About
Blackfish Intelligence
Our Story
SINCE 2017
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What started as a cost saving initiative (combining agencies) quickly evolved into a vision of creating a team of highly skilled investigators, combining experience, talents and resources to become the most capable and effective private investigations firm in Texas. Along the way, we established our own comprehensive Digital Forensics lab and added Technical Surveillance Countermeasure services. Today, Blackfish Intelligence is the go-to agency in north Texas for criminal, family law, personal injury, civil, corporate and government investigations. When results matter, call us.
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
We adopted the name Blackfish for our shared traits of intelligence, strength through numbers, coordinated hunting, specialized communication and operating in murky environments. Intelligence refers to the distilled product of data into actionable information.
RELATIONSHIPS MATTER
PEOPLE ARE OUR BUSINESS
HOW DO I GET STARTED?
It’s pretty simple; we start by talking. We offer a free consultation so we can get to know a little bit about you and the particular challenge you are facing. We will listen, but we’ll also ask a lot of questions too, because we want to understand your desired goal. Once we know the goal and the obstacles, we can make recommendations for a course of action.
UNDERSTANDING
We know every case is unique, so we take the time to listen to your perspective and gain the fullest understanding of the situation.
DEVELOP TRUST
Through rigorous attention to detail and producing results that will withstand scrutiny, we earn your trust, and give you the confidence that someone is in your corner.
WORK HARD FOR THE WIN
It’s not enough just to make sure all the boxes are checked. We spend a lot of time running down leads, witnesses, and finding creative ways to uncover important information that could make all the difference.
WHEN EXPERIENCE MATTERS
MEET THE TEAM
Lisa Clark
Office Manager
Lisa Clark is an experienced professional who brings more than 37 years of administrative experience in office management, human resources, and accounting. Lisa conducts the day-to-day administrative functions of Blackfish Intelligence, to include HR policies, maintaining financial records, collections, and payroll.
BILLY MEEKS
Chief Investigator, CCDI
Billy Meeks, a Founding Partner at Blackfish, is a U. S. Army veteran and has over forty years of law enforcement and private investigation experience. In addition to his expansive work on everything from capital crimes to federal RICO operations, he has also cultivated an incredible network of experts and legal resources.
JOEL SPIELMAN JR.
Senior Investigator, CCDI, CFI-FTER
Joel Spielman Jr., a multifaceted professional with a diverse background as former Air Force Veteran, a Firefighter/Paramedic dedicating over 10 years to safeguarding the community and saving lives. Driven by passion for justice, is a Board-Certified Criminal Defense investigator and a certified Forensic Interviewer. Additionally holds certification as a Technical Counter Surveillance Operator, using a wide range of tactics for detection of hidden Audio/Visual devices and GPS trackers.
MADDY WICKHAM
Senior Investigator, CCDS
Maddy Wickham, certified criminal defense Investigator with over 10 years of surveillance experience including undercover operations. She is an open-source intelligence specialist, and conducts in-depth background investigations along with being director of the due diligence department. She has a passion for locating missing persons and has had great success in past cases.
CASEY CLARK
Senior Investigator, CCDS
Casey Clark is a certified Criminal Defense Investigator with 30 years of law enforcement and investigation experience, having investigated hundreds of criminal cases ranging from DWI to felony level assault and fatality offenses. He is certified in Advanced Accident Investigation, and is also a licensed and insured drone pilot.
Mark Williams
Senior Investigator, CCDS
Mark Williams is a retired law enforcement executive and a certified Criminal Defense Specialist. His experience includes a wide range of law enforcement topics, including policy and training. His focus is on criminal defense.
Jordan Bumgarner
Senior Investigator, CCDS
Jordan Bumgarner is a surveillance specialist and a certified Criminal Defense Specialist. He has had great success in infiltration operations, evidence collection via abandoned property searches and courtroom testimony in family law cases.
Dean Fittz
Investigator, CDS, CFE
Dean Fittz is a retired Homeland Security Investigations special agent, having served with HSI and US Customs Service in Dallas and on the southern border for 30 years. He is a Criminal Defense Specialist and a Certified Fraud Examiner, with extensive experience in corporate fraud, export compliance, financial crimes, and any crime involving smuggling by transnational organizations.
Alexa Peyton
Investigator
Alexa Peyton is a former Dallas Police Department crime scene analyst and a surveillance specialist in infiltration assignments and open-source intelligence research.
Bill Byassee
Senior Investigator, CCDS
Bill Byassee is a retired Special Agent from the Defense Department, Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (17 years), including 3+ years of experience as a Special Agent with the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Command (CID), Major Procurement Fraud Unit, 4+ years as a CID Special Agent and 2 years as a Military Police Investigator (Counternarcotics) on Active Duty. He possesses more than 26 years federal investigative experience in crimes against persons, crimes against property, healthcare fraud, counternarcotics, counterterrorism, contract/procurement fraud, financial crimes, surveillance and tactical operations, security operations & administration; as well as Economic Crime, Threat, and Vulnerability Assessments. He also holds an MA degree in Security Management and is a Certified Criminal Defense Specialist - Distinguished Honor Graduate, with expertise in criminal defense, post-conviction appeals, fraud, and security matters.
JOSEPH MCCARDEL
INVESTIGATOR
Joe McCardel is a retired Special Agent with the Department of Defense, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Office of the Inspector General. He has more than two decades of experience as a Special Agent with the DoD and as a Financial Analyst with the Federal Bureau of Investigation combined. His areas of investigative experience include Procurement Fraud, Public Corruption, Product Substitution/Counterfeit Parts, and Healthcare Fraud.
SHAWN BYASSEE
DIGITAL FORENSICS INVESTIGATOR, CMFF, CCDS
Shawn Byassee holds a degree from the University of North Texas in Integrative Studies with a focus in International Diplomacy & Security, Political Science, and History. He is a Marine Corps veteran who has been trained as an Avionics Technician on drone platforms. He is certified in IT management, network and security. He excels in technical investigations, open-source research, and analysis.
GET STARTED
Make an appointment to discuss your unique situation and establish a path forward.
HOW CAN WE HELP?
OUR SPECIALTY AREAS
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FAMILY
Missing persons, cheating partners, child welfare and custody issues
CRIMINAL
Whether you’ve been accused of a crime or need help solving one
CORPORATE
Background checks, theft, fraud, extortion and embezzlement
INSURANCE
Fraudulent claims investigations
"No source can be implicitly trusted; every detail must be checked.”
Daryl Parker
HOW WE WORK
Careers
IMPORTANT THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
There’s no easy answer to this question, because success may look different from one case to the next. What we can say, is that with few exceptions, every case we take on has a better result than it would have without us.
Our strengths lie in digital forensics, criminal defense, and family law, but we are also adept at due diligence/risk management issues.
Yes. Whether it’s a civil or criminal case, even if you have a great attorney, he can only do so much without a good counter investigation to challenge the opposing party. With us on your team, you can be assured that no stone will be left unturned.
We can be retained by individuals, through their attorneys, or appointed by the court. If retained, and after a consultation, we jointly determine the scope of work, sign a mutual agreement, then collect a retainer to get started.
We are always looking for talented investigators. The ideal candidate will have ten years of experience as a private investigator, or at least five years as a police officer. Experience in criminal investigations is a big plus.
Yes. It’s actually illegal for us to reveal our client’s identity, or any of their personal information without their permission.
Yes, We have one of the most capable digital forensics labs in the U.S., utilizing software that even many law enforcement agencies don't have. Our lab has been used as a resource by both state and federal agencies.
Of course. We come from a law enforcement background, and our work often gets scrutinized in court. We wouldn’t stay in business very long if we didn’t go by the book.