Category: Uncategorized

Venezuela 1975 One of my hobbies as a kid was photography. I had my Olympus OM1 single-lens-reflex camera and even had my own dark room. I spent hours taking pictures of dirt, bugs, rocks and other items, while I dreamed one day of becoming a professional photographer for Playboy – it never happened,  probably because… Continue reading Premonitions of a Future Career

We are living in trying times right now, with each of us going through our own personal difficulties. But no matter how difficult, NEVER GIVE UP! During my first supervisory position with the DEA, I was assigned an analyst by the name of Ed Riley. Ed was a quadriplegic, had cancer and was diabetic. Ed… Continue reading NEVER GIVE UP!!

They say that one of the biggest fears in life is public speaking. While it can be intimidating, it is an essential skill needed in almost almost any line of business today. My first foray into speaking was not exactly a stellar performance. I had done some public speaking in academic settings, but not much past… Continue reading Public Speaking

          Insurance fraud is a multi-billion dollar illegal activity resulting in tremendous damages to insurance agencies and increased premiums for all of us. And while insurance investigations may appear mundane or even boring on the outside, this is far from the truth. Some of our most interesting investigations have been in… Continue reading Insurance Fraud

The first step of any investigation is to understand the needs and the goals of your client. While this sounds obvious, it is not always as transparent as it would seem. Two companies may share a similar problem, however the approach and desired outcome may be completely different. Take for example intellectual property investigations. The… Continue reading Assessing the Needs and the Goals of your client

While many investigations today are started online, there is almost always a crossover to a physical investigation, unless your intent is to simply take down the site or the post. And that crossover can sometimes take a bit of creativity and planning.   One of our clients reported a target offering counterfeit products on a… Continue reading Crossing over from an Online to a Physical Investigation

A client that manufactures consumer batteries asked us to help with a counterfeit issue they were experiencing in a particular country. According to the client, the quantity of counterfeits went from almost non-existent to flooding the market over a period of six months. The problem became so massive that the client suspected there were more… Continue reading When Counterfeits Outnumber Genuine Products

I arrived in Panama on December 21, 1989 to participate in Operation Just Cause, commonly referred to as the invasion of Panama. Initially, I was set to stay 7 days, but ended up staying for 7 months. The first few days were spent hunting for Noriega, followed by searching for evidence proving his connection with… Continue reading Police officer in Panama

I learned to drive in Mexico City in 1979. At the time, I was 17 years of age and in high school in Mexico. Unlike in the U.S., driver’s education is not taught in high school in Mexico, or anywhere else in Latin America that I am aware of, for that matter. So, my parents… Continue reading Learning to Drive

My exercise regime got off track during the middle of the pandemic (not sure it was actually the middle now, as this thing has dragged on for so long), and I have been struggling to get back on track. Part of this (or should I say, most of this) includes early morning runs with my… Continue reading Health, Perspective and Gratitude – My thoughts for this Friday