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What Types of Criminal Records Are Available through Public Records?

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In the United States, criminal records are considered public record. In general, most, if not all, criminal records are available through public records, but there are a few caveats to this that are described in more detail below. Types of Criminal Records Available through Public Records Felony – A felony is the most serious class [...]

Book Review: Principles of Investigative Documentation by Philip Becnel

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I recently finished reading Philip Becnel’s Principles of Investigative Documentation(affiliate link), which goes through an in-depth look at documenting a private-sector investigation. The book dives into the process of documenting the investigation from start to finish, including tips on taking notes, privilege and confidentiality issues, creating a “running resume” (like a journal), document retention and [...]

The Mythical National Criminal Records Check

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There is no such thing as a national criminal records check (at least not available to the public). It’s a myth spread by numerous investigative firms, investigative databases, and commercial public record vendors. Even in this digital age, instant access to digitized criminal records is not available, and in many cases old-fashioned “boots on the [...]

Make Decisions on What You Know, Not What You Think You Know

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Every day, we make decisions based on what we know and believe. We make simple, mundane decisions hundreds of times a day about what we are going to do, who we are going to meet or where we are going to eat. Some of these decisions turn out to be bad ones, but there is [...]

Samuel “Mouli” Cohen Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison

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On April 30, 2012, Samuel “Mouli” Cohen was sentenced to 22 years in prison stemming from charges that he defrauded investors out of dollarsignr35 million. Federal prosecutors sought a 30 year sentence. In November 2011 Cohen was convicted of 15 counts of wire fraud, 11 counts of money laundering and three counts of tax evasion. [...]

6 Things Private Investigators Are Not Allowed to Get Without Authorization

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Here is a list of some common things that private investigators are not allowed to get without signed authorization or other official court order: Medical Records HIPAA, which was enacted in 1996, protects your medical history and medical records from prying eyes. There are federal and state laws against obtaining medical records without authorization. Credit [...]

How To Look Up Criminal Records

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Understanding how to look up criminal records is not as simple as one would think, but we’ve broken it down into a couple of simple steps. There are several critical pieces of information you need to know about the person you are going to look up criminal records on prior to commencing a search: Full [...]

5 Private Investigator Misconceptions Busted!

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The power of television and the big screen has entrenched numerous misconceptions about private investigators. It’s certainly fun to play along with some of these misconceptions at a cocktail party, but it’s not so fun to play along with potential clients who assume private investigators can do things that they can’t. Here are some common [...]

Who Should You Trust? 11 Types of People to Be Wary Of

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From birth, we have implicit trust in just about everything and everyone we encounter. As we become adolescents, we are told not to trust strangers, especially the ones with candy. By the time you are an adult, trust is no longer implicit; you have to earn trust. Below I’ve compiled a list of people you [...]

The Difference Between Inmate Records and Criminal Records

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One big misconception that I hear frequently is that a search of inmate records is the same thing as conducting a criminal record search. They are not the same thing. Not even remotely close. In most states, you can search for current or former inmates who have served in state penitentiaries. (Note: County and local [...]