Personnel

Wayne Owens

Wayne Owens holds degrees in Accounting, Criminal Justice and Real Estate. In 1972 he became a Special Agent with the FBI.

In 1974, Mr. Owens led the FBI’s investigation of San Diego’s U.S. National Bank, which at that time was the largest bank failure in the nation’s history. A total of $250 million was recovered.

While assigned to the Bank Fraud Squad in New York City from 1983-84, Mr. Owens’ investigation of a $2.3 million fraudulent check case and a phony off-shore bank scam in Montserrat resulted in 12 felony convictions.

In 1984, Mr. Owens was assigned to a Congressional Investigations Staff in Washington, D.C. Among the federal agencies investigated were the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the National Reconnaissance Office (one of the nation’s most highly classified intelligence agencies).

In 1986, Mr. Owens became Supervisor of the FBI’s White Collar Crime Squad in Alexandria, Virginia. Major cases he supervised included the Iran/Contra investigation and the Procurement Fraud scandal within the Pentagon.

In 1987, Mr. Owens transferred to the U.S. Customs Service in order to return to San Diego. He served as Supervisor of the Marine Group until forming Owens & Associates Investigations in 1988.

Jerry Barnett

• Special Agent, FBI, 1970 - 1989
  • Case agent on nationally-spotlighted Michael Kennedy rape/murder case
  • Bank robbery coordinator, San Diego Division
  • Case agent on first successful wire taps on cell phones of Columbian cocaine traffickers, Los Angeles Division
• Supervisory Special Agent, U.S. Customs, 1989 - 1999
  • Supervised Operation Alliance (a DEA/U.S. Customs drug task force)
  • Supervised Operation Double Play (a successful undercover narcotics group)
  • Supervised the Air/Marine Task Force
• Licensed CA Private Investigator, specializing in surveillance and executive protection, 2000 - present

Norm Belsterling

• U.S. Navy, 1964 - 1967
• FAA Air Traffic Controller, 1968 - 1981
• Martial Arts Instructor, City of Carlsbad, 1980 - present
• Deputy Sheriff, San Diego County, 1982 - 1985
• Police Officer, Oceanside, CA Police Department, 1985 - 1993
• Private Investigator and Executive Protection Agent, Owens & Associates Investigations, 1994 - present
• Special Investigator, U.S. Department of Defense, 2002 - present
• Certifications:
  • Firearms Instructor
  • Defensive Tactics Instructor
  • Chemical Agents Instructor
  • Baton Instructor
  • Verbal Judo Instructor
  • Martial Arts Instructor
  • Fluent in Spanish and Japanese

Sam Bove

• San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, 1963 - 1990
  • Recruiting, Academy, General Services, Jail, Bailiff, Patrol 1963-1971
  • General Investigations 1971 - 1980
  • Homicide Investigations 1980 - 1983
  • Scientific Investigations (Crime Lab) 1983 - 1990
• San Diego County Metropolitan Homicide Task Force, 1990 - 1993
• Consultant to San Diego County District Attorney, 1994 - present
• Consultant to San Diego County Sheriff’s Crime Lab, 1997 - present
• Court Qualified Expert on:
  • Latent Fingerprints Footwear and Tire Impressions
  • Composite Drawings Crime Scene Investigations
  • Body Tool Mark Impressions Yugoslavian Gypsies

Arnie Gerardo

• Inglewood Police Department, 1964 - 1970
• Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, Portland OR, 1970 - 1976
• Special Agent, FBI, 1976 - 1987
  • Supervisor of Kidnapping, Extortion, Organized Crime and White Collar Crime, Los Angeles, CA Division and at FBI Headquarters, Washington, DC
  • Program Manager at FBI Headquarters for the National Airline Skyjacking Program and the Kidnapping/Extortion Program
  • Received extensive training in Terrorism, Drug-Related Matters, Hostage Negotiations; Hostage Rescue Team and Tactical Exercises
  • Supervisor Instructor at FBI Academy and Adjunct Professor, University of VA while at the FBI Academy
• Special Agent, U.S. Customs, 1987 - 2000
  • Commander of U.S. Customs Command Post during the Los Angeles riots stemming from the Rodney King court decision (directed and coordinated the activity of 200 Customs agents)
  • Primary participant in a 1997 effort in Colombia and Venezuela regarding the Air Carrier Initiative and Maritime Shipping activity; worked closely with Avianca and American Airlines security personnel, as well as with Colombian law enforcement and military
  • Director of the Smuggling Division, U.S. Customs Headquarters, Washington, DC
  • Director of the National Strategic Problem Solving Initiative, U.S. Customs Headquarters
  • Program Manager of the Emergency Preparedness Program, U.S. Customs Headquarters
  • Retired as Associate Special Agent in Charge of the San Diego Field Office; was a member of the U.S. Attorney’s Mexican liaison group; also supervised the Firearms program and the activities of the Special Response Team
• Licensed Private Investigator in California, 2000 - present, specializing in investigative services in Mexico:
  • Executive Protection Kidnapping/Ransom
  • Technical Security Airport Security
  • Facilities Security Corporate Investigations
  • Litigation Support Missing Persons
• State Department Foreign Language Certification in Spanish, Level 5

Gregory Miller

• San Diego Police Department, 1970 - 1980
  • Patrol/Traffic Divisions
  • Bureau of Investigations
  • Special Agent - S.D. County Integrated Narcotics Task Force
• Investigator, San Diego District Attorney's Office, 1980 - 2000, specialized in the investigation of:
  • White Collar Crime
  • Homicide
  • Crimes of Violence
  • Fraud
  • Family Protection
• Licensed Private Investigator in California, 1996 - present, specializing in:
  • Litigation Support
  • Insurance Fraud Surveillances
  • Executive Protection
• Certifications:
  • I.D.E.A.L. Language Institute, Mexico City (Spanish)
  • Concealed Weapons Permit
  • Exposed Firearm Permit
  • California Guard Card

Jim Weaver

• Office of Naval Intelligence, 1968 - 1970
• Special Agent, FBI, 1970 - 1995
  • Specialized in investigation of bank robberies, fugitives, extortion, kidnapping, interstate transportation of stolen property and white collar crime including bank fraud and embezzlement
  • Southwest Regional Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force for twelve years
  • Liaison between FBI and Mexican law enforcement authorities
  • FBI Police Training and Firearms Instructor for 15 years
  • Established and coordinated multi-agency Violent Crimes Fugitive Task Force in San Diego that arrested over 1,400 fugitives between 1993 - 1995
  • Successfully investigated a $6,000,000 multi-state insurance fraud that resulted in the conviction of four defendants and fines, savings and recoveries of $500,000
• Graduate of the Defense Language Institute (Spanish)