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Justice Demands Truth And Integrity
Typical Services Provided:
Asset Location: A variety of searches are
available depending upon the clients need. They can range from a simple
as locating real estate or automobiles owned by a subject to as complex
as locating bank accounts, employers, privately owned corporations,
etc. Likewise searches can be limited to an area as small as one county
or can include the entire country.
People Location:
Ranging from “skip tracing” – the location of a debtor who has failed
to pay a debt – to more complex investigations such as locating and
interviewing witnesses for civil or criminal cases, finding missing
heirs, investigating unexplained absences from work, etc.
Record Checks: Individuals, companies
and their property are listed in a wide variety of data bases and other
sources. Record checks can include criminal and civil court records,
local or nationwide as required. Credit checks and reports are also
available, with or without actual verification of employment or
references. Corporate name and record searches, UCC, birth, death,
motor vehicle and other public record checks are performed locally or
nation wide and with varying levels of depth, depending upon the amount
of information required by the client.
Background Investigations: Many people
fail to realize their vulnerability to fraud and deceit until it is too
late and harm has been done. One of the best ways to prevent this is by
a background investigation, tailored to the clients needs. For example:
● Landlords frequently do a credit check, but rarely obtain a criminal record check or a check for previous evictions, etc.
●
A single person considering taking a roommate needs to know if that
person has a criminal record, a history of running out on previous
roommates, bad credit, etc.
● A couple considering employing a
housekeeper or nanny needs to know whether the prospective employee is
trustworthy enough to care for their home or children unsupervised.
Would it make a difference if the prospective nanny’s boyfriend was
listed on the registry of sex offenders or if the housekeep’s boyfriend
had a conviction for theft?
● Prospective business partners or
associates – before entering into a business venture with anyone,
whether a long time acquaintance or not, you need to know ahead of time
if the individual has a criminal record or been involved in other
business ventures which have failed or resulted in significant
financial loss to the other partners. You also need to know if the
potential partner or associate has outstanding judgments, tax liens, or
even a significant history of litigation.
● Likewise, if you or your
religious organization is seeking a pastor or teacher who will have
contact with children, the shameful spate of clergy sex offenders means
that the most thorough and professional background investigations of
candidates is a necessary part of the “due dilligence” your insurance
carrier will require you to show in the event a claim is made.
Business Security Analysis & Planning:
If you are operating or starting a business that handles money, accepts
credit cards, extends credit, or involves the use or possession of any
medical or psychiatric information concerning your clients, patients or
customers, you have a duty to insure that your business practices
conform to the standards set out in the HIPAA regulations (for health
or psychiatric care) or the Gramm-Leach Bliley Act and implementing
regulations. Broadsword Investigations can provide answers to questions
such as:
● How can I insure that sensitive information is accessed only by those employees who truly need to use it?
●
What safeguards do I have to prevent sensitive information from being
stolen either electronically or otherwise? (You can have the best
network security in the world, but if the server is not physically
secure nothing will prevent a burglar from removing it and then
accessing all your data on the hard drive at leisure!)
● How can I prevent employees from misusing sensitive information.
● What do I do if the worst happens and information is lost or stolen? How do I confine and minimize the damage.
●
How will my business continue if our office is hit by a tornado,
flooded, burned up in a fire, etc. In this day when every one
everywhere is at risk to the unpredictable actions of both nature and
terrorist, most business still do not have an effective disaster plan.
Fraud & Consumer Protection: The
public has always been at risk to the con man, but the proliferation of
computer technology and the internet has provide a multitude of new
ways for criminals to take advantage of honest citizens. Some recent
areas of concern are:
● Religious affinity fraud
– An individual will approach you or your group seeking donations for a
charitable project ostensibly affiliated with your religious
denomination. He relys on your trust in your denomination to “validate”
his particular project. People who would otherwise have been suspicious
trust a supposed member of their denomination and make donations which,
of course, go directly into the con man’s pocket.
● Another
variation on the foregoing is the salesman who includes in his sales
pitch statements that other members of the customer’s religious
denomination, civic organization, fraternity, etc. have bought the
product or service. The customer relies on this, orders the product or
service, pays for it, and, of course, never sees the results.
Insurance Claims:
Insurance claims examiners are responsible for eliminating false and
fradulent claims so that their employer does not pay out funds the
claimant is not entitled to. Unfortunately, claims examiners carry
heavy case loads and often do not have the time or experience to
investigate a suspect claim in depth. This is particularly true if the
claim arose in a rural location. Broadsword Investigations
can provide the in-depth investigation and analysis needed for the
claims examiner to make an appropriate business decision about the
claim. In addition, if the claim includes a claim of disability, Broadsword Investigations can provide the necessary surveillance (electronic or on-site or both) to validate these claims.
Trial Preparation: Many
attorneys, particularly in rural areas, are faced with preparing for a
complex trial with less than adequate support. With over twenty five
years of direct trial experience, Broadsword Investigations can be your
trial preparation staff:
● We can visit the relevant places and provide photographs, maps, diagrams or other graphic material needed to clarify the case.
●
We can inteview witnesses and potential witnesses and obtain their
sworn statements while events are still fresh in their minds. These can
then provide a solid basis for depositions or other discovery down the
road.
● Documentary evidence can be organized,
analyzed and prepared for presentation in a manner easy for the
attorney to use and the jury to understand. If necessary we can obtain
the services of forensic specialists (accountants, questioned document
examiners, etc.)
● Legal research
and writing have been and remain one of our strong points. If there are
legal issues needing research, we can, within the Code of Professional
Responsibility, do the research in depth and draft memoranda or briefs
for the attorney’s review and approval.
● Judgment Enforcement is
always a chronic problem. With over 25 years experience as a collection
attorney, including several thousand debtor's exams, we can locate the
assets and assist the attorney to collect from them.
Education
● Bachelor of Chemical Engineering (BChE) from The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C. 1968.
● Bachelor of Arts (BA), magna cum laude, double major in Philosphy and English from Saint Anselm College, Manchester, NH 1971
● Graduate Theological Studies, St. Anselm Abbey, Manchester, NH 1972-1973
● Doctor of Law (J.D.), cum laude from Creighton University School of Law, Omaha, NE 1976.
● Military Police Officer Basic Course (Distinguished Graduate), United States Army Military Police School, Ft. McClellan, AL 1976.
● Security Managament and Investigations, United States Army Military Police School, Ft. McClellan, AL 1978
● Forensic Investigations Certificate, Iowa Western Community College, currently enrolled; anticipated completion May, 2008.
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