In a 29-page “Memorandum of Law in Support of Motion for Partial Summary Judgment” (12 MB PDF) filed on 7 June 2021 in the case of David M. Smith v. International Investigative Group Ltd., et al., attorney Steven Cohn of Carle Place, New York presented overwhelming evidence that the private investigation company run by TV polygraph operator Daniel D. “Dan” Ribacoff engaged in fraudulent billing practices.
The evidence of fraud includes numerous text messages supplied by former International Investigative Group (IIG) employee Saul Roth, a retired Nassau County, New York police officer. Roth attests to the fraudulent billing (apparently admitting to a felony crime) in a 16-page affidavit (4 MB PDF) filed in the case.
Former IIG employees James Marr and Yanti Greene also made out affidavits stating that IIG directed them to inflate their invoices.
Also of note, text messages submitted in evidence (23 MB PDF) document IIG’s surveillance of actress Leah Remini on behalf of the Church of Scientology—a cult founded by science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard that uses a simple lie detector called an E-meter to “audit” (interrogate) its members.
Remini was indoctrinated into Scientology as a child and incurred the cult’s wrath by publicly leaving Scientology and, among other things, producing a documentary series, Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath, exposing physical and mental abuse inflicted upon members.
IIG spied on Leah Remini for the Church of Scientology while she was in New York for filming of the 2018 romantic comedy Second Act. The memorandum filed in support of the motion for summary judgment alleges that IIG directed investigator Yanti Greene, a retired New York Police Department officer, to double bill for work on the case.
Among other things, the text messages include discussion of a March 2018 article by Tony Ortega titled “Leah Remini is still being stalked, and now Scientology has turned to an ex-NYPD detective” that reveals Greene’s surveillance of Remini without mentioning him by name.
After these documents were filed in court, the Ribacoffs’ attorney filed a motion to seal all of the filings. Neither the memorandum nor the numerous exhibits are presently available for download from the New York state court system. Counsel for David M. Smith is contesting the request to seal, and the ultimate disposition of the matter is yet to be determined.
AntiPolygraph.org downloaded the three case documents mentioned and mirrored in this article before the court removed public access to them.
For prior reporting on this litigation and the related case of Susanne Gold-Smith v. Daniel Ribacoff et al., see TV Polygraph Operator Dan Ribacoff’s International Investigative Group Allegedly Bilked Client.
[…] involving litigation.” It is noteworthy 1) that Augustine’s inquiry was not limited to litigation that Ribacoff faces, 2) that the American Polygraph Association is not a party to that litigation, and 3) that the […]