Racketeering, Gangs, Fraud, and Court-Appointed Investigations
📍 Florida Criminal Defense Investigator
Board Certified. Court Ready. Relentless.
sleuthIQ- powered by Zelaya & Associates.
We’re a board-certified investigative firm specializing in criminal defense, racketeering and gang conspiracy cases, complex financial fraud, and post-conviction forensic reviews.
Led by Eric Zelaya, CCDI and CIFI, sleuthIQ dissects wire transfers, challenges gang allegations, tracks digital fraud, and investigates high-level misconduct affecting defendants, civil litigants, and private clients alike.
From forensic accounting to cyber trail reconstruction, we bring field-tested experience and modern tools to every case. Backed by decades in the trenches and over 20 hours of advanced training annually, we don’t just check boxes — we break cases wide open.
Board Certified. Court Ready. Relentless
Our
Services
We don’t hide behind buzzwords. We solve cases.
At sleuthIQ, we bring certified skill and real-world experience to every investigation — from racketeering defense and gang cases to financial fraud and forensic death reviews. Our clients include defense attorneys, government agencies, and people facing the fight of their lives.
Whether you're under indictment, building a defense, 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.
Criminal defense investigations are at the core of what we do. With decades of experience in public safety operations and criminal casework, sleuthIQ brings specialized expertise in gang activity, drug trafficking organizations (DTOs), crime scene analysis, and law enforcement use of force. Our team has worked hundreds of felony cases since 2011—many involving organized criminal enterprises and violent gang-related allegations. We understand how prosecutors build their cases because we've spent years dissecting their methods from the inside out. Our investigators meticulously analyze every facet of your client’s case—from the physical evidence to the gang enhancement allegations—to protect due process and help you build a compelling defense. As a registered Due Process Vendor with the Justice Administrative Commission and the Criminal Justice Act (Federal), we’re trusted to support court-appointed and private counsel alike. In addition to field investigations, we offer Expert Witness services in Gang/STG analysis, Use of Force, and Crime Scene Reconstruction. We’re also proud partners of The Innocence Clinic at the University of Miami, providing Post-Conviction Investigation services for cases requiring deep review and fresh eyes.
Criminal Defense Investigations
1
Expert Witness
Our team provides expert witness services with a sharp focus on criminal enterprise, gang activity, and drug trafficking organization (DTO) dynamics. We specialize in Gang and Security Threat Group (STG) analysis, offering courts, attorneys, and jurors clear insight into affiliations, hierarchy, symbolism, and behavioral patterns of organized groups—both inside correctional institutions and on the street. We also offer Crime Scene Reconstruction to clarify timelines and interpret physical evidence with accuracy. Our Use of Force experts assess incidents against applicable law, department policy, and training standards. Additionally, our certified Drug Recognition Experts (DREs) provide authoritative evaluations on drug impairment and related behaviors. With deep field experience and a commitment to objective, defensible analysis, we deliver trusted expertise for both prosecution and defense teams.
2
Have you been targeted by fraud, identity theft, or online deception? Has someone drained your account, opened fake business lines in your name, or used digital tools to exploit your finances? At sleuthIQ, we specialize in investigating complex financial fraud and cybercrime—from traditional scams and ACH theft to cryptocurrency laundering, spoofed accounts, and shell companies used in civil RICO-style schemes. With over a decade of real-world experience tracking criminal networks, dissecting financial patterns, and supporting victims, we help individuals, businesses, and legal teams uncover who did it, how they did it, and what can be done next. We offer: Asset tracing & financial records review ACH and wire fraud investigations Business identity theft & shell company mapping Crypto wallet tracing (where possible) Subpoena prep & case documentation Civil RICO exposure analysis Digital forensics & online activity reconstruction We don't sell fluff or false promises. We deliver real intelligence grounded in forensic methods—because when you've been defrauded, what matters most is getting to the root and building a case that stands up.
Fraud & Cybercrime Investigations
3
Post Conviction Analysis
Something’s not right — and you know it. Testimony that doesn’t add up. A witness who changed their story. Forensics that feel off. Maybe it’s the same detective with sloppy work — or a client who insists they weren’t there, and you believe them. You’ve read the transcript. You’ve asked the court. And still — no one’s taking a real look. sleuthIQ specializes in post-conviction analysis for defense teams, legal advocates, and families who know something was missed. Whether it’s a flawed investigation, false confession, junk science, or buried exculpatory evidence, we rework the case from the ground up. Our team dissects the discovery, scrutinizes the paper trail, and finds what others ignored. Our services include: Deep-dive analysis of discovery, arrest affidavits, and warrants Witness timeline verification and impeachment Law enforcement misconduct investigations Forensic report review and reconstruction Digital trail recovery (CDR, social, GPS, etc.) Cold case reinvestigation and re-interviews Gang and RICO claim evaluations Court-ready reports for defense and clemency filings You don’t need another firm that rubber-stamps what’s already there. You need someone who will dig, document, and bring the pressure. If no one’s looking—we will. sleuthIQ brings the tools to rework your case. Let’s get to the truth.
4
At sleuthIQ, we specialize in conducting thorough, independent reviews of questionable or complex death investigations. Whether you're a defense attorney, grieving family member, or advocacy group, our goal is to ensure every death is examined through a forensic lens that’s objective, comprehensive, and grounded in real-world experience. As a Board Certified Forensic Death Investigator, Eric Zelaya brings over a decade of experience investigating homicides, in-custody deaths, suicides, and unattended deaths—with a sharp focus on overlooked evidence, procedural flaws, and conflicting cause-of-death determinations. Our Independent Death Review Process Includes: Comprehensive review of autopsy reports, scene photos, and investigative files Critical assessment of forensic pathology conclusions Timeline reconstruction based on physical and testimonial evidence Analysis of first responder actions, evidence handling, and documentation gaps Expert collaboration and second opinions when needed We approach every case with a trauma-informed mindset and a commitment to truth—whether the findings confirm the official narrative or challenge it. If you believe a death deserves a second look, we’re here to help. Discreet, ethical, and relentless.
Independent Death Review
5
Crime Scene Reconstruction
Our team has decades of experience with reviewing the physical aspects of a crime in concert with the sequence of events. By reconstructing a crime scene, we may assist to determine what could and could not have happened in the commission of a crime. Crime scene reconstruction considers any and all evidence recovered, the physical layout of the space and ties in other forensic disciplines such as toxicology, bloodstain pattern analysis, firearms testing, gunshot residue testing and DNA. When two items or substances come together, they behave and interact in ways that tell a story (Locard’s Principle) that experienced forensic criminalistics experts can read. Our scientists are here to analyze your evidence, visit the crime scene if needed, write reports, provide comprehensive case review, consultation, and expert testimony.
6
Traffic Homicide Reconstruction
Serious Bodily Injury Reconstruction
Meet The Team
Chief Investigator
Eric Zelaya
Board Certified Criminal Defense Investigator
Certified Insurance Fraud Investigator (CIFI)
Gang & DTO Expert Witness
Eric Zelaya is a Board Certified Criminal Defense Investigator (CCDI) and Certified Insurance Fraud Investigator (CIFI) with over a decade of experience dismantling gang networks, exposing organized fraud, and building courtroom-ready defense strategies.
He launched his career on the Florida DOC’s C‑Shift Gang Squad, where he led contraband investigations and gang intel operations inside maximum-security housing — the kind of work that forged his tactical, forensic mindset.
Since becoming a licensed PI in 2011, Eric has served as a Major Case Investigator in a national Special Investigations Unit, cracking complex insurance fraud schemes and organized financial crimes.
He’s a trusted gang consultant for WKMG News Channel 6 and defense teams across Florida, and currently assists the Cold Case Foundation on select homicide and missing persons cases.
With additional credentials in criminal psychology, criminology, and gang & narcotics intelligence, Eric brings a rare mix of street-smart intel and forensic discipline to every case he touches.
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.
Assign A Case Online
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
Closed