Private Investigator Blog

Military Investigations

For those friends who are active duty Military.

Our active duty military, while protecting our country and freedom actually have very little rights when it comes to be accused and/or criminally charged with a crime. They are charged under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, (UCMJ), a federal law enacted by Congress. It defines the military justice system and list criminal offenses under military law.

When a service member is criminally charged in the military they will usually face a court martial (Military court) Military court-martials are the most severe sanctions under military law. A court-martial conviction is the same as a federal conviction and can (depending on the offense) result in jail time (at hard labor) or a punitive discharge, (such as dishonorable discharge), as well as fines and reduction in rank.

Military court-martials come in three levels:

  • Summary
  • Special
  • General

The level chosen usually depends on the severity of the offense and the rank of the accused.

What most of our servicemen don·t know is that their rights are not the same in the military as they are in the civilian court. For example in civilian court the defendant has the right to have witnesses subpoenaed so they can come and testify for the him/her. Their attorneys can send out the subpoenas and have them deposed and/or have them appear in court. In Military court, the prosecutor has to be asked to do this for the defendant by the attorney defending him/her possibly giving away defense tactics. This is just one of many rights a service member doesn’t have. If you’ve been wrongly accused of a crime such as sexual assault, (these types of false accusations happen all the time), Indecent liberties, murder, breaking and entering, etc .. don’t just sit back and think it’s going to be “ok because I just didn’t do it”.

We’ve assisted military attorneys with cases such as these and once you’re charged they aren’t going to listen to you say 111 didn’t do it” One case comes to mind where a high ranking gentleman just brushed by a woman and she filed a sexual assault charge against him. “Insane”? Yes, but it happens all the time. If you’re being accused and/or charged don’t wait! Call us for a free consultation on how we can help you with your case. If you don’t have an attorney we will direct you to a great one!

Reference: Military.com

 

Missing Person Stats

Whose face do you picture when you think of a missing person?  Is it a pretty college co-ed?  A young child?  An elderly person?  Were they kidnapped?  Did they wander off?  Did they simply decide to leave?  The fact is that there is no real “standard” missing person.  As private investigators, we’re sometimes called upon to help track down or find missing people.  Here are a few statistics about missing people in America based on numbers from 2012.

  • The number of missing person reports has gone from 150,000 in 1980 to 900,000.
  • An average of 2300 people are reported missing in this country every day, including children and adults, though the majority are adults.
  • Adult statistics
    • The National Center for Missing Adults has roughly 48,000 active cases.
    • 53% of missing adults are male.
    • Demographics of missing adults:
      • 40% Caucasian
      • 30% African American
      • 20% Latino
    • 17% of missing adults have psychiatric problems.
  • Juvenile statistics
    • According to numbers from 2001, just under 800,000 missing persons reports were for minors.
    • About 50% were runaways.
    • 25% were family abductions, usually involving custody disputes.
    • Around 100 abductions a year involve strangers.
      • 33% of the victims are between the ages of 12 and 17.
      • 80% of the victims are female.
      • 90% of the abductors are male.

A common theme in missing person stories is frustration felt by the missing person’s loved ones at what they see as a lack of urgency or activity by law enforcement.  It is also known that the earlier a search or gathering of evidence is started, the better the chance that the missing person will be found.

If someone you care about has gone missing, give us a call at (910) 762-4374, because Peace of mind is priceless, especially when it comes to finding the missing person you care about.

Legal Investigative Services

In the last couple months we’ve talked about how Scout Solutions offers private investigator services and business investigative services.  This month we’re going to tell you about the legal investigative services we provide.

Legal Investigative Services

Legal professionals can’t do everything themselves.  Lawyers and their aids spend a lot of time in books and getting ready for trials, and that’s why they often hire private investigators to do some of their legwork.

  • Locate people or assets – Whether it’s a witness, a stolen item or that missing something (animate or inanimate) the lawyer needs to close their case, a skilled private investigator can help track down whatever is needed.
  • Evidence – When most people think of private investigators they think of a guy spying on a cheating spouse.  Investigators are known for their ability to find evidence someone needs to find the truth, and the same can be applied in legal cases.
  • Process server – Having a hard time finding someone to serve them legal documents like a subpoena or divorce papers?  That’s another thing we specialize in.
  • Paralegal – Here at Scout Solutions, we’ve got our very own in-house paralegal.

If you are a legal professional in need of a little extra help, give Scout Solutions a call at (910) 762-4374 to get peace of mind, because peace of mind is priceless.

Business Investigative Services

As we mentioned last month, a private investigator does a lot more than spy on spouses while wearing a trench coat and fedora.  At Scout Solutions, we provide a wide array of services to private individuals, but we are also often hired by businesses who need a number of tasks done for them.

Business Investigative Services

Many people don’t realize that businesses have special needs that a private investigator can help them with.  Here are some of the services we provide to businesses.

  • Corporate Background Checks – We make sure the person you’re considering hiring isn’t hiding anything that might harm your company.
  • Criminal Cases – Employee theft can have a huge effect on your business. We can get the proof you need to find out who’s stealing from you.
  • Employment Verification – There are several reasons you might need to verify someone’s employment status.  We can fid out for you if a person works where they claim they do.
  • Fraud – Are you an insurance or mortgage company and suspect that someone might be lying for monetary gain?  Or maybe you have an employee who is faking injury to claim workers comp.  Either way, we can get the evidence you need to stop the fraud. 

If you represent or are in charge of a business that can use any of these business investigative services, give Scout Solutions a call at (910) 762-4374 to get peace of mind, because peace of mind is priceless.

Social Media Infidelity

Social media is a great way to keep in touch and to reconnect with old friends.  Unfortunately, with all the positives of social media, sites such as Facebook have also introduced a new gateway to infidelity.

While digital relationships is still a gray area for many people, it’s hard to deny the increasingly slippery slope social media sites provide.  Each couple has to decide for themselves where to draw the line with online relationships, but how do you know when a line has been crossed?

Here are some signs your spouse may have crossed the line from innocent conversation to inappropriate relationship.

Increasing time online

While a little extra time online every now and then can be totally innocent, keep an eye on the daily use.  If your spouse is consistently spending more time on the computer, you may want to investigate why.

Facebook behind your back

Keep an eye our for changes in computer behavior.  If your spouse is purposely turning the screen out of your site or suddenly shutting the laptop when you walk in the room, this may be a sign they’re looking at something they don’t want you to see.

Decreased interest in shared social life

Pay attention to a decreased interest to go out or just spend quality time together on the couch.  A decline in the relationship between you and your spouse may mean a growing relationship elsewhere.

Changing passwords

If you begin to notice an increase in security such as password changes and locked smart phones without your knowledge, this may be a sign your spouse is trying to keep you off their digital devices.

The most important thing to look for when determining if your spouse’s online relationships have gone too far is changes in behavior.  If you start to suspect your spouse has crossed the line, ask questions.  If your spouse has nothing to hide, they’ll have no problem telling you why they’ve been spending more time online or why they’ve seemingly become more secretive.

If a conversation with your spouse doesn’t ease your mind of suspicions of infidelity , contact Scout Solutions at (910) 762-4374 and let us help you get to the bottom of it.

Score One for Infidelity

While many clients contact private investigators because they fear their spouse is having an affair, some companies actually work to do the total opposite. Sites like ashleymadison.com have taken cheating to a whole new level. Their goal is to help spouses explore their feelings with other people without being exposed. Basically match.com for the already taken.

While sites like Ashley claim they do not encourage people to have an affair, their target audience, people unhappy in their current relationships, and their method of income, seems to suggest otherwise.

With Ashley and the like promising a safe place to explore outside your marriage, how are you supposed to know if your spouse is being unfaithful?

Even with all the privacy in the world, these “married dating services” still require time and attention. If you notice your spouse spending more time on the computer than usual or if they start password protecting excessively, this should send up a red flag that something is off.

But what if your spouse is only checking their account outside of the house?

Clients of these sites don’t always stop at the computer. Just like other affairs that begin online, there comes a point when the participants may decide to meet in person. This is where Ashley cannot protect a cheating spouse. Your spouse will still begin to offer up the same excuses: working late, business trip, a night out with friends. If your spouse’s time in the house is slowly decreasing without a detailed explanation (the who, the where and the when), it’s time to start checking up.

If you begin to notice any of these habit changes in your spouse and you’re not sure what to do next, a private investigator can help by monitoring people and online activities. While your spouse is anonymously checking out their options, a private investigator can help you discover just what those “options” are. For a professional PI in the Wilmington, NC area, contact Scout Solutions at (910) 762-4374.

Personal Private Investigator Services

A lot of people think of a private investigator as a guy in a trench coat and fedora staking out a place and spying on spouses on behalf of a jilted lover.  At Scout Solutions, we don’t wear fedoras and we do a lot more than skulking in shadows taking pictures of people.  There are three general categories of services that we offer: personal, business and legal.  Below, we’ll focus on some of the personal investigative services that we provide.

Personal Investigative Services

Personal investigative services are performed for private individuals.  The most commonly thought-of service is the infidelity investigation, where we try to determine if one spouse is cheating on another and provide solid proof of the fact.  We do a lot more than just that, however.  Below are some of the person investigation services we commonly provide.

  • Alimony Surveillance Investigation – If you’re paying alimony and think your ex may have a new companion who is helping pay the bills, or they’re helping pay the bills for their new companion, we can get the evidence you need to reduce or stop your alimony payments.
  • Background Checks – There may be times in your life when you need to find out more about someone in your life, whether it’s someone you’ve begun getting serious about or someone in your child’s life.  We can make sure the person is who they say they are.
  • Child Custody Investigation – If you’re separated or divorced from your spouse and you’re worried about the new person your ex is bringing into your child’s life, we can set your mind at ease or get the evidence you need to let the authorities know that your child is not in a safe situation.
  • Civil Case Investigation – This covers a wide range of incidences, from needing to prove a neighbor’s harassment to helping reclaim property that you can’t get returned.  If you’re having a hard time getting the authorities to take an interest, we can help.
  • Criminal Case Investigation – We are experienced in working indigent criminal cases for attorneys.  If you’ve been accused of a crime or are trying to prove a crime, including homicide, rape, robbery, assault, identity theft larceny or more, we can help find the evidence you need.
  • Missing Persons – Whether a person has gone missing on purpose or accident, or you just want to reconnect with someone from your past, we can help discover where they are now.

If you’re in need of any kind of personal investigation service, give Scout Solutions a call at (910) 762-4374 to get peace of mind, because peace of mind is priceless.

Cheating for the Holidays

 

With the holiday season quickly approaching, most people think of happiness and togetherness with friends and family.  Unfortunately, for a lot of couples, this is not the case.  For many, the joy of the holiday season can increase feelings of unhappiness.  Even for couples who seem to have it all together, the stresses of holiday prep can lead to issues.  The extra money spent, the countless days shopping for the perfect gifts, decorating the house and the balancing act of his family and hers can all lead to unseen issues in a relationship.

In some cases, this added stress and gloom can lead spouses to stray.  They may go looking for an escape from the holiday chaos in the arms of another person.  Cutting down can help lessen the chances of your spouse running off to the corner bar.  But with so much to do, where do you begin?

Here are some tips to help alleviate stress in the holiday season for you and your spouse:

Make a budget.

Don’t just run out and spend an unlimited amount of money on gifts for family and friends.  Sit down and talk it out.  How much do you want to spend on specific friends and family members?  Where do you draw the line for the kiddos?  What’s the limit for exchanging gifts with your spouse?

Be respectful of time.

Preparing for the holidays can take a lot of extra time, but this doesn’t mean other duties just go away.  Work can be stressful and your spouse may still need some down time before you drag them out to the crowed mall or throw a box of tangles Christmas lights in their lap.

Don’t overbook.

You can’t be in two places at once, so don’t try.  Let your friends and family know where you need to go and when.  Find out everyone’s flexibility.  There’s no need to visit 4 cities in the same day.  If there’s not enough time to visit with everyone on your list, feel free to say no.  There are plenty of other day sin the year to catch up.

Don’t overdo it!

This goes for finances, time and road trips.  Don’t take on more than you can handle.  The credit card bills will have to be paid.  The decorations will have to be taken down.  You will have to get caught up on the work you missed while visiting his family and hers.

While these tips will not guarantee your spouse will remain faithful to you, it can help lessen their stress level, which can increase their enjoyment of the holidays and time with you.

If you do feel your spouse may be cheating, contact Scout Solutions in the Wilmington area at (910) 762-4374.

Sponsoring St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

Support St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

Scout Solutions is a proud sponsor of the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.  According to their website:

St. Jude is unlike any other pediatric treatment and research facility. Discoveries made here have completely changed how the world treats children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. With research and patient care under one roof, St. Jude is where some of today’s most gifted researchers are able to do science more quickly.

Please join us in donating to help the children of St. Jude. We are proud to help by sponsoring the WWQQ Radiothon to help raise money for this outstanding cause.  Call in your donation at 800-795-1800 or give online through our Facebook page. Every little bit helps!