If you’re not familiar with forensic investigators or you’ve never been involved in a trial before, you might be wondering what we do. We specialize in retrieving, collecting and analyzing data on your behalf. This could amount to conclusive evidence of your innocence, or provide the material needed to convict the true perpetrator. Your attorney will no doubt emphasize the importance of evidence in your case, but forensic material in particular can provide proof of your innocence.
We know how easy it is to drop your phone or spill something on your PC, but don’t assume this means a broken device is useless. ICFECI specializes in recovering data from cell phones and computers. Even if the device is damaged, water-logged or burned, we use specialized equipment and our years of expertise to retrieve information. From call logs, messages, photos, videos and GPS trackers, cell phones store a lot of data that could be instrumental in securing your exoneration.
Analysis
You may not realize the importance of evidence already in your possession. ICFECI can help with this and thoroughly analyze the data. Our experts use state of the art equipment to review evidence, examine the data and collate information that could make or break your case. Any evidence we uncover is subject to stringent analysis, ensuring that we extract pertinent information and build an incontrovertible supporting case.
Fraud investigation
We handle all aspects of fraud investigation and white collar crime pertaining to health and insurance fraud, securities, mortgage, bribery and cases of public corruption, bank fraud and bankruptcy frauds, Ponzi schemes and tax frauds. Our Certified Fraud Examiner will carry out a thorough investigation into all aspects of the alleged fraud and compile evidence presented in a report admissible in courts of Law in Texas.
Surveillance
ICFECI can conduct discreet surveillance services if required. This can be useful in cases where you have a strong idea of another person’s guilt, or you have cause to believe they are holding exculpatory evidence. This may include tracing funds or financial records, or using online tracking techniques.
Interrogation
Somebody knows something. This is true in the majority of cases, whether that’s because there are witnesses to the crime or the perpetrator has confided in someone. Even if the criminal has committed the misdemeanor alone and hasn’t told a soul, their behavior after the crime can raise suspicions and point towards their guilt. Interrogating potential suspects or accomplices can provide answers that will help your case, or we may be able to speak to someone holding evidence in your favor.
Get in touch with ICFECI today and see how we can help your case.
Resource: https://www.icfeci.com/how-can-a-forensic-investigator-help-my-case/
Our cell phones store an incredible amount of data.
Nowadays we don’t even realize just how much information is contained in these
devices, but it could be the difference between our freedom and our conviction.
If you’ve been accused of a crime, cell phone data can help prove your
innocence. Even if your device has been
damaged, water logged or burnt, ICFECI can retrieve information that
could be vital to your case.
Messages
No matter who you are or where you’re from, the
likelihood is that you use your phone to message people on a regular basis.
Whether that is through traditional SMS texts, WhatsApp or social media, most
people use their cell to communicate every day. These messages can be very
useful in a court of law. Let’s say for instance that you’re being accused of
sleeping with an underage girl. The plaintiff might suggest that you were fully
aware of her age as she had already told you. If you have a message where the
girl claimed to be 18 or over, you have evidence to refute this.
Photos and
videos
One of the great benefits of cell phones is the fact
we can take photos and videos with such ease and speed. This media can also
serve to provide evidence of your location, who you were with and what time you
were there. If you were accused of something you didn’t do but had video
evidence of the perpetrator committing the crime, this would be the perfect way
to prove your innocence.
Call logs
In certain cases, the exact timing of calls can
prove to be a key piece of information. Even if the content of the call itself
or the people involved isn’t noteworthy, the timing can be crucial to a case.
If a network provider can’t produce the logs, the phone itself keeps a record of
who you rang, when and for how long the call lasted.
GPS
GPS can be a useful tool when you’re lost in a new
neighborhood, but it can also help others to find you. Experts can track your
location and pin down your coordinates using your phone’s GPS – helpful if
you’ve lost your phone, or if you need to prove your whereabouts to the
authorities.
IP Address
Fraud is rife on the internet, especially identity
theft. If someone is posing as you, your IP address can help prove your
innocence. If somebody is claiming to be you on a dating app, your IP address
will be completely different from the one using the app.
Need help with retrieving cell phone data? Get in touch with ICFECI today to see what we
can do.
Resource: https://www.icfeci.com/5-ways-your-cell-phone-can-exonerate-you/
Forensic evidence incorporates a number of investigative techniques and methods. You have more than likely heard of DNA, fingerprints and blood splatter analysis, but there are also more uncommon practices that can help solve a crime. One of these is forensic linguistics.
This process involves the analysis of texts to
decipher authorship. Experts apply linguistic knowledge, context and insight to
carefully decode and identify messages and authors. For example, a forensic
linguist might look at a known text (a document with a confirmed author) and
compare it with a sample to see if there are any similarities. This might
include repeated spelling mistakes, colloquialisms, contractions, unique
phrasing etc.
This can be an important piece of information in
many cases, and the data we collect from cell
phones and computers is crucial to this process. Any messages,
emails, social media posts, documents and so on stored on these devices can be
the key to solving a crime and exonerating the wrongfully accused.
Forensic linguistics is a relatively new field that
was spearheaded by FBI agent James R. Fitzgerald. His work on the Unabomber
case in 1996 led to the apprehension of the culprit, based on his manifesto and
other known texts. After analyzing syntax, word choice and other linguistic
patterns, Fitzgerald successfully established authorship and identified Ted
Kaczynski. For instance, he estimated his age based on the use of words such as
“broad” and “negro,” and identified his educational background from unusual
terms like “chimerical” and “anomic.”
Ransom notes
In many cases, criminals leave notes or send letters
making requests or taunting police and families. For example, a murderer might
send authorities a message mocking their investigation or telling parents they
won’t see their child again. If it’s a hostage situation, criminals will often
leave a ransom note with instructions or demands.
This provides further evidence for the police and
allows forensic linguists to examine the content of the texts. If they have
suspects in mind or they’ve been given a tip about a person of interest, they
can use these documents and compare them to known texts to see if there are any
similarities.
Suicide Letters
If police believe foul play may be involved in an
apparent suicide, forensic linguistics can help. Suicide letters found at the
scene can be analyzed to establish whether the victim actually wrote these
themselves, or whether the scene has been staged to cover up a murder. This is
particularly useful if there are no other witnesses or evidence.
Messages
Missing person cases are notoriously difficult, but
SMS and social media messages can provide a lot of information. If families
believe their loved one has been taken, for example, then a forensic linguist
can shed some light on the situation. A criminal might pretend to be the victim
and send a message on their behalf, hoping to assuage any fears for that
person’s safety. A forensic linguist can examine these messages and confirm
whether that text is a genuine message, or whether someone is posing as the
victim.
Resource https://www.icfeci.com/what-is-forensic-linguistics/
Wrongful convictions are sadly not as rare as we
might expect. As much as we’d like to believe our justice system is
fair and accurate, the truth is that miscarriages of justice are commonplace.
Criminal investigations are complex, and unfortunately this means that
mistakes, falsifications and misconduct can lead to a damning conviction for
the innocent. Here we take a look at some of the reasons wrongful convictions
occur.
Witness testimony can be a useful piece of evidence,
but it can also be majorly flawed. When investigators are unsure what happened
or who was involved in a case, witnesses can provide key details and
information. This can be an issue if people lie or do not tell the truth about
what they saw, for example putting someone at the scene to frame them for the
crime. Even if witnesses are telling the truth, memory and recall is not always
100% reliable.
False
Confessions
False confessions can be a major problem in wrongful
convictions. When faced with supposedly insurmountable evidence, suspects may
feel like a confession is their only option. Some are under so much pressure
from police interviewers that signing a confession is the only way they can
escape – questioning can go on for hours and hours with little access to food,
water and comfort. However once that confession is signed, it is incredibly
difficult to convince people of your innocence.
Perjury
In some cases, witnesses and experts give false
testimony during a trial. This can be for a number of reasons, but often they
are incentivised to do so. These incentives are often not disclosed to the
jury, but their statements be used to convict an innocent person. Bias can also
be a factor in their testimony – for example, an expert is unlikely to disagree
with the person who hired them as it may limit their employment in the future.
Misconduct
Although most law enforcement officers and
prosecutors are trustworthy, there are some who lose sight of their duties and
do not conduct themselves properly. Negligence, corruption and misconduct can
be an issue in some cases, and this is often proven through DNA evidence.
False Forensics
Some forensic techniques such as hair microscopy,
handwriting analysis and shoe print comparisons have not been subjected to
rigorous scientific evaluation. Meanwhile, techniques that have been validated,
e.g. blood typing, are occasionally improperly conducted. For example a lab
technician may contaminate a sample with DNA from another piece of evidence. In
exceptional cases, forensic analysts have even fabricated results entirely.
If you’ve been wrongfully convicted, get in touch with ICFECI today. Our forensic
experts can uncover evidence that could help your case and prove your
innocence.
Resource: https://www.icfeci.com/why-do-wrongful-convictions-occur/
In any criminal case, there is a lot of information
that needs to be acquired. For both sides of the courtroom, this involves a
huge amount of research, analysis and discovery. This allows the professionals
to build a case and to assess the merits of bringing this to a trial. This is
known as a pre-trial investigation.
During a pre-trial investigation, authorities acquire as much
evidence as possible while they question suspects and attempt to
identify criminal activity. Arrests and house searches may be made at this
stage while police uncover evidence. Police and other law enforcement agencies
may speak to witnesses and experts to determine who was involved, how it
happened and what the motives were.
If the pre-trial investigation has been fruitful,
police then inform prosecutors of any charges they intend to make. At this time
the prosecutor may request that further investigations are carried out, or they
can choose to press ahead with legal proceedings.
It’s important that you contact an attorney if you
believe you are being investigated for a crime. Having legal counsel can ensure
that your constitutional rights are observed correctly, and they can also
question any evidence collected and negotiate with the prosecution on your
behalf.
If you have any information or evidence that can
prove your innocence, this is the time to gather it. Cell phone and computer
forensics are often vital sources of data that could help to exonerate you even
before an arrest is made.
Hiring a qualified and experienced Texas forensic
investigator could make all the difference to your case. With state of the art
equipment, respected qualifications and decades of experience in the field,
ICFECI can collect the evidence you need to prove your innocence. Get in touch with ICFECI today to see how we can
help you.
Resource: https://www.icfeci.com/what-is-a-pre-trial-investigation/
