⚖️ Board Certified Criminal Defense & Forensic Death Investigator
Expert Witness Consulting • Criminal & Civil Investigations • Independent Death Analysis
We’re a boutique, board-certified investigative firm specializing in criminal defense, post-conviction review, and complex forensic casework. Our focus is on uncovering truth in cases involving homicide, racketeering, organized crime, fraud, and wrongful convictions — the matters where experience, precision, and credibility matter most.
At sleuthIQ, we deliver strategic defense investigations that stand up in court. From forensic death and serious bodily injury analysis to gang intelligence, financial forensics, and fraud detection, our work is built on verifiable facts and courtroom-tested methodology.
We accept both private retainers and court-appointed cases, ensuring access to elite investigative services regardless of income. Payment plans and financing are available.
Our investigators bring decades of field-tested experience and ongoing advanced training in areas such as criminal intelligence, forensic analysis, and expert witness testimony.
We don’t just review discovery — we reconstruct it, challenge it, and reveal what others overlook.
Board Certified. Court Ready. Relentless
Our
Services
We don’t hide behind buzzwords. We solve cases.
At sleuthIQ, we bring board-certified skill and real-world experience to every investigation — from racketeering and gang defense to post-conviction reviews, financial fraud, and forensic death investigations. Our clients include defense attorneys, government agencies, and individuals in the fight of their lives.
Whether you’re under indictment, appealing a conviction, or exposing corruption, we cut through the noise and get to the truth. Every case starts with a free consultation — no strings, no fluff — just a conversation to see if we’re the right team to go to war with you.
From organized crime & gangs, aggravated assault and robbery, to arson, sexual battery, and homicide, these cases hinge on credibility, timelines, and evidence interpretation. Our investigators know how to pull surveillance, interview reluctant witnesses, and expose inconsistencies in police reports. We build counter-narratives rooted in fact, not speculation, and produce documentation that withstands courtroom scrutiny. In homicide and attempted homicide cases, precision is critical. Our team brings experience in forensic death investigations, crime scene analysis, and witness credibility assessments. We understand how a single overlooked piece of evidence can decide between life and death in court. Whether the charge is capital murder or a violent felony, we deliver attorneys the intelligence and documentation needed to challenge the State’s narrative at every turn. Complex conspiracy cases require more than surface-level investigation. We specialize in gangs, DTOs, and racketeering prosecutions under Florida Statute 874 and federal RICO. From wiretap analysis to enterprise structure mapping, we break down the State’s theory and uncover the flaws. Our background in gang intelligence and enterprise prosecutions gives us an edge in dismantling “pattern of criminal activity” claims.
Criminal Defense Investigations
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Fraud, Dispute, & Liability Analysis
From financial deception to complex civil claims, we cut through the noise to find the truth. Our team investigates alleged fraud, misrepresentation, breach of contract, and contested liability with the same precision we bring to criminal defense. Whether you’re an attorney building a case, a business owner facing allegations, or a policyholder fighting a denial, we deliver factual clarity, forensic documentation, and actionable intelligence that stands up in court.
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Convictions don’t always mean the fight is over. We handle forensic reviews, new evidence discovery, and investigative support for 3.850 motions, ineffective assistance claims, and wrongful conviction challenges. Post-conviction work requires patience, detail, and persistence — we bring all three to the table. Every report, every record, and every interview is treated as if it could tip the scales toward justice.
Post Conviction & Appeals
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Independent Death Analysis
When a death is unexpected, suspicious, or questionable, families and professionals deserve answers that go beyond the initial report. Our investigators provide independent death analysis that challenges assumptions, identifies overlooked evidence, and clarifies what really happened. We apply certified training in forensic death investigation, scene reconstruction, injury interpretation, and witness credibility assessment to uncover the facts others may have missed. Whether it’s a suspected suicide, accident, or foul play, we know how to review autopsy reports, medical records, and scene documentation with a critical eye. Our independent death analysis services are available to: Families seeking clarity and closure. Attorneys building civil or criminal cases. Insurance companies verifying claims and investigating fraud. Advocacy groups and nonprofits working on wrongful conviction or cold case reviews. We don’t replace the official findings—we test them. By providing a second opinion rooted in evidence, we give our clients the tools to challenge questionable conclusions and pursue justice with confidence.
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Not every case ends in death—but injuries alone can carry decades of prison time or decide the outcome of a civil lawsuit. Allegations of aggravated battery, attempted murder, excessive force, or catastrophic accidents often hinge on whether the injuries are consistent with the story being told. Our investigators bring specialized training in injury interpretation and forensic analysis to these cases. We examine medical records, autopsy reports (when applicable), photographs, and witness statements to determine whether the injuries align with the alleged weapon, angle of attack, or use of force. We also identify alternative explanations that the State or opposing party may have overlooked. Serious bodily injury investigations serve: Defense attorneys challenging charges where injury severity drives sentencing. Civil litigators handling personal injury, liability, and excessive force cases. Insurance companies investigating questionable claims. Families and advocacy groups seeking clarity on incidents involving law enforcement or security personnel. By providing detailed analysis and documentation, we give our clients the tools to question assumptions, build credibility, and protect their case when the stakes are highest.
Serious Bodily Injury Investigations
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Forensics & Expert Witness
From crime scene reconstruction to forensic death and serious bodily injury analysis, we deliver expert-level services that hold up in the toughest courtrooms. Our role is to provide independent evaluations that attorneys can rely on in criminal, civil, dependency, and termination of parental rights proceedings—a credible counterweight to the State’s experts. Our investigators have been: Appointed by courts as expert witnesses in gang prosecutions. Consulted in forensic death investigations where cause and manner were in dispute. Retained in civil litigation where bodily injury analysis determined liability. We specialize in: Gang Expertise – Florida Statute 874.03 gang deconstruction, symbolism, alliances, and predicate act analysis. Forensic Death Investigation – Injury interpretation, blood pattern review, and independent death analysis. Serious Bodily Injury Evaluation – Determining whether injuries are consistent with alleged weapons, mechanisms, or scenarios. Crime Scene Reconstruction – Timeline development, scene documentation review, and reconstruction of events. What sets us apart is our ability to translate technical forensic findings into clear, fact-based testimony that juries and judges understand. We don’t just report what’s in the file—we test assumptions, challenge opposing experts point-for-point, and provide attorneys with the forensic insight needed to shift the balance in high-stakes litigation.
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Traffic Homicide Reconstruction
Serious Bodily Injury Reconstruction
Meet The Team
Chief Investigator
Eric Zelaya
Board Certified Criminal Defense Investigator
Certified Insurance Fraud Investigator (CIFI)
Board Certified Forensic Death Investigator
Gang Expert Witness
Eric Zelaya is a Board Certified Criminal Defense Investigator (CCDI), Certified Insurance Fraud Investigator (CIFI), and Board Certified Forensic Death Investigator (BFDI) with over a decade of experience exposing organized crime, dismantling fraud rings, and building rock-solid defense cases.
He launched his career on the Florida DOC’s C‑Shift Gang Squad, running contraband stings and gang intel ops in max security. Since 2011, he’s worked major cases across criminal defense and insurance fraud—serving as a lead investigator in a national SIU, where he tackled staged losses, premium scams, and shell-company schemes tied to civil RICO.
Eric is a trusted gang consultant for WKMG News 6, a frequent resource for Florida defense teams, and an affiliate investigator with the Cold Case Foundation on select homicides and disappearances.
With advanced training in criminal psychology, gang and narcotics intelligence, and forensic death investigation, Eric brings street-hardened insight and forensic precision to every case—whether it’s a bogus claim or a wrongful arrest.
Case Studies
Every case tells a story — and proves what we bring to the table.
These case studies highlight how we operate under pressure, uncover what others miss, and deliver results that matter. Whether it’s fraud, criminal defense, or public corruption, our work speaks for itself.
At sleuthIQ, we don’t just take cases — we build them from the ground up, with certified expertise and relentless follow-through.
Leadership, Not Liability
In a case against a high-ranking gang member facing both murder and armed robbery charges, our team tapped into its deep knowledge of gang command structures, signaling protocols, and inter-cell communications. By meticulously analyzing cell-site data, surveillance footage, and insider testimony, we demonstrated that—despite his leadership role—our client neither ordered nor could have reasonably foreseen the fatal shooting. Armed with that gang-specific insight, defense counsel leveraged the evidence to negotiate a plea agreement, securing a term well under 15 years instead of a potential life sentence.
Corruption Runs Deep
In a complex civil investigation involving public corruption and misuse of office, sleuthIQ was retained to investigate a former county tax collector suspected of manipulating the tax lien auction process for personal gain. Our client alleged that the official had been quietly using family members and inside access to place strategic bids on properties with outstanding tax debts—properties that should have gone to fair public auction.
Drawing on our expertise in fraud detection and public records tracing, we mapped connections between bidders, flagged financial transactions tied to known associates, and reviewed internal county communication logs. The investigation revealed a coordinated pattern: bids placed through relatives, shell entities, and insider timing—exploiting privileged access to influence property acquisition outcomes.
By reconstructing the bidding history and linking it to known familial accounts and office communications, sleuthIQ exposed a deliberate scheme designed to funnel undervalued properties into the hands of the tax collector’s inner circle.
Ghost Transfer Scheme
A complex check fraud investigation involving a third-party ACH payment provider secretly diverting funds into a hidden internal account. The client—initially suspected of orchestrating the fraud—faced serious legal exposure.
sleuthIQ was brought in to trace financial patterns, audit transaction metadata, and dig into backend authorization logs. Our investigation uncovered that the ACH processor itself had quietly set up a shadow account and was skimming micro-deposits and high-volume batch transfers over time.
By identifying the internal exploit, tying it to specific employees, and mapping the transaction flow, we helped shift the investigative lens away from the client and exposed a deeper internal fraud scheme hidden beneath layers of legitimate activity.
Need Help? Contact us today.
Contact Us
3625 FL 419, Suite 210
Winter Springs, FL 32708
Monday
9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Tuesday
9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Wednesday
9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
9:00 am – 5:00 pm
9:00 am – 5:00 pm
By Appointment Only
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