One of my favorite new categories is our “Smooth Criminal” section of the EmployeeScreenIQ Blog.  This last week was a writers dream, so much content, so little time.

What would a background check on Tiger Woods and Brian Bonsall look like? Who is Brian Bonsall you say? More to come later.  Well, Tiger Woods would be pretty safe right now.  Fortunately for him, at this time, he has not really done anything illegal.  Ladies and Gentleman, it is not a crime to cheat on your wife!  (Even if its with 9 different females, at last count). What he does need to worry about are the hints at domestic violence the media keeps talking about.  Are any of these allegations true? Only time will tell!!

Next we have Ex-Child Actor, Brian Bonsall, former Family Ties alumni!  Brian played Andy Keaton on the 80’s sitcom.  According to the Associated Press:

BOULDER, Colo. – Police say a former cast member of the 1980s television show “Family Ties” has been arrested for investigation of assault in Colorado.

Police said Monday that 28-year-old Brian Bonsall got into a fight at an apartment on Saturday and hit a friend with part of a broken wooden stool.

Bonsall allegedly told officers he had been drinking and didn’t remember what happened.

Bonsall played Michael J. Fox’s little brother Andy Keaton on the sitcom.

He is being held in the Boulder County Jail and was due in court Wednesday. Jail records didn’t indicate his lawyer’s name.

Authorities say Bonsall was sentenced to probation in 2007 for assaulting his girlfriend. He was later accused of probation violations.

The former child actor lives in Westminster, Colo., about 20 miles south of Boulder.

Mr. Bonsall has a lot to worry about.  Employers will certainly find out about his list of indiscretions.  Background checks on him will certainly show his list of arrests and convictions!

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We realized recently that we have been negligent in adding to our “Smooth Criminal” series.  One of the great things about being in the background screening business is that we get to see all kinds of crazy things.  The things we see everyday can’t be written about for obvious confidentiality reasons.  However, oftentimes the news does the work for us!  Its not hard these days to open your internet browser and come across one of these….smooth criminals!

Criminals Use Fake ‘Office’ I.D. to Steal Ricky Gervais’ Cash

Just when we think we’ve heard about the dumbest criminal on this planet, another story breaks and leaves our mouths agape. With this latest one, we almost don’t know where to start. Let’s preface it with this: If you’re going to scam a celebrity, you better bring your A-game.

Unfortunately, a group of UK-based, bungling criminals didn’t even bring their D-game. According to The Sun, British actor Ricky Gervais revealed for the first time that a group of unidentified crooks attempted to use a fake passport several years ago to steal about $330,000 from his bank account. But it gets better. Instead of finding a picture of Gervais himself for the passport, they just cut out the picture of his character, David Brent, from the DVD cover of the UK version of ‘The Office’. And why did they need all that cash? To buy gold bullion, of course (we swear this isn’t a plot from Gervais’ next comedy). After Gervais gave his bank permission, it contacted police, who arrested the dumb criminals while they attempted to purchase the gold.

The would-be thieves were sent to jail, and Gervais says he can laugh about the ordeal now. “We were laughing for ten minutes,” he told The Sun. ” …it’s a picture of David Brent sitting at a desk with that little smug look on his face!”

In other news, Steve Carrell was seen at a Best Buy grabbing armfuls of DVDs of the U.S. version of ‘The Office’ and shouting “I’m not Michael Scott!” [From: The Sun]

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Rule #84, Whatever it Takes!

In one of the wildest stories we have read over the Thanksgiving Holiday,  Michaele and Tareq Salahi are being investigated for crashing the White House State Dinner last week.  According to the Wall Street Journal:

President Barack Obama asked for a full review of how a Virginia couple vying for a spot in the cast of a reality-TV show was able to crash Tuesday’s state dinner for the prime minister of India, a White House official said Friday.

Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan issued a rare apology, saying the service took full responsibility for the episode and was “deeply concerned and embarrassed.”

Typically, anyone coming into contact with President Obama or certain areas of the white house are subject to a thorough background check by the US Secret Service.   The couple was still subject to various searches when entering the White House but nothing was done to verify their identity or criminal history before entering.

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We will kick off this weekends wrap up with a timely story from the National Football League (NFL).  Like my Cleveland Browns, the Oakland Raiders just can’t catch a break.  Fortunately for them they have a marker in the W column.  Unfortunately for them they have a bit of controversy off the field.  They are bracing for the possibility that coach Tom Cable could be arrested soon for an alleged assault on an assistant coach.  If charged, Cable could be suspended by the league.  If convicted Cable could run into serious problems if his next team decides to screen his criminal background.  More on that story here!

Making history today is Justice Sonia Sotomayor the first Hispanic justice of the United States Supreme Court.  Replacing retired Justice David Souter she will begin the new term with some interesting cases.  Background checks and gun laws will definitely be on their docket this year.  Most notably will be McDonald v. Chicago.  In 2008, the justices ruled in a case from the District of Columbia that the Second Amendment bestows an individual right to keep and bear arms. Because the case originated in a federal enclave, the justices passed on the question of whether the Second Amendment also applies to states, thus calling into question gun regulations in those jurisdictions. The justices have now taken up this question and are expected to decide whether citizens in Chicago — which has one of the most restrictive gun regulation regimes in the country — also enjoy the same Second Amendment rights as do their brethren in the District. This case was recently granted and is expected to be heard some time in early 2010.

In workplace violence news Forbes Magazine ran a story, Experts: US worker-on-worker violence under-reported.  Stemming from the murder at Yale Universtiy of Annie Le, they write about some interesting statistics.  Workplace homicide has dropped dramatically, to 444 such cases last year from twice as many in 1995, according to government statistics. And most of those deaths occur in robberies of taxi drivers and clerks. The worker-on-worker homicide rate hovers around a hundred a year nationwide, leaving little data to help predict who is likely to kill a co-worker, said Tom Tripp, co-author of “Getting Even: The Truth About Workplace Revenge.” More on this story Click Here

In a follow up to a story we wrote about extensively a few months back….Investigator: Bozeman’s Internet background checks weren’t voluntary.  If you remember this one, the City of Bozeman MT was asking job applicants to supply investigators with their passwords so they could access their Facebook and Myspace accounts as part of the pre-employment screening process.  The city suspended the policy in June of 2009 after they came under fire for the practice.  However, it appears as part of their investigation into the procedure they have found hiring managers got carried away with the practice! More on this story Click Here

This one should scare you if you have elderly relatives in Florida.  Florida lawmakers vow changes after learning of laxness, loopholes in checking child and elder care workers – Florida legislators pledged to overhaul state law to require that caregivers for children and the elderly undergo background checks before they begin work and to close loopholes that have let thousands of felons get jobs in day care and nursing homes.

The proposed reforms come after a Sun Sentinel investigative series last week identified disturbing flaws in the background screening system that allow people to work with Florida’s most vulnerable residents before the caregivers have been vetted. More on this story Click Here

And finally a Kidnapping plot proves the importance of background checks.  The man accused of plotting to kidnap two young girls from a bus stop and hold them for ransom made his first appearance in court on Friday.

Police say Ruben Garcia-Rosario parked his car near the girls’ bus stop to take pictures of them. Rosario is an illegal immigrant who had done some painting at the family’s house, according to investigators.

Would you let someone in your house without properly screening them?

More on this story Click Here

Well that’s it!  Have a great week and check back regularly for stories and comments in the background screening world!

If you have stories you would like us to blog about or post please feel free to email us at blog@employeescreen.com

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What, Me Worry??

Laws have become too vague and the concept of intent has disappeared.

This is a great article that was posted a few days ago in the online version of the Wall Street Journal.  This topic furthers the EEOC’s case for making sure one doesn’t have a “bright-line” policy when rejecting job applicants with criminal records.  The EEOC and many State Laws want employers to demonstrate job relatedness, the nature of the offense, whether the candidate was a repeat offender and how long ago the crime was committed.  Reading this article one must ask themselves, “How many times have I broken the law today?”  Setting up consistent standards when doing employment background investigations is more important now than ever before.

You Commit Three Felonies a Day

When we think about the pace of change in technology, it’s usually to marvel at how computing power has become cheaper and faster or how many new digital ways we have to communicate. Unfortunately, this pace of change is increasingly clashing with some of the slower-moving parts of our culture.

Technology moves so quickly we can barely keep up, and our legal system moves so slowly it can’t keep up with itself. By design, the law is built up over time by court decisions, statutes and regulations. Sometimes even criminal laws are left vague, to be defined case by case. Technology exacerbates the problem of laws so open and vague that they are hard to abide by, to the point that we have all become potential criminals.

Boston civil-liberties lawyer Harvey Silverglate calls his new book “Three Felonies a Day,” referring to the number of crimes he estimates the average American now unwittingly commits because of vague laws. New technology adds its own complexity, making innocent activity potentially criminal.

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I guess this guy never learned how to play Ding, Dong, Ditch.  He chose to stick around and the unsuspecting homeowners got quite a surprise.  Try explaining this one to your next employer after they’ve conducted a criminal background check.

Accused Nude Doorbell Ringer Pleads Not Guilty

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – A man suspected of appearing nude at homes and ringing doorbells is being held on $60,000 bail after pleading not guilty to a series of charges. Peter Allen Steele, who is 6 feet 7 inches tall and weighs 250 pounds, entered his not guilty pleas Tuesday after being charged with seven counts, including driving under the influence, evading a peace officer, indecent exposure and entering a house without permission.

Authorities say the 38-year-old Steele led San Mateo County sheriff’s deputies on a car chase on July 11 that ended with him streaking into a home and then into woods near Redwood City.

Deputies say it took a Taser and two shots from a bean bag gun to bring him down.

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I would love to be the company conducting this background check in the future.  Imagine being the interviewer and asking Mr. Moyer if he can explain the charges that were uncovered during the employment screening process.  “Mr. Moyer, it say’s here that you sexually assaulted a Disney character, care to explain?”  Almost as embarrassing as being caught having sexual relations with a horse! (See that story from last weeks blog)

Man guilty of groping Minnie Mouse at Disney

John William Moyer will face sentencing for groping Minnie Mouse at Disney World

A jury this morning found John William Moyer guilty of groping of a woman playing Minnie Mouse at Walt Disney World.

Moyer, 60, of Pennsylvania, was convicted of misdemeanor battery for the June incident this morning.

Judge Wayne Shoemaker imposed the sentence this morning.

“The verdict reinforces the fact that this type of behavior is not acceptable,” said Walt Disney World spokeswoman Zoraya Suarez. Disney officials also banned Moyer from entering any of the company’s resorts, Suarez said.

According to the sentence, Moyer has to write a letter of apology to the victim, Brittney Duncan McGoldrick. He also is under supervised probation for 180 days, must complete 50 hours of community service within four months, pay $1,000 in court costs and submit to a mental evaluation with treatment, if necessary.

Before sentencing, Moyer’s adult son spoke on his behalf.

“He’s a good man,” Emory Moyer said. “He’s a nice guy.”

Emory Moyer also described his father as a man who would never touch a woman inappropriately.

Later, Moyer spoke briefly to the judge.

“I am innocent, I am not guilty of the crimes that I’ve been charged with,” Moyer said.

Moyer has no criminal history and has never received a speeding ticket, he said. This was his first offense.

McGoldrick told prosecutors at the Orange County Courthouse on Monday she had pushed Moyer away from her after the incident.

“My first reaction I just pushed him down. I was doing everything I could to get his hands off my breasts,” Duncan McGoldrick said.

Jurors began their deliberations Monday afternoon.

“We’re just hoping for the only fair and just verdict in this case, which is ‘not guilty’,” said Zahra S. Umansky, Moyer’s attorney.

Moyer had been booked into Orange County Jail on June 7 and was released on $1,000 bail.

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I first heard about this guy a few weeks ago and thought his idea was absolutely brilliant.

Job Market Tough? Man Finds 50 Jobs In 50 States

Daniel Seddiqui Works As Brockton Rox First-Base Coach

BROCKTON, Mass. — For a California man, the nation’s sour economy was making it tough to find work, but instead of giving up, he decided to take his resume on the road.

His mission: to work 50 different jobs in all 50 states.

Daniel Seddiqui, 27, said the resume wasn’t happening. The recent college grad had flunked no less than 40 job interviews for work in his field of economics.

Read the full story.

Think of the life experiences this man has acquired in just under a year.  He’s 44 weeks into his 50 state journey. Follow along through his home page.

Of course, as a background check guy, I immediately thought of what his employment verifications would look like.  A bar in New Orleans, a maple syrup(er?) in Vermont. A rodeo announcer in South Dakota and a coal miner in West Virginia. EmployeeScreenIQ is in Ohio. His tour with us? Meteorologist for a Cleveland TV station.

A tip of the hat to Daniel. We usually complete verifications in 2-3 days. Something tells me our clients would understand this one taking a bit longer!

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This is a story that speaks for itself.  I just wouldn’t want to be the poor sucker looking for a job with Horse Molestation on my record.  Can you imagine the person who reviews this background check?  I didn’t know that someone could be a registered sex offender for having sex with non-humans.

Police: SC Man Charged with Having Sex with A Horse

COLUMBIA, S.C. – A South Carolina man was charged with having sex with a horse after the animal’s owner caught the act on videotape, then staked out the stable and caught him at shotgun point, authorities said Wednesday.

But this wasn’t the first time Rodell Vereen has been charged with buggery. He pleaded guilty last year to having sex with the same horse after owner Barbara Kenley found him in the same stable and was sentenced to probation and placed on the state’s sex offender list.

Kenley said she noticed several weeks ago her 21-year-old horse Sugar was acting strange and getting infections again. She noticed things in the barn had been moved around — dirt piled up and bales of hay stacked near the horse’s stall at her Lazy B Stables in Longs, about 20 miles northeast of Myrtle Beach.

“Police kept telling me it couldn’t be the same guy,” Kenley said Wednesday. “I couldn’t believe that there were two guys going around doing this to the same horse.”

She spent several nights at the stables, which are about four miles from her home, but didn’t find anything. So she installed surveillance cameras, and when she reviewed the footage from July 19, she couldn’t believe she was seeing the same man doing the same thing to her horse.

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