Latest news with #license
CBS News
27-05-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Longtime private investigators say Massachusetts State Police is denying license renewals
Longtime private investigators say the Massachusetts State Police is denying their license renewal applications. The PIs say the department is disqualifying police officers and preventing them from working, leaving criminal cases in jeopardy and putting some private eyes out of business. Television shows like Magnum PI glamorize the life of private investigators. In reality, the job is often not as exciting, but it is rewarding. Joe DeSimone is a retired Cambridge sergeant detective and has been a licensed private investigator for nearly a decade. "Most of my business is criminal defense work," DeSimone said, "and most of those clients are indigent." DeSimone keeps up his Peace Officer Standards and Training or POST certification so he can do traffic details in Cambridge. Recently he applied to renew his PI license and thought it would be easy because he says, "I was probably one of a handful of guys in the state that had the license prior to retirement." POST certification Months ago, the Massachusetts State Police, the agency that certifies private investigators, added language to the requirements on its website. It says, "The applicant shall not be currently certified by the Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission." A decision that would effectively disqualify DeSimone and potentially hundreds of other police officers who work as private investigators. "POST certification was developed to allow the public to keep an eye on police officers who were accused of things like excessive force etc.," said Domenic Paolino, DeSimone's attorney. "POST has nothing to do with being a private investigator." Disqualified for police details But DeSimone's POST certification was not the reason the State Police denied his application, in a letter it listed another disqualifier. That said he was denied because he does Cambridge police details. Joe says that decision effectively puts him out of business. "Nowhere is that codified anywhere, there's nothing in writing, there's been no change to the statute even for the POST certification," DeSimone said. Attorney Paolini cannot understand why this happening now. "He's been doing details for several years," Paolini said. "He was a municipal police officer, a detective sergeant, which should give him good qualifications to be a PI but they're saying the things that would make you a good PI disqualify you which is really mind boggling." MSP says PIs must be former officers The State Police told the I-Team, "Massachusetts General Law prohibits POST-certified individuals who exercise police powers from becoming certified private investigators (PI) – though they can function as an employee of another person who maintains a PI license." Here is the language of the statute, which makes clear that PIs must be a former officer or member of a United States Investigative Service: M.G.L. c. 147 s. 24" Attorney Paolini sees it differently. "What they have done is added their own qualifications without approval from the legislature or the legislature changing the law," Paolini said. "In our system, the legislature makes the rules, makes the laws and the courts interpret them. I don't see an interpretation by a court or by a legislator that changes these rules." DeSimone says he is qualified and plans to appeal the decision. "The state police don't get to pick and choose, shouldn't get to pick and choose who is going to be a PI who is not going to be a PI," DeSimone said. "You put me out of business you put a lot of PIs out of business. It's unfair." DeSimone's attorney says if they are not successful appealing to the state police colonel, he will head to court, where he is likely to have company. Other private investigators who also had their applications denied tell the I-Team, that's what they plan to do too.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
State denies license renewal of Broward mover accused of fraud, extortion
The Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services has denied license renewal for moving companies linked to a South Florida man who has left a trail of consumer complaints up and down the state. And, a report out of the Orlando area says the Ag Department also has filed an administrative complaint against Shawn Thompson's companies. An online search of the Ag Department site says intrastate moving license No. IM3311 for Thompson Nation Holdings was 'denied.' Thompson Nation Holdings also does business as Pompano Beach's One Man One Van and Orlando's All Stars Moving and Storage; Next Door Relocation; Todays Move Movers; and Two Man One Truck Movers. That covers moving between counties inside the state (intrastate moving). None of the other 18 companies that trace back to Thompson have state movers license. A search of U.S. Department of Transportation licensing turns up no license for any of the Thompson companies for moving state to state (interstate moving). The above companies are the listed on the administrative complaint shown in a Monday report by Jeff Deal of Orlando's WFTV-Channel 9. Administrative complaints often start a discipline process. The Ag Department's punitive bite in these cases is limited to a cease-and-desist order with fines up to $5,000. When a Herald reporter texted and emailed questions about this to Thompson Sunday, he berated a reporter for contacting him for his response. These are the first state actions against Thompson's companies after years of customer complaints about extortion that starts with a low estimate; includes charging for packing services not requested; progresses to a cascade of new charges once the possessions were on the truck; and ended with the demand to pay the new charges or have their stuff taken to a storage unit for more extra charges. County courts in Orange and Miami-Dade counties entered judgments against Thompson, with Miami-Dade Judge Michael Barket flatly saying Thompson 'extorted' his client in a Miami to Gainesville move while being a 'direct participant in this unfair, deceptive, and fraudulent scheme.' Consumers have successfully gained those judgments. They've successfully sent complaints to the Better Business Bureau, Ag Department, Florida State Attorney's Office and various online forums. But, they've been unsuccessful in getting a state agency to take action against any of the companies that trace back to Thompson, an unincorporated Palm Beach County resident. Various other companies branch from those above. Including companies registered with the state under fictitious names, 18 active companies with addresses from Fort Lauderdale to Orlando trace back to Thompson. The layers of paper that conceal the connection to Thompson for consumers doing cursory checks provide a paper trail to Thompson for those who go a little deeper. As an example, Deal interviewed a Stellar Relocation customer who said his estimated $850 move turned into $3,400 once his goods were on the truck. Stellar Relocation is a fictitious name company owned by One Man One Van. One Man One Van's manager and registered agent: Shawn Thompson. Consumers feeling defrauded by moving companies or any other business regulated by the Florida Department of Agriculture can file a complaint through the agency's website.
