Is surveillance legal?

Surveillance is legal in the State of Texas when conducted by a Licensed State of Texas Private Investigator who conducts the surveillance from a position where he has a legal right to be.

How is a surveillance case documented?

The client will receive a detailed report with photographs, along with a video, which is court ready should the case be litigated.

How much does surveillance cost?

Every surveillance case is unique to itself, in which the investigation is tailored to determine answers to the client’s questions. In the Houston area, cost varies from $85 to $120 per hour. The cost is affected by geographic locations, time the surveillance takes place, and the number of Investigators involved.

How long does surveillance last?

Surveillances are tailored to the client’s needs and budget. A cheating spouse, or custody case usually has at least 3 days of surveillance. There is no standard norm, a case can last anywhere from one week to one month.

Are Investigators able to obtain video inside restaurants, bars, gyms, and retail establishments?

Houston Professional Investigators have special equipment which will allow them to obtain covert video at all these locations.

Who will know about the surveillance?

The confidential report is only provided to the client and his attorney if there is an attorney involved.

Do Investigators testify in court?

All of our Surveillance Investigators have court experience in testifying about their surveillance efforts as detailed in their confidential report.

Can I tape record a conversation without my girlfriend or spouse knowing?

The State of Texas only allows a conversation to be tape recorded if one party or more is aware that the conversation is being taped.

Can I place a tracker on my spouse or girlfriend’s car?

There is a State Statute that allows an individual or company to place a tracker on a vehicle for monitoring by a State Licensed Investigator. This can be accomplished if the specifics of the case meet the Statute’s requirements.

Corporate Investigations

We Investigate Theft, Embezzlement, Competitors, And More

Corporate Services

Clients & References

Our Results

Contact Our Team

Houston Private Eyes, For Commercial Interests

We offer well trained investigators with diverse expertise to meet the specific requirements of each corporate investigation assignment. Our investigators are supported by systems which allow them to conduct research using over 400 different database resources.

We’re Seasoned, Professional Corporate Detectives

Our firm is hired frequently to assist businesses in investigating theft of materials, proprietary information, and monies by employees.

During the course of these investigations we utilize all evidence of the wrong-doing provided by the business owners and then conduct interviews with employees who are considered suspects in the thefts.

Our Experience

Gradoni & Associates have been called upon by corporate clients to:

Compile competitor intelligence.
Identify & prevent leaks of proprietary information.
Secure computer/hard drive data.
Performance background checks for new hires.
Sweep for electronic listening devices
Protect corporate assets.
Protect corporate officers.
Investigate internal theft.
Investigate fraudulent workmen compensation claims.
Trademark Infringement/Counterfeit Merchandise

Interviewing Potential Witnesses; Employees

Prior to interviewing the employees of any company that we’ve taken on as a client, Polly Korzekwa, our Research Analyst, conducts background investigations on each employee that’s on our radar. These investigations are focused on the financial status and criminal history of the suspected employee. Polly also finds evidence of Civil Lawsuits, Liens, Judgments and Bankruptcies involving the suspect employees which may contribute to their motives to steal. Also, we’ve found that a number of employees/suspects have a criminal history that isn’t known to their employers.

If you’re the CEO or owner of a Houston area business and need a fresh set of eyes to investigate potential or known corporate frauds and other internal company wrongdoings, call Gradoni & Associates at 281-440-0800.

Corporate Services

Background Investigations

There are thousands of websites, apps, and companies that offer to conduct background investigations for a fee. However, most of these services use antiquated databases and the quality they provide to their clients can be questionable. Gradoni & Associates is a licensed Texas private investigation agency that understands the needs of corporate clients and the need for credible data that can be acted upon.

To learn more about our background investigation services click here.

Competitive Intelligence

Competitive intelligence is the ethical art-form of gathering data relevant to the business interests of our client.

If a business or corporation needs to know more about competitor’s business practices, intellectual property, executive practices, information technology, accounting, finance, and human resources, Gradoni & Associates can help.

Due Diligence

Due Diligence in relation to corporate detective work should be taking to mean a full & complete background check on a company, business partner, or any commercial project. This is a defensive investigatory action which attempts to identity potential liabilities, satisfy a legal agreement, and the determine or validate prudence in business dealings.

The main objective of a due diligence investigation is to eliminate the potential for harm and damages. Due diligence reports from Gradoni & Associates are complete, detailed, and admissible in the court of law.

White Collar Crimes

Large corporations, medium sized companies, and small businesses are ripe prospects for internal fraud, embezzlement, and accounting scams. We’ve even investigated cases where a sales manager was stealing equipment from his employer only to sell it to a competitor, and another case involving an employee stockpiling goods stolen from their employer, and massive acquisition scams.

If you believe your company is the victim of a white collar crime, contact Gradoni & Associates to learn more about how we can help you resolve the matter. We’re licensed Texas private investigators which means that our reports are court-ready and can be acted on by the state.

Insurance Fraud Defense

Whether fraudulent activities occurred within the insurance company or without, Gradoni & Associates will get to the truth of the matter. We’re prepared to investigate all forms of insurance fraud on auto policies, life insurances, workers compensation, homeowners insurance, healthcare frauds, and internal scams within the walls of the insurer.

If you have questions about how Gradoni & Associates can help defend your company’s bottom line against scams, review some of our successes in our newsletter or call our office directly at 281-440-0800.

Employment Screening

Everyone wears a mask, especially those looking to put on their best face and attitude for the purpose of securing a position with a prospective employer or continuing their career with a new corporation. It’s always best to know the people you’re bringing into the fold as opposed to making a gut decision that could create the potential for damages later on.

Executive background checks, pre-employment screenings, and character investigations should be seen as defensive measures which pay great dividends when radioactive personnel are caught in the screening process, and that prove their value when the right personnel are validated.

Corporate Investigation Results

Below are entries from our Investigator’s Newsletter which highlight a number of our commercial theft investigation successes.

Closed Corporate Cases

A Case of Corporate Burglary: An Inside Job
One of our long time clients who owned an iron and metal fabricating business in Houston, who had utilized our firm to conduct pre-employment background investigations for years, was the victim of a burglary on a Sunday evening at their main office. The thieves were able to enter the business by drilling a hole in
The Church Service
David Nguyen a long time entrepreneurial client was involved in a lawsuit with a Middle Eastern doctor who was under indictment for Medicaid fraud. The company he had hired to serve process on the doctor had no success since the doctor lived in a very secure, gated community and was never home. Gradoni & Associates
The Case of the Shell Companies
“The Billing Scam” Attorney Phillip Hilder, one of our most tenured clients, referred Gradoni & Associates to one of Houston’s largest commercial land development companies. The individual in charge of Company signage abruptly quit, taking the majority of the documents at her station with her which caused alarm and concern by
The Case of the Homemade Engine Fabricator
HIGHEST VALUE PROPERTY RECOVERY IN HISTORY OF GRADONI & ASSOCIATES Our firm was contacted by a Texas City Detective who advised that his uncle worked for a company that built engines used in chemical plants to verify the content and amount of product being delivered to the facility. Our client built the specialized equipment, which
Don’t Leave Home Without It
American Express Card Fraud Kevin Templeton conducted an investigation on behalf of our client, which identified over $30,000 worth of charges by an employee on our client’s Corporate American Express credit card, which he diverted to his own personal use. The charges included a washer and dryer, big screen television, electronics and computer
The Case of the Invoice Groomer
Thieves Amongst Us The Owner of a large Pet Grooming & Boarding Hotel for animals had become suspicious that one of the employees had been changing the deposit slips each morning and taking some of the cash collected. The Client provided us with the computer research that they had conducted, which indicated that a number
Surveillance Pays Off
During the first four months of 2002, Gradoni & Associates has utilized it’s surveillance team to protect two corporate clients from the theft of supplies, materials and client’s proprietary information. The 1st Surveillance Case The first case involved the surveillance of an individual who had been the recipient of a $500,000 loan to
The Case of Wayward Moving Brother
Corporate Investigation: Employee Theft We were contacted by the owner of a moving company who had offices in Houston, Dallas, and Austin. Our client stated he was suspicious of his brother who ran the Houston location because he had gotten an anonymous tip that he was doing moving jobs and pocketing the cash. Gradoni &
The 20 Truck Heist Investigation
Attorney Jack B. Carroll represented a business man in Florida who had wired $420,000 to an individual in Houston to purchase 20 new Toyota trucks that were going to be sold to an oil company in South America. After Jack’s client sent the money he was given paperwork indicating that the trucks had been ordered
The Case of the Suspect Pocket Cash
Undercover – Busted Scott Smith, the owner of Wilco, a company located on the Ship Channel that sells over a million dollars worth of parts a month to the oil industry, had been informed by a customer that they saw one of the counter salesmen pocket cash. Our Undercover Investigators Get Involved An undercover agent