Excessive overtime.
9. Discrepancies in inventories or cash overages/ shortages.
10. Close relationships between employees and vendors or customers.
11. Understaffed accounting or auditing departments.
12. Constant overriding of internal controls.
13. Inadequate internal controls or policies.
14. One person controlling both sales and receipts.
15. Ignored employee complaints, suggestions, or comments.
16. Large numbers of adjusting journal entries, especially at period end dates.
17. Managers unfamiliar with warning signs.
18. Managers overly trust employees.
19. Management ignoring own controls and enforcement procedures.
20. Indispensable personnel who arrive early and work late.
21. Management unfamiliar with the actual fraud losses.

1. Conduct quality background checks on your potential employees.
2. Know what your losses are and develop a tracking system to identify when and how they occur.
3. MINIMIZE security overrides.
4. Develop tight security controls.
5. Conduct noticeable random spot-checks for security purposes.
6. Conduct an external security check of your entire system, including security personnel.
7. Hire higher quality security personnel and pay them for their quality.
8. Train supervisors in fraud prevention.
9. Reduce the opportunities for impulse crimes.
10. Develop an employee hotline to report safety and fraud conditions.
11. Investigate high risk areas.
12. Vigorously investigate frauds and take necessary corrective action.
13. Ensure that management is responsible for fraud prevention/ detection.