PI Blotter: Misconceptions about Private Investigators
- July 13, 2012
- by PInow Staff
- In the News
Each week PInow combs the web for the latest and most interesting industry news stories to bring you the Weekly Private Investigator Blotter.
MPs Speak in Favor of Private Investigator Licensing
UK – MPs with the Commons home affairs committee have recommended that all private investigators in Wales and England should be registered or even licensed. After the phone hacking scandal, the committee was tasked with taking a closer look at the private investigation industry in the UK. The MPs found that of the estimated 10,000 private investigators in the UK, only about 2032 are registered and none are obligated to abide by industry-specific rules and regulations. The MPs compiled a report which stated that about 65% of current PIs were at one time police officers, which may potentially create conflicts of interest.
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Private Investigators Tracking Irish Money
NEW ZEALAND – Private investigators have traveled to New Zealand, hoping to track down the €455 million that Sean Quinn and members of his family have hidden in New Zealand after Anglo Irish Bank was nationalized. The Kroll agency is working with private investigators from Risk Management International (RMI) to trace the money. This is not the first time that the wealthy have established shell companies in New Zealand to hide assets. It is one reason why the country has been bumped from the European Union banking "white list".
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Scott Guy Case May Still be the Subject of Private Investigation
NEW ZEALAND – Two years after Scott Guy was shot and killed at his farm, it appears that another private investigation may be launched to review the evidence in the case. Guy’s widow has been working with advocacy groups for victims to get answers about her late husband’s death. Since Ewen Macdonald was found not guilty of the murder, police do not have any other leads in the case, leading Guy’s family to turn to private investigators to get answers.
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Private Investigators in HP Case Face Sentencing
SAN JOSE, CA – Matthew DePante and Joseph DePante, former California private investigators, are to appear before the U.S. District Court in San Jose to face sentencing for allegedly using fake identities to get access to Hewlett-Packard employee and board member phone records. The father son private investigation team also allegedly used the illegal methods to get access to journalists’ phone records. In February, the two men pled guilty to conspiracy to commit Social Security Fraud. According to authorities, HP hired the DePantes through their private investigation company, Action Research Group, in 2005 to determine who at HP was passing on sensitive information to the press.
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Attorneys Seek Private Investigation in Murder Case
MONTGOMERY, AL – Attorneys for Desmonte Leonard, who is accused of shooting six people, are filing a request to have the state pay for an Alabama private investigator to help prepare the defense case. The shooting occurred at a pool party and resulted in three fatalities. Leonard is facing three capital murder charges and two second-degree assault charges. His attorneys say that he is indigent and needs $7,500 for private investigation services for his defense. It has been suggested that investigator Brad Bartlett may be hired for the case.
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Misconceptions about Private Investigators
COLLIER COUNTY, FL – Several Florida private investigators recently sat down to speak with reporters and noted that there are many misconceptions about their profession, in part because of movies and popular portrayals of the field. According to John Hisler, one of the most common tasks he has involves conducting long interviews on behalf of attorneys who feel that a client or defendant is not being honest. Victor Ortino says that one of the most common misconceptions is how much time private investigators spend working. While TV shows may suggest that answers are forthcoming, Ortino says that many cases take hundreds of hours.
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For more private investigator news highlights, click here to check out the in-the-news archives.