At Michael Guadagno & Associates (MG&A), we often assist in criminal and civil liability cases. In many situations, law enforcement agencies don’t have the manpower or resources to follow up on cases with little or no merit. That’s where MG&A excels. We can provide surveillance, interview witnesses, gather evidence, look into social media, and take the time needed to provide you or your legal team with the evidence required to get justice.
Recently, we provided key evidence for a murder case in Kitty Hawk that led to an arrest. The police overlooked this particular case after the cause of death was considered “undetermined”. Friends and family felt differently and hired us to investigate.
Private investigators with skills like ours can be a very valuable asset in police investigations. Our methods usually differ from those of a police detective’s, allowing us to uncover things that the latter may take weeks to find out. We have resources that may not be as accessible to law enforcement, such as surveillance, time to dig deeper and personal contacts. If need be, we can even go undercover to collect evidence that may otherwise be unreachable for police officers.
Whether you’re a private citizen, an insurance company, law firm and business, we have a team that can help.
Missing Persons
Private investigators help find persons who are missing, either intentionally or unintentionally. Cases include:
- Runaways (Amber Alerts);
- Seniors (Silver Alerts)
- People who owe or are owed money;
- People who are part of a criminal investigation;
- People involved in a court case; or
- People who simply cannot be found.
A missing persons investigation is a thorough examination of the circumstances surrounding the unknown whereabouts of an individual. They can be some of the most challenging and multifaceted assignments and the most rewarding.
Police do their best with the resources they have, but law enforcement simply is not equipped to deal with the crime rates today. They have to wait for 24-hours before looking, and once leads dry up, cases far too often become cold.
As private investigators, we can start our investigation much quicker than law enforcement, and we have the resources to continue long after they’ve stopped. Steps we may take include:
- Working with law enforcement officials in an active missing person case;
- Reaching out to our network of investigators and informants;
- Looking into cold cases involving missing persons in the same area;
- tracking their phone;
- contacting all friends and family;
- checking social media accounts;
- checking places they spend time, interviewing witnesses and possibly setting up surveillance in frequent hangouts;
- checking local jails, hospitals and/or homeless shelter; and
- digging into the backgrounds of suspects police may not have access.
We can also cross state lines to look into leads and when it comes to a child, we will go to the ends of the earth. If you fear someone you know is missing, contact us today! The quicker we can start looking, the greater your chances are of us finding them.
Corporate Theft
When you’re trying to run a business, nothing affects the bottom line more than in-house theft. Employee theft is not a question of if but how often and how much.
- 95% of all businesses have experienced employee theft.
- 30% of employee theft is from falsely reported time worked.
- Nearly 40% (37.5%) of employees have stolen from their employer.
Employee or corporate theft goes much deeper than an employee skimming a few bucks from the register. It’s a bookkeeper forging checks or submitting phony invoices; it’s a payroll clerk padding hourly wages or inflating expenses to employees; it’s an employee walking out the back door with a case of top shelf whiskey or box of filet mignon; it’s a purchasing agent buying his girlfriend gifts with the company checkbook; it’s a bank teller stealing a night drop deposit; it’s a medical office manager stealing her bosses hard earned money. These are just a few of the endless ways employees steal from companies every day.
Since there are many different kinds of employee theft, the process we take may vary greatly. It usually begins like this:
- We start by meeting with you to hear what you’re experiencing.
- We will collect any evidence you have than get to work.
- We investigate, observe, and gather information. This may include setting up surveillance, interviewing witnesses and collecting data from social media and other sources.
Once we have a strong case, we provide you with a detailed report including everything you need to catch those responsible and make a case. If you feel an employee or employees are taking advantage of you or stealing from you, contact us today!
Intellectual Property Theft/ Trade Secret Protection
If you suspect your innovation, invention, brand, trademark, or copyrighted information has been infringed in any way, we can help prove it.
Detecting the theft of Intellectual Property is becoming increasingly difficult with each new generation of smart devices. Our team understands the tools used and how they work. We utilize the latest technologies available to perform “sweeps” of offices and electronic devices. This allows us to find any listening devices or recording equipment being used to gather intel; however, there are other ways to steal information. To ensure we know everything:
- We begin by meeting with you to learn what is going on.
- We ask you to provide any info, surveillance and tips you have that will help with the investigation.
- We also meet with other members of your team to get their testimony.
Once we understand the situation, we will address it in a variety ways that could include:
- Additional surveillance
- Gathering evidence
- Looking into employee backgrounds and possibly surveilling suspects
- And much more…(we don’t want to give all our secrets away)
If your company is at risk, we can also provide you with recommendations on the best ways to defend yourself from corporate thieves. Contact us today!
Medical Malpractice/Medical Negligence
Medical malpractice/negligence is the 3rd leading cause of death in the US. According to the Medical Malpractice Center, “Every year there are roughly 15,000 to 19,000 medical malpractice suits filed in the US; however, 80% of all medical malpractice lawsuits that land in court result in no payouts.” The main reason is the lack of evidence the victim can provide.
Types of Medical Malpractice
- Misdiagnosis resulting in patient death
- Surgery or hospitalization resulting in infection or treatment failures
- Illegal billing procedures or insurance fraud
- Medical errors resulting in disability or other injuries
- Rejection of care due to patient’s financial instability
- Medical negligence in refusing to provide care or providing defective care
- Negligent prescription treatments leading to addiction or drug contact
As investigators, we can dig deep into your case to find the evidence you need. The investigation may require:
- Collecting client medical records about the incident in question and obtaining all other past medical records involving diagnosis and treatment.
- Researching the healthcare worker’s history of medical malpractice.
- Interviewing all witnesses that were involved in the incident and taking witness statements to cement testimonial findings.
- Researching specific prescription drugs, procedures, and products used during the client’s diagnosis and treatment.
- Using surveillance tools to monitor individuals.
The information we produce can provide evidentiary credibility of medical malpractice and support insurance claims or legal suits or deliver insubstantial proof of medical malpractice, discouraging the pursuit of further legal action, saving you time and lots of money. If you are the victim of medical malpractice and need help proving your case, call us today. We can’t express more how important it is for you to take action and fight back!
Fraud
Fraud is misrepresentation with the intent to deceive. At MG&A, we investigate a wide variety of fraud cases, including:
- Insurance Fraud
- Corporate Fraud
- Financial Fraud
- Identity Theft
- Internet Fraud/Scams
- Corporate Slip and Fall
- Expense Claim Fraud
- Theft of Inventory
Our investigation will begin with a meeting between you and our team to learn why you suspect deceit. After that, we will accept any evidence supporting your claim. We use this initial information to find more evidence and information through surveillance, asset searches, background checks, employee investigations, business investigations, and other methods.
When the investigation has concluded, depending on the severity or complexity of the crime, local, state, or federal agencies might be interested in the case. We will work with you, your legal team or your insurance provider, provide a detailed report of our findings and secure all evidence required for any legal action.
If you need help, please contact our team today. Time is essential in many situations, so the quicker you include us, the greater your chances of a positive outcome.