Government Investigations

A significant portion of our member’s law enforcement experience has been in the investigation and prosecution of public corruption. The Noonan Group is the premier team in the field of risk assessment and forensic reviews of public entities, particularly in Pennsylvania.

Forensic reviews of public entities can occur as a result of internal discoveries of actual or potential fraud or as the result of outside law enforcement inquiries. The entity's goal may be to discover the scope and depth of the problem in order to expeditiously stop further losses to public funds and/or it may be to acquire responsive evidence contained in a large bureaucratic structure for an appropriate response to law enforcement. The sheer complexity of many governmental entities coupled with a lack of knowledge as to where such evidence is likely to be found can pose a dangerous challenge to entities under criminal inquiry. The Noonan Group’s expertise in knowing where and how to look for pertinent evidence/information would be invaluable to government entities and their legal counsel.

Risk management assessments and forensic reviews of public entities may also be sought in non-criminal contexts. Forensic reviews of government operations can be employed to identify waste, fraud, and abuse that do not involve criminality. Additionally, such reviews can help identify programs that, in times of tightening budgets, may require reform or efficient reduction.

Our work in the field of public corruption has involved investigations of government agencies and entities that have ranged from massive bureaucracies to modest government offices. For example, we spearheaded a team that revealed and stopped over 20 million dollars in criminal fraud and theft by members of two separate Pennsylvania legislative caucuses. Other investigations have uncovered millions of dollars in theft, fraud, and malfeasance involving state agencies and grant programs. We have investigated everything from straight theft to conflict of interest, misapplication of public funds, contract fraud, and patronage. These cases have included a wide array of investigations involving county, local and judicial offices, and funds.