A Houston judicial incumbent reviewed his primary opponent’s petition signatures and noticed that a number of the signatures appeared to be made in the same handwriting.

Investigators from Gradoni & Associates hit the pavement and visited over 300 of the residences listed on the petitions. Investigators found a number of the individuals who allegedly signed did not live where documented. Over 25 percent of the individuals stated that their signatures were forged. On two occasions, Investigators were informed that the individuals who had allegedly signed the petition were in prison.

As a result of the information developed by Gradoni & Associates, the opponent eventually withdrew from the race, but claimed no knowledge of any wrongdoing in the accumulation of the petition signatures. The Harris County District Attorney’s Office is now investigating the matter to see if criminal charges merit.

Criminal Defense Attorney Wendell Odom hired Gradoni & Associates to investigate the circumstances surrounding his client being charged with attempted capital murder of a police officer in a rural Texas county. The defendant drove from a patrol unit who had been trying to arrest him for DWI.

The defendant spun his car off of a two-lane farm to market road, coming to rest perpendicular to the roadway. The pursuing police officer stopped his car in the middle of the roadway. The police officer subsequently fired five .45 rounds into the cab of the defendant’s pick-up truck. The defendant was struck once in the chest and also was grazed in the head by a bullet. The defendant survived his wounds.

The investigation conducted by Gradoni & Associates determined that the defendant’s wheels had been turned to the left, indicating that the defendant was trying to drive around the police unit and not run over the officer as he claimed. Investigators also developed witnesses that did not hear the officer order the defendant to stop before he opened fire. The defendant was acquitted of the attempted capital murder charges of a police officer, but did receive a conviction for the DWI charge.

A local plumbing company had noticed inventory that did not have proper paper backup missing. An informant called the owner of the company and informed him that one of his supervisors had been selling plumbing equipment from his truck. Gradoni & Associates surveillance Investigators surveilled the supervisor for three days, finding that he had his own business on the side, performing plumbing work with his boss’ equipment and supplies. Further investigation into the supervisor’s background identified previous convictions in Southeast Texas for narcotics trafficking and a previous theft conviction in the State of Michigan. The owner of the plumbing company had not performed a background check on the supervisor prior to hiring him.

J.J. Gradoni interviewed the supervisor, who when confronted with the videotaped evidence of his “illegal activities,” confessed to taking approximately $1,000 worth of merchandise from his employer every week for over six months. The supervisor also brought Investigators to his apartment, where he returned two toilets, a ladder and a number of other plumbing supplies and tools he had recently stolen. The supervisor was charged with felony theft as a result of the investigation.

A Houston plaintiff’s attorney hired Gradoni & Associates to locate, contact and interview 90 former employees of an East Texas company regarding their knowledge of their former company’s operations, attitude toward safety, and independent contractor/employee relationships. The attorney was representing the family of a woman who was killed by one of the company employees while that employee was engaged in performing work for the company.

Gradoni & Associates had one week to conduct the interviews and obtain witness affidavits so that the plaintiff could utilize the information in an upcoming mediation. Investigators contacted and interviewed 41 individuals in a three-day period. A number of the individuals provided affidavits that supported the plaintiff’s point of view regarding the company’s practices and attitudes towards safety. As a result of the evidence developed, the plaintiff was able to obtain a seven-figure settlement for the family of the deceased woman.

An attorney in East Texas learned about Gradoni & Associates due to their website. The attorney was defending a company that had been sued by an individual in Houston for injuries sustained in an automobile accident. The attorney defending the case wanted activity checks performed on the claimant in order to determine his daily activities. The claimant had alleged he was no longer able to work or even sit for more than 15 minutes. The claimant also alleged that he could no longer bend over, walk or lead a normal life as a result of the accident.

Gradoni & Associates video surveillance experts determined that the claimant was driving an 18-wheeler on long hauls. The claimant was parking the 18-wheeler in a strip shopping center approximately one mile from his residence. The claimant walked from the 18-wheeler to his residence to avoid being detected. Investigators obtained videotape of the claimant walking distances, cleaning his rig, stooping and bending over, all the things he claimed he could no longer do. Investigators also surveilled the claimant as he drove his rig out of the State of Texas to pick up a load.

The case is still being litigated but the claimant’s request for $600,000 in damages will never be realized.