Category: Qui Tam

"Solving Legal Puzzles: How Private Investigators Bolster Law Firms' Success"

8/11/2023

EXCALIBUR private investigators helping law firms in Colorado Springs

A private investigator can provide valuable assistance to a law firm in various ways. Here are some ways the private investigators of EXCALIBUR Private Investigation help law firms we partner with:

Gathering Evidence: Private investigators are skilled at collecting evidence that can support legal cases. We conduct thorough investigations, gather witness statements, take photographs, and collect other forms of evidence that can strengthen a law firm's case.
Background Checks: The professional private investigators of EXCALIBUR conduct background checks on individuals involved in a case, including parties, witnesses, and opposing counsel. This information can help our law firm partners better understand the people involved and uncover any relevant information.
Locating Witnesses: Finding and interviewing witnesses is crucial in many legal cases. Our team has the tools and techniques to locate hard-to-find witnesses and persuade them to cooperate.
Surveillance: In cases where surveillance is necessary, such as in personal injury or insurance fraud cases, EXCALIBUR's investigators conduct discreet and legal surveillance to gather information about the activities of individuals involved.
Asset Searches: Our professional investigators help our law firm partners locate and identify assets, which can be important in cases involving divorce, financial disputes, or collections.
Verifying Information: EXCALIBUR's investigators verify the authenticity of documents, statements, and other information that is pertinent to a case. This can help ensure the accuracy and credibility of the information presented in court.
Expert Testimony: Our investigators can provide expert testimony in court based on our investigative findings. With over thirty years of experience in investigations, EXCALIBUR's investigators can easily be qualified as experts. Our professional opinions can lend weight to a law firm's arguments and provide a clearer understanding of complex investigative matters.
Research and Due Diligence: Private investigators can conduct in-depth research to uncover information that may not be readily available through public sources. This can assist law firms in building a stronger case strategy.
Mitigating Risks: By conducting thorough investigations, EXCALIBUR's team of investigators help our law firm partners identify potential risks, weaknesses, or pitfalls in their cases. This allows the firm to make informed decisions and develop effective strategies.
Assisting in Criminal Defense: Private investigators can play a crucial role in criminal defense cases by uncovering new evidence, identifying inconsistencies in the prosecution's case, and helping build a strong defense strategy.
Intellectual Property Protection: In cases involving intellectual property infringement or trade secrets, our investigators gather evidence of unauthorized use and help protect a client's valuable assets.

Overall, private investigators can be invaluable allies to law firms by providing specialized skills and resources that enhance their ability to build strong cases, gather evidence, and achieve favorable outcomes for their clients. However, it's important for the law firm to collaborate closely with the investigator, ensuring that all work is conducted ethically, legally, and in alignment with the firm's goals and values which the professional private investigators at EXCALIBUR adhere to on every case.

Need investigative support for your cases? Give us a call today at 719.208.4088 and let us put our experience to work on behalf of your clients. Remember, there is no substitute for experience! And we've got it.

Lee Walters
President - Lead Investigator
Colorado Springs, Colorado

0 Comments

10 QUESTIONS YOU MUST ASK BEFORE HIRING A PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR

11/28/2022

0 Comments

10 Questions to Ask a Colorado Springs Private Investigator

There are many instances where you may need to hire a private investigator. No matter what you're trying to accomplish, it's best to interview multiple investigators to see who is the right fit for you before giving one the assignment. We developed ten questions you should ask any professional investigator you're thinking about hiring:

1. How long have you been conducting investigations?

Note that this question will give you a good sense of how long the investigator has actually conducted investigations and if they have law enforcement experience where they've actually received training in all aspects of conducting an investigation. If they respond with "5, 7, ____ fill-in-the-blank years, be sure and ask if all those years of experience are only as a private investigator or not. At EXCALIBUR Private Investigation, we have over three decades of law enforcement (25 years) and private investigation (10 years) experience and have received ongoing training during the entirety of that time.

2. Are you licensed, insured and bonded?

In the state of Colorado, Governor Jared Polis vetoed ongoing licensure of private investigators effective August 31, 2021 and the industry is full of people who couldn't get licensed in the past due to a variety of reasons. Make sure to ask if they've ever been licensed in any state and inquire as to what insurance they have and if they are bonded. An uninsured, unbonded, private investigator is a train wreck looking for a place to happen. At EXCALIBUR we're insured and bonded and have held state issued private investigator's licenses in California, Virginia and Colorado.

3. What hours will you work on my case?

Never, never, never hire a private investigator who only works banker's hours, i.e. 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. If you've already hired them and can't seem to get in touch with them after 5:00 p.m. fire them. Immediately! Many cases require the investigator to work nights, weekends, and holidays, and can require much more than an 8-hour day. Our investigators work when the case requires it, no matter when that may be. Private investigation is not a 9-5 job!!!

4. What type of training have you had?

Many investigators will vacillate and stumble when you ask them this question and will try to generalize their training. They'll try to tell you how many years they've been doing this kind of work, what they did in the military, etc. If they can't answer with specifics, you can assume they aren't qualified, or equipped, to handle your case. At EXCALIBUR our investigators have trained at the FBI Academy, the DOJ Advocacy Center, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Military Police Academy, to name just a few places our investigators have trained. Training is ongoing as there's always something new to learn.

5. What kind of report will you provide?

No matter what kinds of evidence a private investigator collects, if it isn't properly documented, via written reports, chain-of-custody recorded, videography, photographs, etc., it does no one any good. Many times a case has been defeated at trial due to shoddy or incomplete reports. Unless the private investigator has been trained in how to properly document evidence, they'll fail every time. A good professional investigator will give you frequent updates on all investigation conducted including what they've discovered, and what remains to be discovered. At EXCALIBUR Private Investigation we update all clients any time there's activity in a case and we provide a detailed, written report, that references all audio, video, photographs, surveillance activity, GPS tracking, etc. collected during the investigation. We hand deliver our reports with all of the collected evidence and take the time to go over our findings with the client.

6. How should we communicate with each other?

Many times in an investigation the client may still live with the subject of the investigation. If the private investigator you're interviewing doesn't have alternative communication methods in mind, find another investigator. We use a variety of apps and burner numbers untraceable to our firm as any investigator worth their salt should.

7. Can you recommend a good lawyer?

This question will let you know immediately if the investigator is respected by those in the industry. All good investigators should at least have a few law firms as clients and should be able to recommend which lawyer would be the best for your particular matter. Our firm has worked with law firms all over the country and can recommend the right firm no matter what type of case you need help with.

8. Are you willing to testify in court?

Any private investigator should be willing to testify in court. If the investigator you're interviewing hesitates, even momentarily, that's a huge red flag! Individuals who have presented themselves as PI's may have something in their background that they know will come out in any trial, such as criminal convictions. Without licensing even an individual with a criminal past can claim to be a private investigator. The investigators of EXCALIBUR Private Investigation have all testified in federal, state and local courts numerous times.

9. Will you guarantee your results?

If an investigator tells you they can guarantee the outcome of an investigation they are either lying or have never worked an investigation. An investigator with any experience whatsoever, understands that you never know where an investigation will lead. We guarantee we'll work your case with all available tools and expertise, but we can never guarantee a particular outcome. If the investigator tells you they guarantee their results hold on to your wallet and be suspect of any information they provide.

10. Do you have references?

Any private investigator with a level of experience should be able to provide references when requested. Most reputable PI's will have plenty of clients they can't provide as references due to confidentiality, but they should have some, such as law firms and other professionals, that can speak to their work product. Another red flag if the PI you're interviewing can't, or won't, provide references.

I recommend printing these questions out any time you are thinking of engaging a private investigation firm. I'm sure our competitors will be practicing their answers should one of our readers call them. If we can help you in any way, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Lee Walters
President-Lead Investigator
EXCALIBUR Private Investigation
719.208.4088

0 Comments

COLORADO PASSES UPDATED FALSE CLAIMS ACT

6/10/2022

0 Comments

As a firm that's worked with many whistleblowers and been responsible for developing numerous False Claims Act/Qui tam cases, we were happy to learn that the State of Colorado has finally updated the state's False Claims Act. Prior to this new law being passed, whistleblowers could only file a Qui tam if it involved State Medicaid funds. It never made sense to us that whistleblowers who knew about other potential False Claims cases, couldn't file in Colorado unless it involved fraudulent use of Medicaid funds and now that's been corrected.

Many of you may be wondering what a False Claims Act/Qui tam case is. It's actually been around since the Civil War and was originally known as the Lincoln Law. During the Civil War President Abraham Lincoln spearheaded a law, which became the False Claims Act, that said anyone who had information that the U.S. Government was being defrauded could bring a lawsuit on behalf of the United States. If the government clawed back any amount of monies from the fraudster, the whistleblower, also known as the Relator, would get a percentage of the recovery, normally 15 - 30%. Not a bad deal for doing the right thing and reporting fraud. This law was spurred on by unscrupulous business men selling lame horses and spoiled food to the Union army.

“The False Claims Act is the most successful anti-fraud law protecting taxpayers and preventing corruption in government programs,” said leading whistleblower attorney Stephen M. Kohn of Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto. “Colorado stands to generate billions in revenues by policing fraud in government sponsored programs, both by deterring violations and holding fraudsters accountable. The Colorado lawmakers who have made these improvements possible should be commended.”

The CFCA was cosponsored by Representative Matt Gray, Representative Mike Weissman, and Senator Faith Winter. The law enhances enforcement efforts against individuals and companies who fraudulently use taxpayer dollars. Types of frauds covered by the CFCA include the submission of false or fraudulent claims to state or local governments and the falsification of records material to false claims. The CFCA greatly expands the types of contracting frauds which whistleblowers may bring forth qui tam suits over.

The federal False Claims Act has been described as “the most powerful tool the American people have to protect the government from fraud.” Since the law was modernized in 1986, False Claims Act whistleblowers have allowed the government to recover over $70 billion. Correspondingly, False Claim Act whistleblowers have received over $8 billion.

If you have information of fraudulent activity involving state of Colorado funds, or U.S. funds for that matter, contact us and we can provide advice on what's the best way to handle your case. We have relationships with several top law firms in the country and can work with you to make sure your case is handled by a firm that has the best chance of getting the government to intervene in the case and take it to fruition.

Lee Walters
President
EXCALIBUR Private Investigation
Colorado Springs, Colorado
719.208.4088

0 Comments

CALLING ALL AMATEUR FRAUD DETECTIVES

2/25/2022

1 Comment

PPP LOAN FRAUD Investigators Colorado Springs

Loan Fraud Investigators in Colorado Springs

This just came across my desk this afternoon and is perfect for those of you who are internet sleuths and love tracking down fraud like we do. A software engineer in Palo Alto, California, Brian Hamachek, developed a website, www.pppdetective.com where anyone can see what businesses received PPP loans from the government and in what amount. When Hamachek learned there was a government website listing PPP loans that had been given out, he searched and discovered that several businesses in his town of Palo Alto had actually gone out of business before Covid hit or didn't have the amount of employees they claimed to have, yet got PPP loans anyway which were ultimately forgiven. Basically "free" money for these scammers. He decided to spin up a website of his own where anyone can put in a city and state and see which businesses received PPP loans, mostly forgiven, how many employees they claimed and how big their loans were. We've tried it out and it's very eye opening. You can also flag a loan that you think may be fraudulent based on your knowledge of your particular city.

For those of you who may, or may not, know there's a federal law known as the False Claims Act, also known as a Qui tam. This allows anyone who becomes aware of a fraud committed against the federal government, such as someone receiving a PPP loan when they shouldn't have, to file a federal case on behalf of the government. If the government takes the case, pursues it, and wins an amount of money from the subject, the person who brought the case, known as the Relator, gets 15 - 30% of the recovered funds. Doesn't take long to find a few multi-million dollar PPP loan fraud cases and have some nice paydays. The only catch in filing a Qui tam is that the Relator, (namely you, you Internet Sleuth), has to have an attorney to file the case. We've worked a lot of Qui tams over the last 8 years and know which law firms are great at getting the government to intervene, i.e. take the case, and those that aren't so great. Let us know if you find a PPP loan fraud case that you think has merit and we can discuss with you the possibility of success and then put you in touch with a firm that will ensure the case gets a fair shake from the U.S. Attorney's Office. Good hunting!!!

EXCALIBUR Private Investigation
719.208.4088
Serving all of Colorado and beyond

1 Comment