Notable Cases

Over the past 40 years, Kroll has gained worldwide recognition for its work on many high-profile public cases.

Highlighted below are just some of our most notable cases. To access a fuller list, including the ability to filter by service area, please visit our Case Studies Library.

Case Study: Gun Show Investigation for the City of New York
Kroll was engaged by the City of New York to undertake an extensive undercover investigation into the illegal sale of firearms at gun shows around the country.  Kroll conducted operations at seven gun shows in three different states – Ohio, Tennessee, and Nevada.  Undercover investigators approached gun sellers and presented one of two clearly illegal purchase scenarios: (1) Would private sellers sell guns to people who said they probably could not pass a background check? and (2) Would licensed  dealers sell guns to people who appear to be “straw purchasers” (i.e. fronts for criminals unable to buy guns).  Seventy four percent of those approached by Kroll completed sales to people who appeared to be criminals or straw purchasers.  A detailed report called “Gun Show Undercover: Report on Illegal Sales at Gun Shows” as well as a sampling of undercover videos can also be viewed at http://www.gunshowundercover.org/. (2009)

 

Case Study: Unusual transactions at Icelandic bank Glitnir, prior to its collapse in 2008
Kroll was selected by the Resolution Committee appointed to the collapsed bank to investigate potential irregularities in transactions undertaken prior to the bank’s collapse. The objective of the investigation was to pursue and recover any assets from those who may have benefited from, or were responsible for, any such irregularities. (2009 ongoing)

Case Study: Autotote Audit
Kroll was engaged by legal counsel for Autotote, the leading provider of parimutual racing systems and services, after a scandal that rocked the sporting world.
An Autotote programmer had spotted a weakness in the communications system connecting all horse racing tracks in the U.S. and exploited it to create a $3 million
fake winning ticket for the Breeders Cup. Although it was clear that Autotote was not at fault, Kroll financial and information security experts were brought in to
review the company’s internal controls and assist in an industry-wide audit. Autotote’s concerns were put to rest when the Kroll team reconfirmed the source
of the breach and vouched for the effectiveness of the company’s new security measures. (2002)

Case Study: SMG Security and Emergency Management Training
Post 9/11, SMG, the world’s largest sports and entertainment facility manager, had good reason to make security a priority. More than 50 million people annually pass through the doors of its arenas, stadiums and convention centers. As part of its ongoing commitment to safeguarding its facilities against terrorism, SMG asked Kroll to conduct a two-day security and emergency management training program at its 2002 global managers’ annual meeting. The success of this initiative led to an ongoing partnership on security issues, which includes facility reviews and training programs. (2002-2003)

Case Study: Saddam Hussein's Financial Network
The Kuwaiti government hired Kroll to investigate the financial network used by Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein to hide assets in the West. Kroll’s work linked Hussein to millions in assets held through nominees in the U.S. and Europe, exposing his front companies and agents. (1990-91)

Case Study: Compliance Shopper Summary
Kroll utilized its network of consultants around the U.S. to conduct discreet research on behalf of a major business consulting firm and a major lending institution to ensure the lending company’s compliance with financial lending regulatory rules and laws.  Utilizing mock background information, Kroll consultants applied for various types of loan instruments and reported back on how the loan was processed.  In states where one party consensual monitoring was allowed, all conversations were recorded.  We completed more than 200 faux loan applications (“shops”) at client branch offices located in more than 18 states.

    This list is provided consistent with our obligations of confidentiality to our clients.