Private Detective & Intelligence

Expert Witness Consulting • Investigations & Intelligence • Reputation Management

If something doesn’t make sense, doesn’t add up, or doesn’t sit right, this is where it comes.
Criminal cases. Civil disputes. Missing data. Bad actors. Information gaps no one else wants to map.

I don’t operate in one narrow lane. I follow the problem wherever it leads.

People. Records. Networks. Money. History. Motive. Deception.

Some matters are large. Some are small. Many begin as a single question and evolve once the layers are pulled back. I handle the full arc, from first anomaly to final explanation.

I work private clients and court appointments. I take on cases others pass over, not because they are simple, but because they require disciplined analysis and uncomfortable conclusions.

No theatrics. No narrative shaping. No comfort answers.

Just intelligence, clarity, and results.

When you need the truth...not a sales pitch

sleuthIQ | Private Detective - Zelaya & Associates

The Work

What we do:

Open Source Intelligence and Background Investigations

Everyone leaves a trail. We know where to look and how to read it. We also know how to keep your reputation clean online.

Civil and Fraud Investigations
Following money, documents, and digital trails until the facts surface and the story cracks.

Criminal Defense Investigations
For defense teams who need facts, not theories. We find what was missed, ignored, or never looked for.

Child Custody and Child Wellbeing Investigations
When a child’s safety matters more than appearances, accusations, or courtroom theater.

Trial and Expert Witness Consultation
Gangs. Use of force. Fraud. Crime scene reconstruction.
Court tested. Deposition proven. Built on evidence, not opinion.

Unmanned and Covert Surveillance
Purpose driven. Strategic. We do not watch people just to watch them.

And anything else that needs an investigative solution. Have a problem? Call us. 407.337.7838

Meet The Dicks Who Get Results

Chief Private Detective

Eric Zelaya

Eric Zelaya is a board-certified private detective with a background in gangs & intelligence, organized crime, fraud, and high-stakes criminal defense. He’s the guy people call when the case is stuck, the story doesn’t add up, or everyone else missed something obvious.

He started in Florida DOC gang units, learned how criminals actually operate, and carried that experience into real-world investigations where outcomes matter. He doesn’t sell comfort, reassurance, or buzzwords. He finds answers, fixes problems, and tells clients the truth whether they like it or not.

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Real Cases. Real Results

Every case tells a story. Most people stop at the surface.

We don’t.

These case studies show how we work when the pressure’s on—breaking bad narratives, finding what was missed, and forcing the facts to speak. Fraud, criminal defense, public corruption—it’s all the same problem: someone didn’t look hard enough.

At sleuthIQ, we don’t take cases off the shelf. We tear them down, rebuild them, and follow the truth wherever it goes.

Leadership, Not Liability

The state tried to hang a murder on a gang leader because it fit the story. We proved it didn’t fit the facts. By breaking down how the gang actually functioned—who gives orders, how information moves, and what doesn’t get communicated—we showed our client neither ordered nor could have anticipated the shooting. The evidence forced the issue. Life on the table became a plea under 15 years

Corruption Runs Deep

A former county tax collector thought he was being clever. We proved he was being criminal. By tracking bidders, money, and internal communications, we showed how tax lien auctions were quietly manipulated through family members and proxy entities. Insider timing did the rest. When the bidding history was rebuilt from the ground up, the pattern was clear: public assets funneled to a private circle.

Ghost in the Bank

Our client was being lined up as the fall guy in a check fraud case. We followed the money. By tearing apart ACH metadata, authorization logs, and transaction timing, we uncovered a shadow account buried inside the payment processor itself. Employees were skimming micro-deposits and batch transfers in plain sight. Once the flow was mapped, the story flipped. The fraud wasn’t external. It was internal.