01
Stabilize the Situation
We help you stop the bleeding and regain control before anything gets worse.
About Empire Investigation
Four Decades of Investigative Integrity
Founded in 1982, Empire Investigation has built a reputation on expertise, discretion, and demonstrable results. We are licensed, bonded, and A+ BBB rated — operating nationwide with the technical sophistication and professional rigor that high-stakes investigations demand.
Leadership
Robert Kresson, Founder & Director
Robert Kresson established Empire Investigation in 1982 with a clear mission: bring scientific rigor and professional standards to private investigations. Licensed as a private detective in Pennsylvania since November 1982, Kresson has built the firm into a recognized authority in technical surveillance counter measures (TSCM), corporate investigations, and discreet domestic case work.
Early in his career, Kresson recognized that most internal business losses do not originate from external threats, but from within organizations themselves. This insight led Empire to pioneer investigative approaches addressing internal risk, employee misconduct, fraud detection, and insider threats — disciplines that remain at the firm's core.
Kresson's expertise has been recognized in national and international media, including USA Today, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Executive Report, FOX 53, WTAE-TV, WPXI, KDKA-TV, and The Jenny Jones Show. His work has supported broadcast journalists, corporate security teams, and legal professionals nationwide.
Key Expertise Areas
Technical Surveillance Counter Measures (TSCM)
Corporate Fraud & Internal Investigations
Due Diligence & Background Intelligence
Executive Vetting & Risk Assessment
Infidelity & Domestic Investigations
Litigation Support & Asset Searches
Insider Threat Identification
Surveillance Technology & Detection
Ross Engineering Certified Trainer
Professional Standing
Licensed, Bonded, and Credentialed
Licensed Investigator
All investigators hold valid state licenses under Pennsylvania law. We maintain compliance with all regulatory requirements for private investigation work.
Ross Engineering Certified
Ross Engineering certified trainer and practitioner in advanced surveillance detection and TSCM methodology. Training maintains investigator proficiency in the latest detection equipment and counter-surveillance protocols.
A+ BBB Rating
Better Business Bureau accreditation reflects our commitment to transparent operations, ethical practices, and client satisfaction over four decades.
Professional Network
Regular collaboration with attorneys, law enforcement, corporate counsel, and industry professionals validates our expertise and professional standing.
Why Expertise Matters
Specialized Knowledge, Proven Results
TSCM Specialization
Technical Surveillance Counter Measures requires mastery of signal detection, RF analysis, advanced imaging, and covert listening device identification. Our investigators maintain currency with emerging surveillance technology through continuous professional development. This expertise cannot be acquired casually — it requires hands-on experience and systematic training.
Empire's reputation in TSCM has been validated by multiple broadcasts, corporate security partnerships, and direct commendations from television journalists and law enforcement professionals.
Corporate Investigation Expertise
Corporate fraud investigation requires understanding of business operations, financial controls, regulatory compliance, evidentiary standards, and legal admissibility. Our investigators are experienced in addressing embezzlement, vendor fraud, employee theft, trade secret theft, workplace misconduct, and insider threats.
We work directly with legal counsel, understand discovery requirements, and deliver findings in formats suitable for litigation, HR action, or executive decision-making.
Discretion & Legal Compliance
Professional investigations must operate within strict legal boundaries. Our team understands wiretapping laws, recording consent requirements, surveillance statutes, and privacy regulations across all 50 states. Evidence gathered must be legally admissible.
Four decades of practice have taught us to navigate these complexities with precision, ensuring that findings are defensible and legally sound.
Professional Recognition
Featured in National & International Media
Empire Investigation's expertise has been recognized by major national and international publications, broadcasters, and industry leaders:
- USA Today — Front-page cover story on surveillance equipment and privacy concerns (1998)
- Pittsburgh Tribune-Review — Multiple features on infidelity investigations and relationship investigations
- Executive Report — Cover stories on investigative technology and corporate fraud detection (1984, 1990)
- WTAE-TV, WPXI, KDKA-TV, FOX 53 — Commendations from investigative producers for equipment provision and investigative expertise
- The Jenny Jones Show — Collaboration on undercover investigation segments
- W&S — Wirtschaftsschutz & Sicherheitstechnik — Featured in Germany's leading security trade magazine (1996)
- The Ritz-Carlton Magazine — International luxury lifestyle publication; feature recognition
- Pittsburgh City Paper — Recognized in "Best of Pittsburgh" for ethical investigations
This media recognition reflects the firm's technical capabilities, professional standing, and the confidence that journalists, producers, and security professionals place in our expertise.
Our Commitment
How We Maintain Expertise
Continuous professional development in surveillance detection technology
Regular updates on evolving legal standards and regulatory compliance across all states
Participation in industry conferences and professional networks
Direct collaboration with law enforcement, legal professionals, and corporate security
Investment in advanced detection equipment and forensic tools
Rigorous documentation protocols ensuring evidentiary admissibility
Discretion as a core operational principle in every engagement
Direct investigator involvement in case strategy and evidence gathering
What Happens When You Get It Wrong
The case doesn't give you a second attempt at collecting evidence.
Whether it's internal fraud, a custody matter, or confirming what you already suspect, the investigation either produces proof that holds, or it doesn't. There is no close enough. Courts don't grade on effort.
This is why the methodology matters. It's documented below, and it explains why clients who've tried other firms end up here.
From the Field
"The CFO calls at 11 PM. She transferred $2.3 million before realizing something was wrong. The wire is three days old. She has already contacted two other investigators. Both said the trail was cold."
"We have a 72-hour window. We take the case."
The trail was not cold. The other investigators didn't have what was necessary to follow it. The equipment gap alone was the difference.
Composite of multiple corporate engagements · details altered for confidentiality
The Standard That Matters
Not all investigations are equal. Neither is the firm conducting them.
The investigative industry has no shortage of practitioners. It has a significant shortage of firms with the resources, experience, and documented credibility to handle high-stakes cases correctly.
When evidence is collected incorrectly, it is inadmissible. When surveillance is conducted without proper equipment, it produces footage that fails in court. When a firm lacks the depth to understand a complex corporate fraud, the investigation stalls.
Empire has invested well over $1 million in professional countermeasure and investigative equipment, not because it looks impressive, but because serious cases require serious tools. The camera that survived a 125-G train impact didn't cost $500. The surveillance system that WPXI trusted for a five-state police collaboration wasn't borrowed.
What separates outcomes is preparation. Four decades of it.
The six-step methodology behind every Empire investigation — and why it produces evidence that holds — is described in detail further down this page.
Equipment & Resources
$1M+
Well over $1 million invested in professional countermeasure and investigative equipment.
Under $10,000
$50,000+
$1,000,000+
Average PI Agency
Avg. Wedding Photographer
Empire Investigation
Empire StandardThe average private detective agency in the United States operates with under $10,000 of equipment.
"Results require resources. Empire has both."
Our Process
Investigations Are
Never Simple.
The Empire Decision Framework guides every engagement — from the first call through final documentation. Four decades of field work distilled into six steps that protect clients, produce results, and stand up in court.
Six Phases
02
Clarify the Objective
We turn uncertainty into a clear, actionable investigative objective.
03
Expand the Options
We uncover every viable approach — so you're never locked into one path.
04
Evaluate Risk
We map the consequences — legal, relational, financial, and reputational.
05
Take Decisive Action
We move with precision and discretion under real-world conditions.
06
Measure the Outcome
We deliver clarity: what was found, what it means, and what's next.
“Four decades in the field taught us that structure is the only thing that holds under pressure.”
Every engagement follows this framework — from the first call through final documentation. Four decades of field work distilled into six steps that protect clients, produce results, and stand up in court.
Begin Your InvestigationExpertise You Can Trust
Four decades of investigative experience, proven results, and professional recognition. When expertise matters, Empire Investigation delivers.