Ross Investigators PC, Inc.

 By Susanna Speier
Denver Private Investigator Blogger

You got busy. Then you then procrastinated and now you have to figure out what to get the kids for Christmas. Too late to order by mail but look on the bright side. Kids don't know how much of your time is spent monitoring driveways, watching and rewatching slip n' fall footage and finalizing the final revision of your witness testimony reports and thanks to a robust children's literature industry --conveniently saturated with an abundance of scrappy, savvy teen and adolescent sleuths-- some kids may actually regard you as the grownup embodiment of Nancy Drew or Encyclopedia Brown.

Read also: 85 years of Nancy Drew detective stories

We recommend leveraging this perception to help with the crisis at hand. In other words, yes literary misconception about the private investigation and security profession are at best, irritating  but this this is the time of year to make the most of the trench coat, magnifying glass and fedora. Especially if you're trying to make some last minute, on-the-spot Christmas magic happen. 

Read also: Valentines Day gifts for private investigators 

For starters, if, in the worst case scenario, you had to improvise something on Christmas morning, you can always grab a boxcutter and turn a cardboard delivery box, pair of old socks and the kookiest witness interviews of the last half-decade into original and memorable puppet sketches for the kids to watch or even participate in.

Better yet, you could track down a couple of Unemployed Philosophers Guild Sherlock Homes finger puppets, pair them with the right music playlist (a simple google search lead us to some spy kids ones) and you'd have the option of placing Sherlock in the show!

If they're totally in love with the puppet theater progress you'll have the entire 2019 season to take them to shows at The Denver Puppet Theater, located at 3156 West 38th Avenue, Denver, CO 80211.

​Unfortunately, the local independent company has a real life unsolved crime.  Between $300 and $500 worth of hand puppets were stolen in May of this year for reasons that still seem to elude the owners. Who would steal a bunch of puppets from a puppet theater? Perhaps a new case assignment will also come out of it.

​
There is even a Denver International Airport Tattered Cover if you're headed out of town for the holiday and want to grab something on the way. Additional book recommendations are covered in our books for kids segment in our content partner, Pursuit Mag's article. .

​Back to the local Denver metro area, though. Taluah Jones, located at 1122 east 17th avenue in Denver has a cubby shelf featuring spy gear, walkie talkies, fingerprint detectives, invisible writing ink and spy view specs according to a sales associate we spoke with on the phone. They have also extended their evening hours to 7:30 p.m. to accommodate -ahem- last minute Christmas shoppers.

Second Star to the Right, located at 4353 Tennyson St in Denver is another incredible locally owned store for kids. They another shop at 1545 South Pearl if that is more convenient. Their sales associate recommended the new edition of Clue because it has "more suspects, rooms and weapons." It also has the classic art of the original. "The character portraits are neat and art in general is older style which is cool." Almost as iconic as Monopoly, Clue thankfully, continues to pass the test of time in flying colors. 

Also worth mentioning is we saw the Scientific Explorer, Crime Catchers Spy Science Kits, were sold out at the Glendale Target but seems to be available in area Kohl's, Walmart and possibly the Colorado Blvd Barnes and Noble.

Although the focus has been primarily on locally owned retailers the fact that we're mentioning this now should probably say a lot about how high quality of an educational tool we consider it to be. One of the many reasons we feel this toy deserves a top spot on our recommendation list --besides what we perceive to be simplicity of the educational toy, we feel it's accessibility combined with the importance of preparing kids for STEM careers so you're not supporting them through their early and mid adult years on a limited or perhaps nonexistent private investigator pension. 

Whatever you end up with we hope you'll enjoy the holidays and find us on social media to let us know what you got! 

Taluah Jones, 1122 east 17th avenue, Denver, Colorado 
​Second Star to the Right, located at 4353 Tennyson Street, Denver, Colorado 

By Susanna Speier
Denver Private Investigator Blogger 

According to Ross Investigators' Senior Executive Editor, Joanne Lu,, writing a report for a private investigator, "is communicating all of the most relevant details in a concise way that really has the best in mind for the client, meaning the personal injury lawyer and their client."

Ross Investigators now has a team of two editors working to ensure, as Lu puts it, "language and formatting communicate a certain level of professionalism." The challenge is how to "paint a comprehensive picture without obscuring details." One way Lu meets this challenge is by retrospectively asking, "have we provided enough details or have we obscured what's really useful by providing too much detail?" 

Because they don't get to talk to the Client's Client (the CC) and know what they're looking at is second hand, Lu and her team "are trying to laser focus on what's really helpful." Ultimately Lu wants to properly represent the quality of work the Ross Investigators team does in the field. 

If your own report writing skills could use a tune up, you're in luck. June's PPIAC Training Meeting, which takes place Wednesday, June 06, 2018 at 6:30 PM, MDT at CB & Pott's in Greenwood Village, Colorado. The trainer is John Morris of EVCO LLC which is based in Greely, Colorado. Social hour begins at 6:00. 

By Susanna Speier
​Denver Private Investigator Blogger 

Jessica Jones (which --in case you're not already looped-- just dropped season 2) may run a solo practice The Defenders she need to collaborate in order to save Hell's Kitchen. But what about a place like Colorado with a smaller and more regionally spread out population? 

Castle Rock investigator, Andrea Orozco's upcoming Professional Private Investigators Association of Colorado (PPIAC) training workshop on Wednesday, April 4th at CB & Pott's 6575 Greenwood Plaza Blvd in Greenwood Village, CO will focus on subcontracting for other investigators. It's a great opportunity to learn more about how and when to collaborate with investigators who specialize in areas of expertise that may compliment yours. 

A recent article Pursuit Mag article by legal investigator and former Durango police detective, Sam Petitto also discusses the solo versus collaboration dynamic.

​Many of the questions on Rachele' Davis list of questions to ask before hiring a private investigator are relevant to questions you might ask a prospective sub contractor or collaborator. 

Collaborations don't have to be limited to current cases. Earlier this month a New York Post article detailed a  Suffolk County cold case and the circumstances behind a grisly crime was finally resolved thanks to DNA forensics. 

To check out the team of associates our own Denver based firm, Ross Investigators, subcontracts with, check out our about page or call (720) 458-1497 for a free consultation. 

By Susanna Speier
Denver Private Investigator Blogger 

Near the end of the first act of Hamilton, as anyone familiar with the musical and American military history already knows, the Battle of Yorktown turns the tide for the Continental Army, led by General George Washington and wins the decisive victory against the British Army, led by General Lord Charles Cornwallis.

Alexander Hamilton and the Marquis de Lafayette both played critical roles in cinching the Yorktown victory however a New York tailor named Hercules Mulligan also played a prominent role in the victory by obtaining British intelligence that enabled the Continental Army to plan, in advance, for the attack.

When Alexander Hamilton asked Mulligan to help him obtain British intelligence for General Washington, ​Hercules Mulligan's fashionable tailor shop, which catered to wealthy British businessmen and high ranking British officers, was well positioned to charm proprietary intelligence out of his British customers. Performed by actors Lin-Manuel Miranda and Okieriete Onaodowan in the original broadway musical, Alexander Hamilton and Hercules Mulligan sing in hip-hop infused rhyme explaining,

Hamilton
How did we know that this plan would work?
We had a spy on the inside. That’s right,
Hercules Mulligan!

Mulligan
A tailor spyin’ on the British government!
I take their measurements, information and
then I smuggle it!

 

​To get more context I visited several secondary sources online including the CIA's Hercules Mulligan tribute that explains, "When General Washington mentioned to Alexander Hamilton, now Washington’s aide-de-camp, that he was looking for a spy on the inside within New York City, Hamilton recommended his old friend Hercules Mulligan. Hercules excitedly agreed." 

The CIA's biography (written by an uncredited author) goes on to explain that "Hercules continued to provide service for British officers, collecting their measurements and secrets alike" as mentioned in the musical.

The fashionable tailor, unbeknownst to his customers was also an active member of the Sons of Liberty organization and strategically and deliberately "played to the officer’s vanities, stroking their egos to elicit statements of speculation.

When officers requested repairs to their uniforms, he would ask the date they needed them back. When customer after customer gave the same date, he could surmise the day of their next movement. He would then dispatch his African-American slave, Cato, to Washington’s headquarters in New Jersey to share the information on the redeployment of a particular unit."

Mulligan's African-American slave, Cato is among many slaves who --with the exception of Sally Hemings-- went unmentioned in the musical, however it is clear from the several secondary accounts I reviewed, Mulligan succeeded because he did not operate in isolation but with a support team of equally courageous individuals. This team consisted also consisted of his wife, Elizabeth Sanders who was the daughter of a Royal Navy admiral and gave him access to officers who would talk about military matters, according to Revolry. 

Frances Mulraney's Irish Central article claims Mulligan "met his customers at the front door and personally took taking their measurements despite his own social stature. Mulligan often offered a glass of whiskey to keep conversation flowing.

With the help of yet another team member --his brother Hugh Mulligan, who supplied him with information on British supplies and shipping schedules through his work with the British commissariat in New York-- Mulligan learned of two separate plots to capture George Washington. Each time he was able to warn Washington before the plots could bear fruit."

Gil Troy's Daily Beast article reiterates this, portraying Mulligan as " a discrete but silver-tongued Irish immigrant in New York City, who prospered as a haberdasher, tailoring garments for colonial aristocrats and British officers. He was also a member of the Sons of Liberty, and his passion helped recruit Alexander Hamilton to the Revolutionary cause. His work also happened to make him a great, meaning oft-overlooked, spy." 

According to Thomas Fleming's Journal of the American Revolution article, Less well known is the story of a working class Irishman, big hearty Hercules Mulligan. He shocked his American friends by welcoming the red coated British regiments when they captured New York in 1776. A skilled tailor, Mulligan was soon making money outfitting British officers and wealthy Americans who had remained loyal to the king.

Beyond the city limits, Americans shook their heads. Who could believe Mulligan had become a traitor? He had seemed to be a fervent patriot. Mulligan still was, but only a few people knew it. One of these insiders was General George Washington. Another was Washington’s aide, Colonel Alexander Hamilton, who was a close friend of Mulligan. Throughout the war, the Irishman was one of America’s most valuable spies. Among other things, he warned Washington of a well-organized British plot to kidnap him."

After the war, Washington stopped by tailor shop, had breakfast with Mulligan and pronounced him a "true friend of liberty" before commissioning his first civilian wardrobe. Shortly after, the sign to Mulligan's 218 Pearl street (then 23 Queen street) tailor shop read “Clothier to Genl. Washington." 

When I google mapped the address of the location that once housed Hercules Mulligan's New York tailor shop. This is the image that came up:

​When I arrived at the Buell Theater early the mood was giddy with Denverites about to see Hamilton for the first time. Then I opened the Denver Center for the Performing Arts Applause program to discover yet another local overlap. The actor who plays Hercules Mulligan in the traveling show (which performs at the DCPA through April 1st) Mathenee Treco, is a returning Denver local!

By Susanna Speier
​Denver Private Investigator Blogger 

If you've been following Denver's Amazon bid, you already know Denver one of a twenty of mid-sized cities being considered for Amazon's new headquarters (HQ2). If selected, the online commerce giant would bring 50,000 new high paying jobs to the city of Denver along with some notoriety.

In October, Amazon Studios chief Roy Price resigned over sexual harassment allegations. In 2015 The New York Times called Amazon a "bruising workplace" where "workers are encouraged to tear apart one another’s ideas in meetings, toil long and late (emails arrive past midnight, followed by text messages asking why they were not answered) and held to standards that the company boasts are “unreasonably high.”"

Recent race discrimination, gender identification discrimination and pregnancy discrimination charges indicate the juggernaut's local presence would mean ample opportunities for Colorado employment lawyers, should the mile high city make the final cut.

With or without Amazon's HQ2, Colorado's robust tech industry will continue to expand and abuses of power will continue to create new opportunities for private investigators who are employment litigation literate.

Given the landscape, next week's Professional Private Investigators Association of Colorado (PPIAC) training seminar, How PI's can Assist Employment Attorneys, looks like a worthwhile way to spend a Wednesday evening in early February. Disclosure: I am a PIAC service member and gave a training seminar last fall.

David Miller, Esq will give the free training seminar on Wednesday, February 7th, 6:30 pm - 8:30 at CB & Pott's, located at 6575 Greenwood Plaza Blvd in Greenwood Village, CO 80111 Networking begins at 6:00.

Additional Amazon references: 

1. ​https://news.wgbh.org/2016/10/12/local-news/amazon-accused-discrimination-firing-boston-area-drivers
2. http://gothamist.com/2015/08/26/amazon_backlash.php
3. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-amazon-lawsuit/amazon-sued-by-transgender-woman-husband-for-workplace-harassment-idUSKBN1AP2FI

By Susanna Speier
Denver Private Investigator Blogger

DENVER - I'm sipping coffee in a beryl-blue-gray vinyl restaurant booth in Capitol Hill's Jelly cafe as Tom Mills steps through the door. Mills' story was brought to my attention by 9News' Kyle Clark and Anastasiya Bolton. Colorado process servers and private investigators are reassessing safety practices and deliberating on how best to minimize risk, following the coverage, which I summarized  in a November 27, 2017 blog post.

After ordering a glass of water --diabetes symptoms were prohibiting coffee-- Mills thoughtfully reviews the printout of questions I’ve handed him. Before starting the interview, I want to know how he’s been doing since the November 6, 2017 Commerce City, Colorado serve that turned into a life threatening situation.

The day of the serve, Mills drove to Adams county to serve papers to Bret Martin Carbone --who also happens to be a Denver Sheriff's deputy. Carbone lied, telling Mills he was just there to take care of the dogs, however, Mills didn't buy it. After returning to his car to verify Carbone's identity on Facebook, Mills returned to Carbone's house to complete the serve. As anyone who has seen the widely posted and shared video knows, Carbone opened the door, pointing a gun at Mills and telling him to get off of his property.

See also: Felony menacing charge issued to the Denver Deputy who pulled a gun on a Colorado private investigator

Despite the threat to his life, Mills actually did manage to complete the serve. "Got in my car shaking like crazy. I already have high blood pressure," he explained. He called the police who arrived just as Carbone was trying to drive away. The police had to order Carbone out of his vehicle and disarm him in order to make the surprise discovery that the perpetrator of the felony menacing charge also happened to be a sheriff's deputy. 

Mills is now being treated for post traumatic stress disorder. He is no longer doing evening and night serves. Although Mills is a military vet who served overseas, he did not have PTSD prior to the November 6, 2017 serve. 

Carbone is now being charged with felony menacing. The case was moved from a local to a district court because of the seriousness of the charge and the next hearing will take place in a district court on January 29th. Two of the female process servers who worked for Mills quit immediately following the incident citing safety concerns. As he now only serves papers during the daytime, when it’s safer, Mills' income has also taken a hit.

Mills is not the first Colorado process server to have a gun pointed in him. Process Servers Association of America President, Steve Glenn had found himself in an almost identical situation when serving papers, however because Glenn had no video evidence and "it was all he said, she said," Mills explained, there were no grounds for pressing legal charges in Glenn's situation because he did not video record his serve. 

For the benefit of every process server reading this, I ask Mills to demonstrate how he records his serves discreetly. Mills holds his phone in front of the clipboard he carries with him when he does his serves. For purposes of a photo demo (below) he holds his phone in front of the paper I handed him with the interview questions printed out.

If you are a process server reading this and you do not video record your serves, please begin doing so immediately. No need to invest in special equipment. All you need is a phone, a clip board and/or piece paper, as shown in the photo below. 
​
(end of part 1)

​By Susanna Speier
Denver Private Investigator Blogger 

The day was overcast and unseasonably warm. The staff of Colorado's Judicial Center was professional and friendly. "That's actually a job?" the front desk receptionist asked when I handed the business card listing my title as the "Denver Private Investigator Blogger," over the round, dark wood receptionist table.

Indeed it is, I explained and could I schedule a meeting with Attorney General, Cynthia Coffman  or one of her media representatives to discuss Rule 8.4 C? 

Following its September 28, 2017 announcement, I've only heard shocked and horrified responses from the private investigator community. Jesse Paul's Denver Post article stated "lawyers can now engage in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation when advising law enforcement officers, investigators or clients during lawful investigative activities. The Colorado Attorney General’s Office says they can’t personally conduct such subterfuge, but can supervise those actions." 

Let that sink in. Attorneys ---the ones who hire private investigators to interview witnesses, obtain evidence and investigate cases--- can now outsource the sordid and insidious tasks of committing fraud and acting deceitfully to the private investigators who depend on those attorney's assignments in order to make payroll!! 

​Future posts will explore the question of how much pressure a client can put on a private investigator to push legal boundaries. I'll be interviewing a wide range of Colorado legal industry professionals. I shall also continue trying to get through to Coffman's office or get referred to another Colorado government official who can help clarify why this rule seemed necessary to ensure safety and justice in Colorado.

Is there is someone you think I should speak with or interview? Please leave a message in the comments below or notify us via Facebook or Twitter. 

By Susanna Speier
Denver Private Investigator Blogger 

The viral social media phenomenon referred to as "Black and White Challenge" or "7 Day 7 Photo Challenge" is not for everybody.

If you're inclined to avoid social media except for an investigation research took, this is probably not the project for you, however if you're one of those gumshoe/ amateur photogs, this could be a great way to share what the world of a PI looks like while shaking up your aesthetic sensibilities and maybe flexing your social media engagement abilities, too. 

Here's how it works: someone tags you on social media telling you it's your turn to do the #BlackAndWhiteChallenge. (Some refer to it as the 7 day 7 photo challenge). One tagged you will be expected to post a black and white photo a day for the next seven days with no explanations. At least that is how the official rules work. 
​

I happened to be right around the corner from the Ross Investigators office, located at 1665 Grant Street, ste 304, Denver, CO 80204, when I noticed a Jelly Cafe employee was wearing a "Trust Nobody" t-shirt. Since it seemed like a great aphorism for a private investigator, I decided to turn it into a black and white challenge photo. When I asked the two woman in the photo if I could use the black and white toned photo in the Denver Private Investigator Blog the woman wearing the t-shirt (whose name is Shannon) responded, "Heck yah" before adding "and I stand behind it!"

If you'd like to try your hand at black and white iphoneography / photography through the black and white challenge then give one of your black and whites's a private investigator slant and share with us on Twitter or Facebook so we can compile a collection of black and white glimpses of the private investigator world! 

By Susanna Speier
Denver Private Investigator Blogger

What goes into being a 21st century Watson? Find out October 4, 2017 at a free training seminar. The seminar will be hosted by the Professional Private Investigators Association of Colorado (PPIAC) at the Denver Press Club (DPC) in Downtown Denver.

When people ask me about my primary freelance gig blogging and curating social media communities for a private investigator, they sometimes get confused. "You're a private investigator?" they ask, trying to clarify. 

"No," I respond. I am not a private investigator. I blog for one.” I am the only member of the almost twenty person team comprising Ross Investigators who is not licensed to practice in the State of Colorado. My job as blogger and social media engagement strategist for the Denver, Colorado based PI firm does not require a license from the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies. In fact, the service I provide --writing and publishing-- is protected by the 1st amendment.

Because The Denver Private Investigator Blog is a trade publication, I serve a readership consisting of private detectives, security professionals, surveillance operatives, lawyers and legal private investigators who practice in the State of Colorado and nationwide.

My readers are mostly private investigators. That said, the private investigator field encompasses a wide range of professionals and expertise. My readers run asset searches, public records searches, witness interviews and help with criminal defense. They fly drones, do accident investigation, responsible party identification and provide custody case assistance. Some do security and other do surveillance. A lot of them have police, legal and military backgrounds.

But back to this conversation I always end up having when someone asks what kind of freelance writing assignments I take on. Explaining how a 2017 private investigator firm functions and what PIs do still isn't necessarily sufficient for people still struggling to grasp what my daily functions are. Enter, the Sherlock and Watson metaphor.

"I am Watson---not Sherlock," I finally learned to explain. "As a modern day Watson ---sans firearms training and military background-- I blog and do social media engagement for a private investigator firm." They'd get it almost immediately. "

On Wednesday, October 4th at 6:30 p.m. fellow PPIAC members, DAC members and members of the legal, private investigator and journalism community are invited to attend my free blogging and social media for private investigators training seminar at The Denver Press Club. 

Although the training runs 6:30 to 7:30 attendees are encouraged to arrive at 5:30 to try the "Gumshoe" cocktail that the club bartender, Zack is shaking up for the occasion and network in the Press Club's historic landmark building in Downtown Denver. The Denver Press Club is located in at 1330 Glenarm Place, Denver, Colorado 80204. It is the oldest press club in the country. Street parking is available and there are three public lots within a block of 13th and Glenarm. This will be the first PPIAC event hosted at the Press Club.

You can RSVP here.

By Susanna Speier
Denver Private Investigator Blogger 

​This summer, the Denver Private Investigator's Blog made the PI Now list of top private investigator blogs!! It ranked 4th place after Brian Willingham's Diligentia blog (which ranked #1), Pursuit Magazine (which ranked #2 and with whom the Denver Private Investigator Blog has a content partnership) and Guns, Gams & Gumshoes (which ranked 3rd). We are honored to have The Denver Private Investigator Blog: Mile Hi PI featured among so many other informative and well renowned online publications. 

PI Now's rating system was based on the premise that the private investigation blogs most worth your time contain the following criteria: they are readable and interesting. The website is accessible and easy to navigate and the content is relevant and regularly updated. 

Meanwhile, as summer winds down and we all dust off our nonexistent fedoras and shake out our trench coats, plans for the Rocky Mountain region private investigator conference are currently underway.

The Professional Private Investigators Association of Colorado (PPIAC) conference starts tomorrow, Thursday, September 14th and runs through Saturday, September 16th at Denver Marriott in Westminster and you can still get tickets.

The conference will include an optional class 8:00 - 5:00 pm class with certified forensic interviewer, Brandon Perron which begins on the 14th. There will be also be a fraud investigation workshop with Richard Brooks a Russia investigation workshop with Anastasiya Bolton and an ethics workshop with JP Moore. Andy Kindred, Joe H. Dickerson, Brandon Perron, Jeff Boxer, Kitty Hailey.

If you are a Colorado attorney, please note that the Colorado Supreme Court has just authorized 12 general credits and three ethics credits for attendance. Go here to register.