United States General Accounting Office

GAO Office of Special Investigations

April 1997 Investigators’

Guide to Sources

of Information

GAO/OSI-97-2

GAO United States

General Accounting Office

Washington, D.C. 20548

Office of Special Investigations

April 1997

This 1997 Investigators’ Guide to Sources of Information is published as a

service to the investigative community by GAO’s Office of Special

Investigations. It is intended to be a useful investigative tool for identifying

sources of information about people, property, business, and finance. This

year’s guide is organized so that all of the information about a single

source is located in a single definitive category. An index has been added

to locate sources of information about a topic that may be discussed in

one or more places in the guide. Finally, to make the guide useful in an

increasingly electronic environment, we have added Internet addresses

wherever possible and a chapter on how to use the Internet to gather

information valuable to the investigative process.

Additionally, for the first time, this year’s guide will be accessible

electronically from GAO’s home page ( http://www.gao.gov ) by first

selecting “Special Publications and Software” and then “Investigators’

Guide to Sources of Information (GAO/OSI-97-2).” From this screen, certain

sections of the report are interactive, enabling the investigator to initiate

national and international links to a wide range of organizations. These

links can be established by “clicking on” either an underlined and

highlighted agency name or a specific Internet address in the guide.

The information provided in this guide is current as of the date of

publication. As with the two previous editions of the guide, we request

your assistance in updating and improving the guide periodically. Please

submit any updates or suggestions on how the guide can better meet users’

needs directly to us by e-mail at soiguide.osi@gao.gov or by fax at

(202) 371-2442. You may also write to us at the Office of Special

Investigations, U.S. General Accounting Office, 441 G Street, N.W.,

Washington, D.C. 20548.

Donald J. Wheeler

Acting Director

Page 1 GAO/OSI-97-2 Investigators’ Guide to Sources of Information
About the Guide

The 1997 Investigator’s Guide to Sources of Information contains five

chapters, four on information sources and a fifth on how to access

information through the Internet.

The first four chapters—on local and state governments; federal agencies;

directories, reference works, and other sources; and electronic

databases—discuss selected information sources in definitive categories

that investigators will find helpful. The guide’s descriptions of information

found in specific electronic databases were furnished by the organizations

that administer the databases and have not been validated by GAO.

Depending on their specific needs, users of the guide may want to

independently validate the currency and accuracy of information in the

databases. Tables in chapters 1 and 2 provide details on topics discussed

in the chapters.

Chapter 5 is a guide to using the Internet for investigative purposes. In

addition to sections on how to access the Internet and the tools and

functions available for Internet interaction, chapter 5 contains a sample

search that may be of particular interest to the novice Internet user.

Chapter 5 also informs the user about the types of information available

from the Internet. For specific information on the Internet and specific

web browsers, please consult applicable software manuals, local

bookstores and libraries, and/or various Internet service providers.

Chapters 2 and 5 list selected Internet addresses for investigators’ use,

including addresses for federal agencies and electronic databases.

Because Internet addresses change frequently, GAO will periodically update

the electronic version of the guide to reflect such changes.

The guide’s table of contents, supplemented by its index, should help users

to locate specific subject matter. While major topics such as federal

government agencies, federal contracting, state and local government, and

directories are listed in the index, subtopics such as counterfeiting,

criminal history, income tax, and driver’s licenses are also listed.

This guide is not intended to be an exhaustive compilation of all sources of

information available to investigators. There are many other sources of

valuable information that may be useful for investigative purposes. The

specific sources of information identified in the guide exemplify the types

of information available to investigators, many of which have proven

useful in the past. The inclusion of specific products or services should not

be viewed as an endorsement by GAO.

Page 2 GAO/OSI-97-2 Investigators’ Guide to Sources of Information
About the Guide

The images in the “SEARCHING THE NET” section of chapter 5 are

reprinted with the permission of the copyright owners.1

As a user of this guide, you should be aware that, in many cases,

information in the sources we cite may be privileged or confidential and,

therefore, unavailable. Generally, the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. 552a (1994),

prohibits federal agencies from disclosing a record from “system of

records” from which information may be retrieved by individual identifier,

e.g., name, number, or symbol. However, federal agencies may disclose a

record to another agency or governmental instrumentality for a lawful civil

or criminal law enforcement activity. To receive a record, the head of the

requesting agency must request the record in writing from the agency that

maintains the record, specifying the portion of the record desired and the

law enforcement activity for which the record is sought. The Privacy Act

imposes criminal penalties on agency employees who wrongfully disclose

protected information and on any person who wrongfully requests or

obtains protected information under false pretenses. (5 U.S.C. 552a(i)).

1

Figures 5.1 through 5.10 of this guide contain images that are the property of Netscape, copyright 1997

Netscape Communications Corporation, all rights reserved. Netscape is a trademark of Netscape

Communications Corporation, which is registered in the United States and other countries. The images

in figures 5.1 through 5.10 are reprinted here with the permission of Netscape.

Figures 5.1 and 5.2 of this guide contain images that are the property of C | net, copyright 1996-97, all

rights reserved, and are reprinted here with permission.

Figures 5.3 through 5.10 of this guide contain images that are the property of Cornell University Legal

Information Institute and are reprinted here with permission.

Page 3 GAO/OSI-97-2 Investigators’ Guide to Sources of Information
Contents

Letter 1

About the Guide 2

Chapter 1 

Local and State

Governments

8

Local Government 8

State Government 11

Chapter 2 

Federal Agencies

17

Cabinet-Level Departments and Associated Agencies 17

Financial Institutions and Related Federal Administrations and

Corporations

28

Independent Agencies and Government Corporations 31

Legislative Branch Agencies 38

Judicial Branch 39

Inspectors General 43

Chapter 3 

Directories, Reference

Works, and Other

Sources

52

Directory About Directories 52

Directories Focusing on Businesses 52

Directories Focusing on Individuals 55

Directories of Associations 58

Directories of Banks and Financial Institutions 59

Law Firm and Law Enforcement Directories 60

Lloyd’s Directories About the Shipping Industry 61

Other Directories, Indexes, and Reference Works 62

Other Sources 64

Chapter 4 

Electronic Databases

67

Government Investigative and Law Enforcement Databases 67

Other Databases 77

Chapter 5 

Investigators’ Guide

to the Internet

84

Internet: the Storehouse of Government Information 84

Accessing the Internet 85

Examples of Internet Functions and Tools 85

Searching the Net 86

Internet Sites Provide Valuable Information 97

Security on the Internet 99

Page 4 GAO/OSI-97-2 Investigators’ Guide to Sources of Information
Contents

Index 102

Tables Table 1.1: State Attorneys General 12

Table 2.1: Sale Dates of U.S. Savings Bond Series 24

Table 2.2: Designated Geographic Areas for Social Security

Number Issuance

37

Table 2.3: Directory of U.S. Courts 40

Table 2.4: Federal Inspectors General 45

Table 2.5: Federal Agency Internet Addresses 49

Table 5:1: Tools of the Internet 86

Table 5.2: Selected Internet Sites for Investigative Reference 97

Figures Figure 5.1: Selecting From the Search Menu 87

Figure 5.2: The Search Request 88

Figure 5.3: Cornell’s Legal Information Institute Web Site 89

Figure 5.4: The LII Annotated Table of Contents 90

Figure 5.5: The U.S. Code Web Page 91

Figure 5.6: Access Path for Information 92

Figure 5.7: U.S. Code Titles and Headings 93

Figure 5.8: Chapter Within Title 17 - Copyrights 94

Figure 5.9: Sections Within Chapter 5 - Copyright Infringement

and Remedies

95

Figure 5.10: Full Text of 17 U.S. Code, Section 506 96

Abbreviations

ALR Art Loss Register

ATF Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms

CFTC Commodity Futures Trading Commission

CIS Central Index System

CLASS Consular Lookout and Support System

CRS Congressional Research Service

CTR Currency Transaction Report

DCII Defense Central and Investigations Index

DEA Drug Enforcement Administration

DECA Development of Espionage Counterintelligence and

Counterterrorism Awareness

DLR Division of Labor Racketeering

DOD Department of Defense

DOJ Department of Justice

EDGAR Electronic Data Gathering and Retrieval

EFF Electronic Frontier Foundation

Page 5 GAO/OSI-97-2 Investigators’ Guide to Sources of Information
Contents

e-mail electronic mail

EPIC El Paso Intelligence Center

ERISA Employee Retirement Income Security Act

EX-Im Bank Export-Import Bank of the United States

FAA Federal Aviation Administration

FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation

FCC Federal Communications Commission

FDA Food and Drug Administration

FDIC Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

FERC Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

FHWA Federal Highway Administration

FinCEN Financial Crimes Enforcement Network

FIRS Fingerprint Identification Records System

FMS Financial Management Service

FPDC Federal Procurement Data Center

FTP File Transfer Protocol

GAO General Accounting Office

GILS Government Information Locator System

GPO Government Printing Office

GSA General Services Administration

HHS Department of Health and Human Services

IBIS Interagency Border Inspection System

IBM International Business Machines

ICTS International Criminal Police Organization

Case-Tracking System

IFAR International Foundation for Art Research

III Interstate Identification Index

INS Immigration and Naturalization Service

INTERPOL International Criminal Police Organization

IRC Internet Relay Chat

IRS Internal Revenue Service

JMIE Joint Maritime Information Element

LESC Law Enforcement Support Center

MAGLOCLEN Middle Atlantic-Great Lakes Organized Crime Law

Enforcement Network

MOCIC Mid-States Organized Crime Information Center

NADDIS Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information System

NAIL NARA Archival Information Locator

NAILS National Alien Information Lookout System

NARA National Archives and Records Administration

NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Page 6 GAO/OSI-97-2 Investigators’ Guide to Sources of Information
Contents

NCIC National Crime Information Center

NCMEC National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

NCUA National Credit Union Administration

NESPIN New England State Police Information Network

NFIC National Fraud Information Center

NICB National Insurance Crime Bureau

NIIS Nonimmigrant Information System

NLETS National Law Enforcement Telecommunications

System

NRC Nuclear Regulatory Commission

NTC National Tracing Center

OSI Office of Special Investigations

RISS Regional Information Sharing System

RMIN Rocky Mountain Information Network

ROCIC Regional Organized Crime Information Center

SBA Small Business Administration

SEC Securities and Exchange Commission

SPICIN South Pacific Islands Criminal Intelligence Network

SSA Social Security Administration

TECS Treasury Enforcement Communications System

USDA U.S. Department of Agriculture

USMS U.S. Marshals Service

USNCB U.S. National Central Bureau

VA Department of Veterans Affairs

WAIS Wide Area Information Server

WHD Wage Hour Division

WSIN Western States Information Network

WWW World Wide Web

Page 7 GAO/OSI-97-2 Investigators’ Guide to Sources of Information
Chapter 1 

Local and State Governments

Local Government

Building Inspector The following information is available from a building inspector’s office:

• building permits, which generally show the name of the applicant, the

address of construction, the estimated cost of construction, and the name

of the builder or contractor;

• blueprints and plans, which show construction details and are often

submitted with applications for building permits; and

• building inspectors’ reports, which contain information regarding

compliance with construction specifications.

Coroner/Medical Examiner Coroner registers generally contain the name or description of the

deceased; date of inquest, if any; property found on the deceased and its

disposition; and the cause of death.

Court Clerk Court clerks often maintain court files on such civil actions as liens, name

changes, and divorces. These files generally include the complaint

(identifying the plaintiff(s), the defendant(s), and the cause of action); the

answer to the complaint; and the judgment rendered. Also, depositions

introduced as exhibits become part of the court records. The court clerk’s

minutes or the file jacket may indicate whether a transcript of the

proceedings was taken.

Divorce case complaints usually identify the plaintiff and defendant; place

and date of marriage (which points to the appropriate county recorder’s

records); date of separation, if applicable; names, ages, and birthdates of

any children; community property; and grounds or charges, if any; and the

attorneys retained by the parties. The plaintiff’s signature is usually on the

complaint and the defendant’s signature can be found on the

cross-complaint or answer.

Probate indexes will list probate actions alphabetically, by name of the

estate or petitioner, and will give the filing date and the docket number.

Individual case files often list causes of action and rulings regarding the

estate, and status of potential beneficiaries who may be minors, adopted,

incompetent, or insane.

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Chapter 1 

Local and State Governments

Court clerks also maintain criminal court files, which may contain

information describing the crime and the charges in an indictment. These

files may also contain the complainant’s signature (exemplar); a transcript

of the preliminary hearing (usually consisting of testimony of the

complainant, defendant, witnesses, and arresting officer); the names of the

prosecuting and defense attorneys; the probation officer’s report, with

complete background investigation of the defendant; and any subpoenas

issued in the case.

Health Department Health departments often license and inspect properties, identify and

investigate local health problems, educate businesses on local health

issues, and provide direct emergency services.

Death certificates are usually available at health departments. A death

certificate provides the decedent’s name; address; sex; age; race; social

security number; birthplace; birthdate; and date, place, and time of death.

Additionally, a death certificate generally provides the medical and

coroner’s certificate and information about the decedent’s parents,

including their occupations.

Personnel Department Personnel departments maintain the following information:

• personal history statements on employees and political leaders; and

• employment records, efficiency reports, and records of salary liens on

employees.

Public Schools Public schools maintain the following information:

• student records showing grades, disciplinary actions, and, in some school

districts, biographies; and

• teacher biographies showing personal background, education, and former

employment.

Recorder Recorder offices maintain the following information:

• documents pertaining to real estate transactions, including deeds, grants,

transfers, mortgages, releases of mortgages, powers of attorney, and

leases that have been acknowledged or approved;

Page 9 GAO/OSI-97-2 Investigators’ Guide to Sources of Information
Chapter 1 

Local and State Governments

• mortgages on personal property;

• wills admitted to probate;

• Uniform Commercial Code filings;

• official bonds;

• notices of mechanics’ liens;

• transcripts of judgments that are made on real estate liens;

• notices of attachment of real estate;

• papers pertaining to bankruptcy;

• certified copies of decrees and judgments of courts of record;

• Department of Defense DD 214 forms that are recorded by some veterans

as evidence of veteran status, particularly in those states that grant

veterans reduced property tax rates; and

• marriage licenses and certificates that can provide the names, ages, cities

of residence, and places of birth of the licensees; date and place of

marriage; names of witnesses to the marriage and their residence; and

names of the cleric, judge, or justice of the peace who performed the

ceremony.

Registrar of Voters Registrars of voters may maintain the following:

• affidavit of registration, which includes the registrant’s name and age,

occupation, and address at the time of registration, and

• nomination papers of candidates for public office.

Regulatory Agencies Applications for business licenses, which are filed by local regulatory

agencies, have valuable information on certain types of businesses and

professions. Also, such applications often have useful information about

individuals engaged in those businesses or professions. In many cities, the

following types of businesses and professions would be regulated and

their owners and/or practitioners would be required to apply for licenses:

• businesses seeking liquor licenses;

• professionals, including those trained as certified public accountants,

dentists, doctors, plumbers, electricians, and optometrists;

• businesses that health and fire departments periodically inspect, including

restaurants, bars, and night clubs; and

• businesses operating under names other than the owners’ names (such

businesses must register under assumed names and are included in the

“doing business as” files).

Page 10 GAO/OSI-97-2 Investigators’ Guide to Sources of Information
Chapter 1 

Local and State Governments

Surveyor Surveyor offices maintain maps of elevations, baselines, landmarks,

important sites, roads, rights of way, and easements.

Tax Assessor Tax assessor offices maintain maps of real property, including information

on a property’s dimensions, address, owner, taxable value, and

improvements.

Tax Collector Tax collector offices maintain the following information:

• names and addresses of payers of property taxes, including payers who

are not the apparent owners;

• legal descriptions of property;

• amounts of taxes paid on real and personal property;

• delinquency status of taxes; and

• names of former owners of property.

Welfare Commission Information filed by welfare commissions is gathered by social workers,

psychologists, and physicians. Generally, the information

gathered—frequently provided by welfare recipients—is not verified.

Welfare commission files contain such information as the recipient’s

address, previous employment, prior earnings, and property owned.

Welfare files also contain information on (1) the property owned by the

recipient’s relatives and (2) the relatives’ health and criminal records.

State Government

Attorney General State attorneys general are good sources of information on (1) efforts

made in the areas of statewide criminal justice, civil enforcement, and

consumer protection and (2) the functions or administrative structure of

the state offices responsible for these areas. The following table lists

addresses and telephone numbers for state attorneys general.

Page 11 GAO/OSI-97-2 Investigators’ Guide to Sources of Information
Chapter 1 

Local and State Governments

Table 1.1: State Attorneys General

State Address Telephone number

Alabama State House, 3rd Fl.

11 South Union Street

Montgomery, AL 36104-3760 (334) 242-7300

Alaska Post Office Box 110300

Diamond Court Building

Juneau, AK 99811

123 Fourth Street, 6th Fl.

Diamond Court House

Juneau, AK 99801 (907) 465-3600

Arizona 1275 West Washington Street

Phoenix, AZ 85007 (602) 542-4266

Arkansas 323 Center Street

200 Tower Building

Little Rock, AR 72201 (501) 682-2007

California 1300 I Street

Post Office Box 944255

Sacramento, CA 94244-2550 (916) 323-5370

Colorado 1525 Sherman Street, 5th Fl.

Denver, CO 80203 (303) 866-4500

Connecticut 55 Elm Street

Post Office Box 120

Hartford, CT 06141-0120 (860) 566-2026

Delaware Carvel State Office Building

820 North French Street

Wilmington, DE 19801 (302) 577-8338

District of Columbia Office of the Corporation Counsel

441 4th Street, N.W., Rm. 1060 North

Washington, D.C. 20001 (202) 727-6248

Florida The Capitol Building

Plaza Level, Suite 01

Tallahassee, FL 32399-1050 (904) 487-1963

Georgia 40 Capitol Square

Atlanta, GA 30334-1300 (404) 656-4585

Hawaii 425 Queen Street

Honolulu, HI 96813 (808) 586-1282

Idaho 700 West Jefferson Street

Post Office Box 83720

Boise, ID 83720-0010 (208) 334-2400

Illinois James R. Thompson Center

100 West Randolph Street, 12th Fl.

Chicago, IL 60601 (312) 814-2503

Indiana Indiana Government Center South, 8th Fl.

402 West Washington Street

Indianapolis, IN 46204 (317) 233-4386

(continued)

Page 12 GAO/OSI-97-2 Investigators’ Guide to Sources of Information
Chapter 1 

Local and State Governments

State Address Telephone number

Iowa Hoover State Office Building, 2nd Fl.

Des Moines, IA 50319 (515) 281-3053

Kansas Judicial Building

301 S.W. 10th Street

Topeka, KS 66612 (913) 296-2215

Kentucky Capitol Building, Suite 116

700 Capitol Avenue

Frankfort, KY 40601 (502) 564-7600

Louisiana 300 Capitol Drive

Post Office Box 94005

Baton Rouge, LA 70804 (504) 342-7013

Maine Six State House Station

Augusta, ME 04333 (207) 626-8800

Maryland 200 Saint Paul Place

Baltimore, MD 21202-2021 (410) 576-6300

Massachusetts One Ashburton Place

Boston, MA 02108 (617) 727-2200

Michigan Law Building, 7th Fl.

Post Office Box 30212

525 West Ottawa Street

Lansing, MI 48909-0212 (517) 373-1110

Minnesota 102 State Capitol

St. Paul, MN 55155 (612) 296-6196

Mississippi Post Office Box 220

Jackson, MS 39205

450 High Street

Jackson, MS 39201 (601) 359-3692

Missouri Post Office Box 899

Jefferson City, MO 65102

207 W. High Street

Supreme Court Building

Jefferson City, MO 65101 (573) 751-3321

Montana 215 N. Sanders

Post Office Box 201401

Helena, MT 59620-1401 (406) 444-2026

Nebraska 2115 State Capitol Building

Lincoln, NE 68509 (402) 471-2682

Nevada 198 South Carson Street

Carson City, NV 89710

100 North Carson Street

Carson City, NV 89701-4717 (702) 687-4170

New Hampshire 33 Capitol Street

Concord, NH 03301 (603) 271-3658

(continued)

Page 13 GAO/OSI-97-2 Investigators’ Guide to Sources of Information
Chapter 1 

Local and State Governments

State Address Telephone number

New Jersey Dept. of Law and Public Safety 

Office of Attorney General

Richard J. Hughes Justice Complex

CN 080

Trenton, NJ 08625 (609) 292-4925

New Mexico Post Office Drawer 1508

Santa Fe, NM 87504-1508

407 Galisteo Street, #260

Santa Fe, NM 87501 (505) 827-6000

New York N.Y. State Dept. of Law - the Capitol

Albany, NY 12224 (518) 474-7330

North Carolina Post Office Box 629

Raleigh, NC 27602-0629

2 E. Morgan Street

Raleigh, NC 27601 (919) 733-3377

North Dakota State Capitol

600 East Boulevard Avenue

Bismarck, ND 58505-0040 (701) 328-2210

Ohio Rhodes Tower

30 East Broad Street, 17th Fl.

Columbus, OH 43215 (614) 466-4320

Oklahoma 2300 North Lincoln Boulevard

Suite 112

Oklahoma City, OK 73105 (405) 521-3921

Oregon 1162 Court Street, NE

Salem, OR 97310 (503) 378-6002

Pennsylvania Strawberry Square, 16th Fl.

Harrisburg, PA 17120 (717) 787-3391

Rhode Island 150 South Main Street

Providence, RI 02903 (401) 274-4400

South Carolina Post Office Box 11549

Columbia, SC 29211-1549

1000 Assembly Street

Columbia, SC 29202 (803) 734-3970

South Dakota 500 East Capitol

Pierre, SD 57501 (605) 773-3215

Tennessee 500 Charlotte Avenue, Suite 114

Nashville, TN 37243 (615) 741-6474

Texas Post Office Box 12548

Austin, TX 78711

209 W. 14th Street

Austin, TX 78701 (512) 463-2191

Utah 236 State Capitol

Salt Lake City, UT 84114 (801) 538-1326

(continued)

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Chapter 1 

Local and State Governments

State Address Telephone number

Vermont 109 State Street

Montpelier, VT 05609-1001 (802) 828-3171

Virginia 900 East Main Street

Richmond, VA 23219 (804) 786-2071

Washington 1125 Washington Street S.E.

Post Office Box 40100

Olympia, WA 98504-0100 (360) 753-6200

West Virginia State Capitol, Building 1, Rm. E26

1900 Kanawha Boulevard East

Charleston, WV 25305-0220 (304) 558-2021

Wisconsin Post Office Box 7857

Madison, WI 53707-7857

114 E. State Capitol

Madison, WI 53702 (608) 266-1221

Wyoming 123 Capitol Building

Cheyenne, WY 82002 (307) 777-7841

Bureau of Vital Statistics Bureaus of Vital Statistics have birth certificates on file and are an

excellent source of information about people. Birth certificates can

provide a child’s name, sex, date of birth, and address of place of birth; the

names of the attending physician, midwife, and/or other assistants; the

parents’ names, ages, addresses, race, places of birth, and occupations; the

mother’s maiden name; and the number of siblings. (In some states, birth

certificates may be found at the local level, such as at the health

department.)

Department of Motor

Vehicles

State Departments of Motor Vehicles maintain information on driver’s

licenses, vehicle registrations, titles, automobile transfers and sales, car

dealers, car salespersons, emission inspection facilities, and—in some

states—auto repair businesses. Of those states requiring that photographs

of licensed drivers appear on their licenses, most maintain the

photographs. Many states are changing to digital photographs.

Regulatory Agencies Departments and agencies that regulate individual and business activities

within a particular state can be valuable sources of information.

Individuals obtain licenses for activities such as driving, hunting, and

fishing and for such professions as medical, legal, and public accounting.

Businesses are also often required to obtain licenses and permits to

operate and file periodic reports such as for worker’s and unemployment

Page 15 GAO/OSI-97-2 Investigators’ Guide to Sources of Information
Chapter 1 

Local and State Governments

compensation, sales tax, and state income tax. The following state

regulatory departments and agencies maintain information valuable to

investigators:

• Bureau of Professional and Vocational Standards or Department of

Licensing;

• Controller/Treasurer;

• Department of Agriculture;

• Department of Industrial Relations;

• Department of Natural Resources;

• Gambling Commission/Horse Racing Board;

• Secretary of State;

• Department of Corrections;

• Liquor Commission;

• Lottery Commission;

• Securities Commission; and

• Utility Commission.

Page 16 GAO/OSI-97-2 Investigators’ Guide to Sources of Information
Chapter 2 

Federal Agencies

Cabinet-Level

Departments and

Associated Agencies

Department of Agriculture

(USDA)

Various USDA agencies maintain information on

• meat or poultry companies;

• feedlot owners or operators, livestock brokers, and meat packers or

canners; rural electric or telephone cooperatives;

• logging (tree harvesting) companies that remove timber from national

forests;

• certain improvements to farmland;

• the import or export of agricultural commodities, animals, or plants; and

• current or former USDA employees.

Some USDA agencies maintain—or have access to—financial records at the

state and local levels concerning

• contracts with the agency;

• recipients of various benefits, such as food stamps;

• retail grocery stores authorized to accept food stamps; and

• free or reduced-price school lunch meals.

Other USDA agencies maintain data on applicants/recipients of agriculture

loans, such as

• loan applications and financial statements,

• bank account particulars,

• crop yields and business profits,

• applications for and indemnities paid by federal crop insurance, and

• plats of property and location of other assets.

In addition, USDA has information—including certain financial

data—concerning the ownership, management, and operation of farms

and ranches that participate in various USDA programs.

Department of Commerce The Department of Commerce has information on international trade,

social and economic statistics, patents, trademarks, ocean studies,

domestic economic development, and minority businesses.

Page 17 GAO/OSI-97-2 Investigators’ Guide to Sources of Information
Chapter 2 

Federal Agencies

Department of Defense

(DOD)

To obtain information concerning military pay, dependents, allotments,

deposits, and other financial information, contact Defense Joint Military

Pay System; Director, Military Pay Directorate, Room 404; Defense

Finance and Accounting Service -Headquarters; Crystal Mall #3; 1931

Jefferson Davis Highway; Arlington, VA 22202 or at (703) 607-1373.

Records—that survived a July 1973 fire—concerning the personnel and

medical histories of former military personnel are located at the Military

Personnel Records Center; General Services Administration; 9700 Page

Boulevard; St. Louis, MO 63132-5100. To obtain such information, contact

the Army at (314) 538-4122; the Air Force at (314) 538-4218; and the Navy,

Marine Corps, and Coast Guard at (314) 538-4200. Records destroyed in

the fire may be reconstructed. If you wish to have a record reconstructed,

call (314) 538-4144.

For information on DOD investigations, see the discussion on the Defense

Central and Investigations Index in chapter 4.

Department of Energy

Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission (FERC)

Electric utility and natural gas companies are required to file annual

reports with FERC. The reports provide excellent financial pictures of the

companies as well as other information, e.g., names of officers, directors,

and stockholders who own more than 10 percent of the company. FERC

also maintains license and permit information concerning companies

within its regulatory control.

Department of Health and

Human Services (HHS)

Food and Drug Administration

(FDA)

FDA is an enforcement agency of HHS. FDA investigators in the field conduct

investigations of drug firms under the jurisdiction of the FDA.

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Chapter 2 

Federal Agencies

Department of Justice

(DOJ)

Drug Enforcement

Administration (DEA)

DEA maintains information on individuals and businesses licensed to

handle narcotics obtained under the Controlled Substances Act and

persons in violation of federal drug laws and regulations.

DEA administers the El Paso Intelligence Center and the Narcotics and

Dangerous Drugs Information System, both of which are discussed in

chapter 4.

Federal Bureau of Investigation

(FBI)

FBI can provide information on criminal records and fingerprints, as well

as nonrestricted information pertaining to criminal offenses and

subversive activities. It also can provide information about foreign

fugitives and wanted, missing, and unidentified persons.

FBI administers the National Crime Information Center which maintains

information on a variety of subjects, such as stolen vehicles, license plates,

and guns. See chapter 4 for more information on the Center.

FBI also maintains the following indexes:

• State Criminal History Records,

• Criminal History Records of Federal Offenders,

• National Stolen Property Index (stolen government property), and

• National Fraudulent Check Index.

See also the entries on the Fingerprint Identification Records System and

the Interstate Identification Index in chapter 4.

Immigration and Naturalization

Service (INS)

INS retains the following information: alien registration records in effect

since August 27, 1940 (from July 1, 1920, to August 27, 1940, immigrants

were given identification cards); lists of passengers and crew on vessels

from foreign ports; passenger manifests and declarations (ship, date, and

point of entry); naturalization records (names of witnesses to

naturalization proceedings and acquaintances of the individual); records of

deportation proceedings; and financial statements of aliens and persons

sponsoring their entry.

See chapter 4 for information on INS’ Central Index System, Law

Enforcement Support Center, National Alien Information Lookout System,

and Nonimmigrant Information System.

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Federal Agencies

U.S. Marshals Service

(USMS)

USMS maintains (1) information on individuals wanted as fugitives by the

federal government and (2) records on the seizing, managing, and selling

of assets forfeited by drug traffickers and other criminals.

U.S. National Central

Bureau for the

International Criminal

Police Organization

(USNCB-INTERPOL)

USNCB represents the United States in INTERPOL, operating continuously to

provide international support for U.S. law enforcement. USNCB provides an

essential communications link between the U.S. police community and its

counterparts in over 176 foreign member countries. USNCB, therefore, can

request information regarding ownership, previous investigations, vessels

possibly involved in narcotics trafficking, cultural property and art work

that might have been stolen, and any other information legally releasable

from any of the INTERPOL member countries around the world. The degree

of information available is determined by the laws of the countries from

which the information is requested. USNCB can place an INTERPOL

international lookout for persons who have committed an extraditable

offense in the United States and are believed to have fled to another

country.

Seventeen federal and state law enforcement agencies are part of USNCB,

and all 50 states have established INTERPOL liaison offices. The following

agencies are part of USNCB: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms;

Criminal Division, DOJ; Environmental Protection Agency; Office of the

Inspector General, USDA; Diplomatic Security Service, Department of State;

DEA; FBI; Federal Law Enforcement Training Center; Massachusetts State

Police; INS; Internal Revenue Service; Naval Criminal Investigative Service;

Office of the Comptroller of the Currency; U.S. Customs Service; USMS; U.S.

Postal Inspection Service; and U.S. Secret Service. For information about

the liaison offices, contact USNCB at (202) 616-1051 or 1-800-743-5630.

See chapter 4 for information on the INTERPOL Case Tracking System.

Department of Labor The Department of Labor has information about the Federal Employees

Compensation Act, Job Partnership Training Act, Occupational Safety

Health Act, and Mine Safety Health Act. The Department conducts

programs under these acts and retains substantial data on businesses that

participate in special work programs with the agency.

Labor organizations must submit to the Department annual financial

reports, which include statements of assets and liabilities and statements

of receipts and disbursements. They must also complete supporting

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schedules: loans receivable; other investments; other assets; other

liabilities; fixed assets; loans payable; sales of investment and fixed assets;

disbursement to officers; disbursement to employees; purchases of

investment and fixed assets; benefits; and contributions, gifts, and grants.

The Department’s Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration conducts

inquiries into irregularities and complaints on transgressions of pension

law.

The Department’s Employment Standards Administration, Wage Hour

Division (WHD) works to achieve compliance with labor standards through

enforcement, administrative, and educational programs to protect U.S.

workers. WHD enforces federal minimum wage, overtime pay,

recordkeeping, and child labor requirements of the Fair Labor Standards

Act. It also enforces the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker

Protection Act, the Employee Polygraph Protection Act, the Family and

Medical Leave Act, wage garnishment provisions of the Consumer Credit

Protection Act, “whistleblower” provisions of several environmental

impact laws, and a number of employment standards and worker

protections as provided in several immigration related statutes.

Additionally, WHD administers and enforces the prevailing wage

requirements of the Davis Bacon Act, the Service Contract Act, and other

statutes applicable to federal contracts for construction and for the

provision of goods and services.

The Division of Labor Racketeering (DLR) is a component of the

Department’s Office of Inspector General. DLR maintains information about

labor unions, benefit plans, and related investigations. DLR’s mission is to

aggressively identify and reduce labor racketeering and corruption in

employee benefit plans, labor-management relations, and internal union

affairs. Major emphasis is placed on investigations involving benefit plans.

Primary violations investigated by DLR include

• payoffs from management to labor officials (Taft-Hartley Act violations);

• embezzlement or misapplication of a union’s general funds or assets;

• Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations statute violations;

• false reports on Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA)

required documents (ERISA is a comprehensive codification of federal law

pertaining to employee benefit plans);

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• use of violence to deprive union members of their rights—including the

right to nominate and vote for candidates, attend membership meetings,

participate in benefit plans, and examine books and records;

• embezzlement from an employee benefit plan, including the participation

of ineligible people and payment of charges for services not provided;

• illegal payment (kickbacks) to influence the operations of an employee

benefit plan by, for example, providing the administrator of the plan

payment in exchange for fund business; and

• extortion—obstruction of interstate commerce by threat or violence.

Department of State The Department of State maintains information on passport records and

import and export licenses. The Department’s Bureau of Diplomatic

Security has information on previous investigations conducted by that

office.

See chapter 4 for information on the Consular Lookout and Support

System.

Department of

Transportation

Federal Aviation

Administration (FAA)

FAA maintains records reflecting the chain of ownership of all civil aircraft

in the United States. These records include documents relative to the

manufacture, sale, transfer, inspection, and modification of an aircraft,

e.g., bill of sale, sales contract, mortgage, and liens.

FAA also maintains records on pilots, aircraft mechanics, flight engineers,

and other individuals that it certifies for flight safety positions. These

records include information on certificates held by airmen and the medical

and law enforcement histories of airmen.

The FAA Compliance Enforcement Program will provide a microfiche

listing of registrants and their aircraft tail numbers (N number). This

Office can provide the registration history of a given aircraft using the

aircraft tail number, serial number, or registrant’s name. It can also

provide airworthiness information and lien and previous owner data.

U.S. Coast Guard The Coast Guard is the primary federal agency with maritime authority for

the United States. It is a complex organization of people, ships, aircraft,

boats, and shore stations that responds to tasks in several mission and

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program areas, including interdiction of drug smugglers and illegal

immigrants.

The U.S. Coast Guard maintains the following information:

• records on documented U.S. vessels,

• names of merchant mariners on U.S. vessels and investigative records

pertaining to them,

• records relating to maritime drug smuggling, and

• records on criminal investigations.

See chapter 4 for information on the Joint Maritime Information Element,

which the Coast Guard manages.

Federal Highway

Administration (FHWA)

FHWA, Office of Motor Carriers, licenses, regulates, inspects, and registers

all motor carriers operating in interstate commerce. It keeps records of its

inspections of motor carriers and a history of violations of each carrier.

Department of the

Treasury

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco

and Firearms (ATF)

ATF retains (1) data on distilleries, wineries, breweries, manufacturers of

tobacco products, wholesale and retail dealers of alcoholic beverages, and

certain other manufacturers, dealers, and users of alcohol;

(2) investigative reports on alleged violations under its jurisdiction;

(3) data on federally licensed firearms manufacturers, importers, and

dealers; and (4) data on federally licensed explosive manufacturers,

importers, and dealers.

ATF can trace firearms that have a serial number and that were

manufactured or imported—from the manufacturer or importer—to the

retailer after 1968. It can trace explosives materials from the manufacturer

to the distributor and/or user. ATF also maintains records on federal

firearms and explosive license holders, including manufacturers,

importers, and dealers.

See chapter 4 for information on ATF’s National Tracing Center.

Bureau of Engraving and

Printing

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing can assist law enforcement with

tracking currency from its printing offices to federal reserve banks. The

Bureau maintains computer files on all currency research that is done at

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the request of law enforcement agencies. If a match is made, e.g., by serial

numbers, the Bureau will notify the law enforcement agency of the match.

Currency search requests should be sent to the Office of Security,

Investigative Branch; Bureau of Engraving and Printing; Room 510-A; 301

14th Street, S.W.; Washington, D.C. 20228.

Bureau of the Public Debt The Bureau of the Public Debt maintains information on purchased and

redeemed U.S. savings bonds (registered bonds), marketable securities,

and special securities. Information maintained includes the series of bonds

involved and the surname, given name, middle name or initial, and address

of each person in whose name bonds were purchased. The following table

shows the period during which various series of bonds were sold.

Table 2.1: Sale Dates of U.S. Savings

Bond Series Government Bond Series Period Bond Offered

A March 1935 through December 1935

B January 1936 through December 1936

C January 1937 through December 1938

D January 1939 through April 1941

E May 1941 through June 1980

EE January 1980 to present (ongoing)

F May 1941 through April 1952

G May 1941 through April 1952

H June 1952 through December 1979

HH January 1980 to present (ongoing)

J May 1952 through April 1957

K May 1952 through April 1957

Financial Crimes Enforcement

Network (FinCEN)

FinCEN—an organization established by the Department of the

Treasury—collects, analyzes, and disseminates intelligence on financial

crimes. Its mission is to provide a governmentwide, multisource

intelligence and analytical network to support law enforcement agencies

in the detection, investigation, and prosecution of financial crimes. The

participating agencies are the ATF, DEA, FBI, Internal Revenue Service, U.S.

Customs Service, USMS, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and U.S. Secret

Service.

FinCEN uses the majority of its resources to assist agencies in their

investigations of financial aspects of the illegal narcotics trade. FinCEN then

prioritizes investigations of such nonnarcotic crimes as money laundering

offenses, Bank Secrecy Act violations, and other offenses of a financial

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nature, e.g., tax and tariff violations; corruption; treason; and bankruptcy,

financial institution, and government contract fraud. In both the narcotic

and nonnarcotic areas, FinCEN concentrates on investigations of national or

international criminal organizations.

FinCEN produces two types of products—tactical support and strategic

analysis. Its tactical support reports either (1) provide information and

leads on criminal organizations and activities that are under investigation

by law enforcement organizations or (2) proactively identify previously

undetected criminal organizations and activities so that investigations can

be initiated. These FinCEN reports will assist agencies in identifying assets

for seizure and forfeiture purposes and in supporting ongoing

investigations. During its strategic analyses, FinCEN collects, processes,

analyzes, and develops intelligence on the merging trends, patterns, and

issues related to activities such as financial crimes and money laundering.

FinCEN’s financial database has information from reports that are required

to be filed under the Bank Secrecy Act, including the Currency

Transaction Report, Report of International Transportation of Currency or

Monetary Instruments, Currency Transaction Report by Casinos, and

Reports of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts. Furthermore, FinCEN has

access to data from Internal Revenue Service Form 8300 (Reports of Cash

Payments Over $10,000 Received in a Trade or Business).

FinCEN can be contacted at (800) SOS-BUCK (767-2825) or (703) 905-3520.

Financial Management Service

(FMS)

FMS reconciles all government checks paid by the U.S. Treasury and

processes all subsequent claims of forgery and non-receipt. It maintains

photocopies of canceled U.S. government checks. However, original

checks that have been determined to be forgeries are maintained by the

U.S. Secret Service, also a Treasury bureau. When information must be

obtained for the issuing disbursing office, the investigation may be

expedited by asking that office to obtain the photocopy of the original

check. In lieu of the original check, FMS’ Check Claims Branch can provide

a certified microfilm copy of the check which is recognized and accepted

in most courts of law. FMS charges a nominal fee for providing check

copies.

Internal Revenue Service (IRS) There are two distinct law enforcement functions within the IRS: the

Criminal Investigation Division and Internal Security.

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The Criminal Investigation Division investigates allegations of violations of

the Internal Revenue Code as it relates to income tax, the Bank Secrecy

Act, and money laundering statutes. The division’s special agents possess

financial investigative abilities that enable them to solve crimes by

following the money trail. Armed with these financial investigative skills

and clearly defined statutory jurisdiction, this IRS division works closely

with federal, state, and local law enforcement organizations to solve

crimes such as public corruption, telemarketing fraud, health care fraud,

income tax evasion, and those that are narcotics-related.

IRS Internal Security inspectors work for the Chief Inspector. Their mission

is to protect the integrity of the IRS, its system, and its employees. They do

this by investigating allegations of attempts to bribe IRS employees and

allegations of employee misconduct.

Office of the Comptroller of the

Currency

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency regulates national banks

and maintains information concerning them. National bank examinations

are made to determine banks’ financial positions and to evaluate bank

assets. Bank examiners’ reports contain information about bank records,

loans, and operations.

In view of their purpose and the basis on which they are obtained, reports

of national bank examinations and related correspondence and papers are

considered confidential. Requests for these documents should include the

subject’s name and address, the information desired, the reason it is

needed, and the intended use.

U.S. Customs Service Customs retains the following data:

• names of businesses that are involved in imports and exports,

• lists/records of importers and exporters,

• lists of suspects,

• records of seized smuggled property, and

• declaration forms.

Customs’ Office of Investigations investigates alleged violations of import

and export practices. The office’s special agents participate in the

Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force.

See chapter 4 for information on the Treasury Enforcement

Communications System, which is managed by Customs.

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U.S. Secret Service The Secret Service is responsible for investigating the counterfeiting of

currency and securities; forgery and altering of government checks and

bonds; thefts and fraud relating to Treasury electronic funds transfers;

financial access, telecommunications, computer, and telemarketing fraud;

fraud concerning federally insured financial institutions; and other

criminal and noncriminal cases.

The Secret Service investigates financial systems crimes, including bank

fraud; access device fraud; telemarketing and telecommunications fraud

(cellular and hard wire); computer fraud; crimes involving automated

payment systems, teller machines, and direct deposits; forgery; alteration,

false personation, or false claims involving U.S. Treasury checks, U.S.

savings bonds, U.S. Treasury notes, bonds, and bills. The Secret Service

also investigates electronic funds transfers, including Treasury

disbursements and fraud within Treasury payment systems; fraud

involving U.S. Department of Agriculture food coupons and Authority to

Participate cards; Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation investigations;

Farm Credit Administration violations; and fraud and related activity in

connection with identification and seizure. Further, the Secret Service

coordinates the activities of the U.S. Secret Service Organized Crimes

Program and oversees money laundering investigations.

The Secret Service has concurrent jurisdiction with DOJ to investigate

fraud against any federally insured financial institution. Agents of the

Secret Service review thousands of criminal referrals submitted by

Department of the Treasury regulators.

The Secret Service maintains records pertaining to counterfeit, forgery,

and U.S. security violation cases. The Secret Service’s central files in

Washington, D.C. contain about 100,000 handwriting specimens from

known forgers. An electronic information retrieval system facilitates the

comparison of questioned handwriting with the examples on file, for

identification purposes.

As part of the 1995 Crime Bill, Congress mandated the Secret Service to

provide forensic/technical assistance—to federal, state, and local law

enforcement agencies, the Morgan P. Hardiman Task Force, and the

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children—in matters involving

missing and sexually exploited children. Much of the forensic assistance is

used in the United States by the Secret Service’s Forensic Services

Division. The forensic technology allows the document examiner to scan

and digitize text and writings, and later search that material against

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previously recorded writings. As a result, Secret Service created a national

handwriting repository for comparison purposes for handwritten letters in

these types of cases.

The Forensic Services Division also operates a hybrid Automated

Fingerprint Identification System, the largest of its kind, which is

composed of remote latent fingerprint terminals providing connection to

fingerprint databases with access to more than 25 million fingerprints.

Division staff can search latent fingerprints, developed in cases involving

missing and sexually exploited children, through this system for

identification purposes.

Other services offered by this program are polygraph consultation or

assistance; photographic, graphic, age progression/regression; and voice

and image enhancement technology.

Department of Veterans

Affairs (VA)

VA retains records of loans, tuition payments, insurance payments, and

nonrestricted medical data related to disability pensions. These records

are available at regional offices in several specific large metropolitan areas

throughout the country. The data, including photocopies, may be obtained

by writing or visiting the appropriate regional office.

All requests should include a statement covering the need and intended

use of the information. The statement should clearly identify the veteran

and, if available, include the veteran’s VA claim number, date of birth,

branch of service, and enlistment and discharge dates.

Financial Institutions

and Related Federal

Administrations and

Corporations

Banks The relationship between banks and their customers is confidential and

privileged. Generally, information from banks may be obtained only by

subpoena. The release of information may be subject to the Right to

Financial Privacy Act (12 U.S.C. 3401-3422).

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The following types of records and information are available from banks.

• Central master files of customers (depositors, debtors, and safe-deposit

box holders) are maintained by the bank. The bank usually requires the

customer’s consent, a search warrant, or a court order before an

authorized bank official can open a safe-deposit box. A record of entry to a

safe-deposit box can be obtained by subpoena.

• Bank account applications can provide handwriting samples and certain

personal information about the customer, depending on the type of

account. Bank account records reflect date of deposit, amounts of

currency and checks, and dates and amounts of withdrawals.

• When currency in excess of $10,000 is deposited in a bank account, the

customer is required to complete a Department of the Treasury Form 4789,

Currency Transaction Report (CTR). The CTR specifies the depositor’s

name, address, social security number, and birthdate, and records the total

amount of the transaction and various other information. The bank is to

retain CTRs and forward copies to the Department of the Treasury.

Export-Import Bank of the

United States (Ex-Im

Bank)

Ex-Im Bank is an independent U.S. government agency that helps finance

the overseas sales of U.S. goods and services. Its mission is to create jobs

through exports. It provides guarantees of working capital loans for U.S.

exporters and it guarantees the repayment of loans or makes loans to

foreign purchasers of U.S. goods and services. Ex-Im Bank maintains

information about U.S exporters and foreign buyers who are in good

standing or who have defaulted on payments.

Farm Credit

Administration

The Farm Credit Administration is the independent federal regulator

responsible for examining and ensuring the safety and soundness of all

Farm Credit System institutions. The agency is funded by the lending

institutions it regulates. The Farm Credit System is a nationwide financial

cooperative that lends to agriculture and rural America, providing more

than $60 billion in loans to some 500,000 borrowers, including farmers,

ranchers, rural homeowners, agricultural cooperatives, rural utility

systems, and agribusinesses.

Federal Deposit Insurance

Corporation (FDIC)

FDIC is a federally chartered corporation with two major functions: (1) to

determine the safety and soundness of financial institutions and (2) to

solve the problems created by insolvent institutions and recover funds

through the management and ultimate sale of the institutions’ assets. FDIC

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maintains information on FDIC-regulated banks and failed FDIC-insured

banks, including their ownership and officers, the identities of loan

borrowers, and previous investigations. In addition, FDIC is the successor

organization and custodian of records for the former Resolution Trust

Corporation, a similarly chartered corporation that liquidated the assets of

failed savings institutions from August 1989 until December 31, 1995.

FDIC-insured banks and FDIC savings associations are examined periodically

by FDIC examiners. Each examination includes an appraisal of

management, directors, officers, and staff. The reports of examination

contain an alphabetical list of all directors, officers, and principal

employees. The examiner also comments on the capabilities of each

individual, gives his/her approximate age, and cites other business

affiliations. Additionally, the examiner completes a form on each

individual, setting forth his/her estimated net worth, par value of stock

owned, and salary.

Inquiries regarding types of records available to the public (including

records available under the Freedom of Information Act) should be

directed to the appropriate FDIC regional office or to the Office of the

Executive Secretary, which can be contacted at (202) 898-3687.

Federal Reserve System The Federal Reserve System is a valuable source of information on banks

and bank holding companies. The Federal Reserve has supervisory

responsibility over domestic and international operations of all member

banks, Edge Act and agreement corporations, U.S.-bank holding

companies, and over many of the U.S. activities of foreign banking

organizations. The Federal Reserve conducts joint examinations with state

agencies or alternates annual examinations with those agencies and

cooperates with the states in other areas to reduce duplication and overlap

in the examination and supervision of state-chartered banks.

The examination of a depository institution generally entails (1) an

appraisal of the soundness of the institution’s assets; (2) an evaluation of

internal operations, policies, and management; (3) an analysis of key

financial factors such as capital, earnings, liquidity, and interest rate

sensitivity; (4) a review for compliance with all banking laws and

regulations; and (5) an overall determination of the institution’s solvency.

In addition to these examinations for the general safety and soundness of

state member banks and bank holding companies, the Federal Reserve

conducts special examinations of state member banks in certain areas

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such as consumer affairs; activities of trust departments, stock transfer

agents, and municipal securities dealers; and electronic data processing.

The Federal Reserve also is the primary supervisor for bank holding

companies.

In addition to quarterly reports on condition (which are available to the

public), banks and bank holding companies examination reports may be

requested for official agency use under the Federal Reserve Board of

Governor’s rules regarding availability of information.

National Credit Union

Administration (NCUA)

NCUA regulates, insures, and supervises all federal credit unions, as well as

state-chartered credit unions that apply for its insurance. NCUA has two

reporting requirements: federally insured credit unions with more than

$50 million in assets must file quarterly reports and those with assets

totalling less than $50 million must file semiannually.

Independent Agencies

and Government

Corporations

Commodity Futures

Trading Commission

(CFTC)

CFTC maintains the following information:

• registration information concerning firms and individuals,

• administrative and injunctive actions filed by CFTC against firms and

individuals,

• financial reports filed by CFTC registrants, and

• consumer complaints filed against CFTC registrants.

The National Futures Association, a self-regulatory organization

authorized by the Commodity Exchange Act, operates under the

supervision of the CFTC and is a one-stop information source for

registration and disciplinary information regarding firms and individuals in

the futures industry. This information includes registration status and

employment history; disciplinary actions filed by the association, the CFTC,

and the commodity exchanges; and customer complaints filed under the

CFTC’s reparations program. The association’s information center can be

contacted at (800) 621-3570 or, in Illinois, at (312) 781-1410.

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Federal Communications

Commission (FCC)

FCC regulates interstate and international communications by radio,

television, wire, satellite, and cable. It investigates and studies all phases

of communication problems and the best methods of obtaining the

cooperation and coordination of radio and wire communication systems,

including those relative to police, fire, and forestry.

The FCC staff is organized, by function, into six operating bureaus: Mass

Media, Cable Services, Common Carrier, Compliance and Information,

Wireless Telecommunications, and International. The various bureaus

maintain data on licensees and users of communication frequencies that

include the licensing of radio/telephone circuits and their assigned

frequencies for operations.

Federal Maritime

Commission

The Federal Maritime Commission investigates applicants for licenses to

engage in oceangoing freight-forwarding activities. Applicants provide

information to the Commission covering many aspects of their history,

including the names and residences of all corporate officers and directors,

names of partnership members or individual proprietors, names of direct

holders of five percent or more of company stock, names of stockholders

with beneficial interest in shipments moving in U.S. foreign export

commerce, and employment history of license applicants.

General Services

Administration (GSA)

GSA has considerable information on architects, engineers, personal

property auctioneers, real estate appraisers, construction contractors,

sales brokers, and businesses that contract with GSA. GSA also maintains a

computerized List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and

Nonprocurement Programs.

See chapter 4 for discussions on the List and the Federal Procurement

Data Center.

National Aeronautics and

Space Administration

(NASA)

Over 85 percent of NASA’s multibillion dollar budget goes to NASA’s

contractors. Procurement files maintained by its procurement office

contain information about individual firms and their employees.

NASA requires that contractors submit with the proposals their

qualifications and resumes of the personnel who will be directly assigned

to the project. The resumes should include each person’s educational

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background, work experience, length of service with the firm, and work

projects.

National Archives and

Records Administration

The National Archives and Records Administration operates federal

records centers throughout the country, including the National Personnel

Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri, and the Office of the Federal

Register in Washington, D.C. It also operates regional archives and the

presidential libraries.

The Federal Register is the medium for notifying the public of official

agency actions; all federal regulations must be published in it. The Office

of the Federal Register provides a periodic workshop on the use of the

Federal Register as an information source. A handbook on the uses of the

Federal Register is also available. For information, call (202) 523-5240.

National Railroad

Passenger Corporation

(Amtrak)

Amtrak maintains information on passengers’ reservation histories,

method of payment, and dates of travel; the railroad industry; railroad

contractors, subcontractors, and vendors; and train routes and schedules.

Amtrak police have access to records of all Amtrak employees. To contact

Amtrak police regarding the Amtrak National Communications Center or

investigation and police report records, call 1-800-331-0008.

Nuclear Regulatory

Commission (NRC)

NRC regulates commercial nuclear power reactors; nonpower research

reactors; fuel-cycle facilities; medical, academic, and industrial uses of

nuclear materials; and the transport, storage, and disposal of nuclear

materials and waste. NRC also maintains applications and licenses of

persons and companies that export nuclear material and equipment from

the United States.

Securities and Exchange

Commission (SEC)

SEC maintains public records of corporations with stock and securities

sold to the public. These records include the following:

• financial statements,

• identification of officers and directors,

• identification of owners of more than 10 percent of a corporation’s stock,

• a description of the registrant’s properties and businesses,

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• a description of the significant provisions of the security to be offered for

sale and its relationship to the registrant’s other capital securities,

• identification of events of interest to investors,

• identification of accountants and attorneys, and

• a history of the business.

SEC maintains files on individuals and firms that have been reported to it as

having violated federal or state securities laws. The information contained

in these files pertains to official actions taken against such persons and

firms, including denials, refusals, suspensions, and revocations of

registrations; injunctions, fraud orders, stop orders, and cease and desist

orders; and arrests, indictments, convictions, sentences, and other official

actions.

The Securities and Exchange Commission Summary lists the changes in

beneficial ownership by officers, directors, and principal stockholders of

securities listed and registered on a national securities exchange or those

relating to public utility companies and certain closed-end investment

companies.

Copies of the documents maintained by SEC are available at its regional or

branch offices in the following cities: Atlanta, Georgia; Miami, Florida;

Boston, Massachusetts; Chicago, Illinois; Cleveland, Ohio; Detroit,

Michigan; St. Louis, Missouri; Denver, Colorado; Salt Lake City, Utah; Fort

Worth, Texas; Los Angeles, California; San Francisco, California; New

York, New York; Seattle, Washington; Washington, D.C.; and Philadelphia,

Pennsylvania.

Corporate filings include the following:

• Annual Report of Publicly Traded Company (Form 10-K)—excerpts or

complete report via DIALOG or LEXIS databases, both of which are

discussed in chapter 4;

• Quarterly Report of Publicly Traded Company (Form 10-Q)—same as

Form 10-K;

• Special Events in Re Publicly Traded Company (Form 8-K)—transactions

resulting in change of controlling interest;

• Registration of Security (Form 8-A)—prospectus, data relative to the

issuer;

• Registration of Security by the Successor to (Form 8-B)—name of issuer,

relationship to primary registrant/issuer;

Page 34 GAO/OSI-97-2 Investigators’ Guide to Sources of Information
Chapter 2 

Federal Agencies

• Special Events in Re Foreign Security (Form 6-K)—information similar to

Forms 10-K and 8-K, except the security is registered under other U.S. law;

and

• Report of Acquisition of Beneficial Ownership of 5% or More of Capital

Stock of Public Company (Form 13-D)—identity of each person or firm

acquiring beneficial ownership of 5 percent or more of capital stock or

constituting a group that acquires such beneficial ownership; description

of security; agreements or other undertakings by reporting entity; whether

acquisition results in change of control; background on each person

reporting; and sources of funds for acquisition, purpose of acquisition, and

relationship of parties.

See chapter 4 for information on SEC’s Securities Information Center.

Small Business

Administration (SBA)

SBA guarantees loans made by commercial lenders to eligible small

businesses; makes loans to businesses and individuals following

federally-declared disasters; and licenses investment companies to provide

venture capital to eligible small businesses. SBA also (1) connects small

firms owned by socially and economically disadvantaged Americans with

contracts set aside by other federal agencies and (2) seeks to increase

federal contract opportunities for small businesses in general.

SBA-guaranteed loans are made by private-sector lenders, with SBA

promising to reimburse a specified percentage of any amount lost by the

lender. By law, the amount of SBA’s guaranty under its most popular and

least restricted lending program is limited to $750,000 and the loan

maturity to 25 years.

SBA may be the best source of financial and other information about the

small businesses (and their principals) to which it provides assistance;

many of them are exempt from public disclosure laws because of their

smallness. Records on businesses and individuals that have received SBA

assistance are maintained by the division that administers the program

involved. The local SBA district office maintains most records. Contact the

local office of SBA’s Office of Inspector General, Investigations Division,

for assistance in obtaining records and other information.

Social Security

Administration (SSA)

SSA retains original applications for social security numbers. Applications

list an applicant’s name (maiden and married names for a female),

birthdate, birthplace, sex, race, parents’ names, and address at time of

application.

Page 35 GAO/OSI-97-2 Investigators’ Guide to Sources of Information
Chapter 2 

Federal Agencies

The first three digits of a social security number indicate its assigned area

of issuance. The following table lists the states and their assigned social

security numbers. (Note that some states and Puerto Rico have more than

one series of numbers.)

Page 36 GAO/OSI-97-2 Investigators’ Guide to Sources of Information
Chapter 2 

Federal Agencies

Table 2.2: Designated Geographic Areas for Social Security Number Issuance

Number(s)a Areab Number(s)a Areab

001-003 New Hampshire 425-428, 587, 588c Mississippi

004-007 Maine 429-432, 676-679c Arkansas

008-009 Vermont 433-439, 659-665c Louisiana

010-034 Massachusetts 440-448 Oklahoma

035-039 Rhode Island 449-467, 627-645 Texas

040-049 Connecticut 468-477 Minnesota

050-134 New York 478-485 Iowa

135-158 New Jersey 486-500 Missouri

159-211 Pennsylvania 501-502 North Dakota

212-220 Maryland 503-504 South Dakota

221-222 Delaware 505-508 Nebraska

223-231, 691-699c Virginia 509-515 Kansas

232 - 236 West Virginia 516-517 Montana

232, 237-246 North Carolina 518-519 Idaho

247-251, 654-658c South Carolina 520 Wyoming

252-260, 667-675c Georgia 521-524, 650-653 Colorado

261-267, 589-595 Florida 525, 585, 648-649 New Mexico

268-302 Ohio 526-527 Arizona

303-317 Indiana 525-529, 646-647 Utah

318-361 Illinois 530, 680c Nevada

362-386 Michigan 531-539 Washington

387-399 Wisconsin 540-544 Oregon

400-407 Kentucky 545-573, 602-626 California

408-415, 756-763c Tennessee 574 Alaska

416-424 Alabama 575-576, 750-751c Hawaii

577-579 District of Columbia 586 American Samoa

580 Virgin Islands 586 Northern Mariana Islands

580-584, 596-599 Puerto Rico 586, 617 Philippine Islands

586 Guam 700-728d Railroad Board

aAny number beginning with 000 will never be a valid social security number.

bWhen an area is shown more than once, it means that either (1) certain numbers have been

transferred from one state to another or (2) an area has been divided for use among certain

geographic locations.

cNew areas allocated, but not yet issued.

dIssuance of these numbers to railroad employees was discontinued July 1, 1963.

Page 37 GAO/OSI-97-2 Investigators’ Guide to Sources of Information
Chapter 2 

Federal Agencies

U.S. Postal Service and

U.S. Postal Inspection

Service

The U.S. Postal Service maintains the names and addresses of post office

box holders and change of address information. It can verify that an

individual is receiving mail at a particular address.

Requests for photocopies of postal money orders may be made through

the local office of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Information

concerning the mailing addresses, telephone numbers, and fax numbers of

U.S. Postal Inspection Service offices nationwide is available on the U.S.

Postal Inspection Service home page on the World Wide Web.

Information concerning missing U.S. and Canadian money order forms,

counterfeit Canadian money order forms, and Invalid Express Mail

Accounts can be found on the U.S. Postal Service home page on the World

Wide Web.

The Postal Inspection Service, through the Judicial Officer, is empowered

under 39 U.S.C. 3005 to issue false presentation orders and cease and

desist orders in cases where the mail is being used to obtain money from

the public by means of false and fraudulent statements. The orders

(1) require mail to be returned to the sender, (2) forbid payment of postal

money orders connected to the scheme, (3) require the return of money to

those who purchased the money orders, and (4) require that cited schemes

cease.

Postal regulations require commercial mail-receiving agencies to complete

a PS Form 1583, Application for Delivery of Mail Through an Agent. The

data from that form, which includes personal identification information

and references for a specific individual, can be made available to federal,

state, and local law enforcement agencies. The mailing addresses,

telephone numbers, and fax numbers of Postal Inspection Service offices

nationwide are available on the World Wide Web.

Legislative Branch

Agencies

U.S. General Accounting

Office (GAO)

GAO’s World Wide Web home page provides access to recent GAO audit

products and Comptroller General decisions, as well as information on

how to order paper copies of both recent and older GAO products. In

addition, GAO audit products from fiscal year 1995 forward and recent

Page 38 GAO/OSI-97-2 Investigators’ Guide to Sources of Information
Chapter 2 

Federal Agencies

decisions are available in electronic form at the Government Printing

Office’s Internet site. GAO products, including those not available on the

Internet, may also be ordered by calling (202) 512-6000 or TDD

(301) 413-0006.

Government Printing

Office (GPO)

GPO produces and procures printed and electronic publications for the

Congress and federal departments and establishments. It prepares

catalogs and distributes and sells government publications in printed and

electronic formats. Electronic databases prepared for printing are

premastered for CD-ROM replication and are used to provide on-line

access.

GPO sells—through mail orders and government

bookstores—approximately 20,000 different printed and electronic

publications that originate in various government agencies. Orders and

inquiries concerning publications and subscriptions for sale should be

mailed to Superintendent of Documents, GPO, Washington, D.C. 20402 or

called in to (202) 512-1800. GPO also administers the depository library

program through which selected government publications are made

available, free of charge, in approximately 1,400 libraries throughout the

country.

The GPO Access service provides on-line access to key publications of the

federal government, including the Congressional Record and the Federal

Register, through the Internet. For information about this service, contact

the GPO Access support team at (202) 512-1530.

Judicial Branch

Federal Courts The federal court system has three basic levels: the Supreme Court of the

United States, the U.S. Courts of Appeals (by circuits), and the U.S.

District Courts.

The U.S. District Court has exclusive jurisdiction in bankruptcy, maritime

and admiralty, patents, copyright penalties, fines under federal law, and

proceedings against consuls and vice consuls of foreign states. In addition,

it has jurisdiction when the United States or a national bank is a party and

Page 39 GAO/OSI-97-2 Investigators’ Guide to Sources of Information
Chapter 2 

Federal Agencies

when the law specifically states that the U.S. District Court has original

jurisdiction.

In addition, some special courts, such as the following, handle specific

matters.

• The U.S. Tax Court adjudicates controversies involving assessment and

payment of various taxes.

• The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces is an appellate criminal

court that serves as the final tribunal to review court-martial convictions

of all the Armed Forces.

• In the federal bankruptcy courts, bankruptcy judges preside over all cases

under Title 11, United States Code, in addition to other bankruptcy matters

referred by the district court.

The table below lists federal courts throughout the United States and their

postal addresses.

Table 2.3: Directory of U.S. Courts

Location Postal Address

COURTS OF APPEAL

Federal Circuit

(United States)

Washington, D.C. 20439

District of Columbia Circuit

(District of Columbia)

Washington, D.C. 20001

First Circuit

(Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island,

and Puerto Rico)

Boston, MA 02109

Second Circuit

(Connecticut, New York, and Vermont)

New York, NY 10007

Third Circuit

(Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and the Virgin

Islands)

Philadelphia, PA 19106

Fourth Circuit

(Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and

West Virginia)

Richmond, VA 23219

Fifth Circuit

(Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas)

New Orleans, LA 70130

Sixth Circuit

(Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee)

Cincinnati, OH 45202

Seventh Circuit

(Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin)

Chicago, IL 60604

Eighth Circuit

(Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North

Dakota, and South Dakota)

St. Louis, MO 63101

(continued)

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Chapter 2 

Federal Agencies

Location Postal Address

Ninth Circuit

(Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana,

Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Guam, and the Northern

Mariana Islands)

San Francisco, CA 94102

Tenth Circuit

(Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah, and

Wyoming)

Denver, CO 80294

Eleventh Circuit

(Alabama, Florida, and Georgia)

Atlanta, GA 30303

DISTRICT COURTS

Alabama

Northern District

Middle District

Southern District

Birmingham, AL 35203

Montgomery, AL 36101

Mobile, AL 36602

Alaska Anchorage, AK 99513

Arizona Phoenix, AZ 85025

Arkansas

Eastern District

Western District

Little Rock, AR 72203

Fort Smith, AR 72902

California

Northern District

Eastern District

Central District

Southern District

San Francisco, CA 94102

Sacramento, CA 95814

Los Angeles, CA 90012

San Diego, CA 92101

Colorado Denver, CO 80294

Connecticut New Haven, CT 06510

Delaware Wilmington, DE 19801

District of Columbia Washington, DC 20001

Florida

Northern District

Middle District

Southern District

Tallahassee, FL 32301

Jacksonville, FL 32201

Miami, FL 33128

Georgia

Northern District

Middle District

Southern District

Atlanta, GA 30303

Macon, GA 31202

Savannah, GA 31412

Guam Agana, GU 96910

Hawaii Honolulu, HI 96850

Idaho Boise, ID 83724

Illinois

Northern District

Southern District

Central District

Chicago, IL 60604

East St. Louis, IL 62202

Springfield, IL 62701

Indiana

Northern District

Southern District

South Bend, IN 46601

Indianapolis, IN 46204

(continued)

Page 41 GAO/OSI-97-2 Investigators’ Guide to Sources of Information
Chapter 2 

Federal Agencies

Location Postal Address

Iowa

Northern District

Southern District

Cedar Rapids, IA 52401

Des Moines, IA 50309

Kansas Wichita, KS 67202

Kentucky

Eastern District

Western District

Lexington, KY 40596

Louisville, KY 40202

Louisiana

Eastern District

Middle District

Western District

New Orleans, LA 70130

Baton Rouge, LA 70802

Shreveport, LA 71101

Maine Portland, ME 04101

Maryland Baltimore, MD 21201

Massachusetts Boston, MA 02109

Michigan

Eastern District

Western District

Detroit, MI 48226

Grand Rapids, MI 49503

Minnesota St. Paul, MN 55101

Mississippi

Northern District

Southern District

Oxford, MS 38655

Jackson, MS 39201

Missouri

Eastern District

Western District

St. Louis, MO 63101

Kansas City, MO 64106

Montana Billings, MT 59101

Nebraska Omaha, NE 68101

Nevada Las Vegas, NV 89101

New Hampshire Concord, NH 03301

New Jersey Newark, NJ 07102

New Mexico Albuquerque, NM 87103

New York

Northern District

Eastern District

Southern District

Western District

Syracuse, NY 13261

Brooklyn, NY 11201

New York, NY 10007

Buffalo, NY 14202

North Carolina

Eastern District

Middle District

Western District

Raleigh, NC 27611

Greensboro, NC 27402

Asheville, NC 28801

North Dakota Bismarck, ND 58502

Northern Mariana Islands Saipan, N. Mar. I. 96950

Ohio

Northern District

Southern District

Cleveland, OH 44114

Columbus, OH 43215

(continued)

Page 42 GAO/OSI-97-2 Investigators’ Guide to Sources of Information
Chapter 2 

Federal Agencies

Location Postal Address

Oklahoma

Northern District

Eastern District

Western District

Tulsa, OK 74103

Muskogee, OK 74402

Oklahoma City, OK 73102

Oregon Portland, OR 97205

Pennsylvania

Eastern District

Middle District

Western District

Philadelphia, PA 19106

Scranton, PA 18501

Pittsburgh, PA 15230

Puerto Rico Hato Rey, PR 00918

Rhode Island Providence, RI 02903

South Carolina Columbia, SC 29201

South Dakota Sioux Falls, SD 57102

Tennessee

Eastern District

Middle District

Western District

Knoxville, TN 37901

Nashville, TN 37203

Memphis, TN 38103

Texas

Northern District

Southern District

Eastern District

Western District

Dallas, TX 75242

Houston, TX 77208

Tyler, TX 75702

San Antonio, TX 78206

Utah Salt Lake City, UT 84101

Vermont Burlington, VT 05402

Virgin Islands St. Thomas, VI 00801

Virginia

Eastern District

Western District

Alexandria, VA 22320

Roanoke, VA 24006

Washington

Eastern District

Western District

Spokane, WA 99210

Seattle, WA 98104

West Virginia

Northern District

Southern District

Elkins, WV 26241

Charleston, WV 25329

Wisconsin

Eastern District

Western District

Milwaukee, WI 53202

Madison, WI 53701

Wyoming Cheyenne, WY 82001

Inspectors General The Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended, created offices of

Inspector General at federal agencies. Also, some legislative branch

agencies, such as GAO, have established offices of inspector general. Their

mission is to increase the economy and efficiency of agency programs and

decrease fraud, waste, and abuse in federal departments, agencies, and

Page 43 GAO/OSI-97-2 Investigators’ Guide to Sources of Information
Chapter 2 

Federal Agencies

designated entities. Offices of inspector general are sources of information

about businesses and related individuals they have investigated or audited.

Most offices of inspector general maintain centralized index and case file

systems. IGnet, hosted by SBA, provides centralized Internet access to

information about the federal inspectors general and links to related

Internet sites. The following table lists inspectors general and provides

their addresses, telephone/fax numbers, and hotline numbers.

Page 44 GAO/OSI-97-2 Investigators’ Guide to Sources of Information
Chapter 2 

Federal Agencies

Table 2.4: Federal Inspectors General

Federal Entity/Mailing Addressa Telephone Number Fax Number Hotline Number(s)

Agency for International Development

320 21st Street, N.W., Room 5756NS

Washington, D.C. 20523

(202) 647-7844

(202) 647-5948

(800) 230-6539

(703) 875-4999

Agriculture, Department of

1400 Independence Avenue, S.W.

Room 117-W

Washington, D.C. 20250-2301 (202) 720-8001 (202) 690-1278

(800) 424-9121

(202) 690-1622

Hearing Impaired 

(202) 690-1202

Amtrak

400 North Capitol Street, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20001-1511 (202) 906-4600 (202) 906-4564 (800) 468-5469

Appalachian Regional Commission

1666 Connecticut Avenue, N.W.

Room 215

Washington, D.C. 20235 (202) 884-7675 (202) 884-7691

(800) 532-4611

(202) 884-7667

Central Intelligence Agency

Washington, D.C. 20505 (703) 874-2553 (703) 734-9649 None

Commerce, Department of

Room 7898C

14th & Constitution Avenue, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20230-0002 (202) 482-4661 (202) 482-0567

(800) 424-5197

(202) 482-2497

Hearing Impaired

(800) 854-8407

Commodity Futures Trading Commission

3 Lafayette Centre

1155 21st St., N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20581 (202) 418-5110 (202) 418-5522 (202) 418-5510

Consumer Product Safety Commission

4330 East West Highway

Bethesda, MD 20814-4408 (301) 504-0573 (301) 504-0107 (301) 504-0573

Corporation for National Service

1201 New York Avenue, N.W.

Suite 8100 

Washington, D.C. 20525

(202) 606-5000

ext. 445 (202) 565-2795 (800) 452-8210

Corporation for Public Broadcasting

901 E Street, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20004-2037 (202) 879-9669 (202) 737-2902

(800) 599-2170

(202) 783-5408

Defense, Department of

400 Army Navy Drive

Arlington, VA 22202-2884 (703) 604-8300 (703) 604-8310 (800) 424-9098

Education, Department of

600 Independence Avenue, S.W.

Washington, D.C. 20202-1510 (202) 205-5439 (202) 260-3821

(800) 647-8733

(202) 205-5770

Energy, Department of

1000 Independence Avenue, S.W.

Washington, D.C. 20585 (202) 586-4393 (202) 586-0948

(800) 541-1625

(202) 586-4073

Environmental Protection Agency

401 M Street, S.W.

Washington, D.C. 20460 (202) 260-3137 (202) 260-0711

(202) 260-4977

(continued)

Page 45 GAO/OSI-97-2 Investigators’ Guide to Sources of Information
Chapter 2 

Federal Agencies

Federal Entity/Mailing Addressa Telephone Number Fax Number Hotline Number(s)

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

1801 L Street, N.W., Room 3001

Washington, D.C. 20507 (202) 663-4379 (202) 663-7204

(800) 849-4230

(202) 663-7020

Farm Credit Administration

1501 Farm Credit Drive

McLean, VA 22102-5090 (703) 883-4030 (703) 883-4059

(800) 437-7322

(703) 883-4316

Federal Communications Commission

1919 M Street, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20554 (202) 418-0470 (202) 418-2811

(888) 863-2244

(202) 418-0473

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

801 17th Street, N.W., Room 1096

Washington, D.C. 20434-0001 (202) 416-2026 (202) 416-2906 (800) 964-3342

Federal Election Commission

999 E Street, N.W., Room 940

Washington, D.C. 20463-0001 (202) 219-4267 (202) 501-8134 (202) 219-4267

Federal Emergency Management Agency

500 C Street, S.W., Room 825

Washington, D.C. 20472-0001 (202) 646-3910 (202) 646-3298 (800) 323-8603

Federal Housing Finance Board

1777 F Street, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20006-5210 (202) 408-2544 (202) 408-2972

(800) 276-8329

(202) 408-2900

Federal Labor Relations Authority

607 14th Street, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20424-0001 (202) 482-6570 (202) 482-6573

(800) 331-3572

(202) 482-6570

Federal Maritime Commission

800 North Capitol Street, N.W.

Room 1072

Washington, D.C. 20573-0001 (202) 523-5863 (202) 566-0043 (202) 523-5865

Federal Reserve Board

20th and Constitution Avenue, N.W.

Mail Stop 300

Washington, D.C. 20551-0001 (202) 973-5001 (202) 973-5044

(800) 827-3340

(202) 452-6400

Federal Trade Commission

601 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.

Room H-494

Washington, D.C. 20580 (202) 326-2800 (202) 326-2034 (202) 326-2800

General Accounting Office

441 G Street, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20548 (202) 512-5748 (202) 512-2539

(202) 512-7470

(800) 424-5454

General Services Administration

18th and F Streets, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20405 (202) 501-0450 (202) 208-7607

(800) 424-5210

(202) 501-1780

Government Printing Office

Building 3, Room C551

732 North Capitol Street, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20401 (202) 512-0039 (202) 512-1352 (800) 743-7574

(continued)

Page 46 GAO/OSI-97-2 Investigators’ Guide to Sources of Information
Chapter 2 

Federal Agencies

Federal Entity/Mailing Addressa Telephone Number Fax Number Hotline Number(s)

Health and Human Services, Department of

330 Independence Avenue, S.W.

Room 5250

Washington, D.C. 20201 (202) 619-3148 (202) 619-0521 (800) HHS-TIPS

Housing and Urban Development, Department of

451 7th Street, S.W.

Washington, D.C. 20410-4500 (202) 708-0430 (202) 401-2505

(800) 347-3735

(202) 708-4200

Interior, Department of the

1849 C Street, N.W.

Mail Stop 5341

Washington, D.C. 20240 (202) 208-5745 (202) 219-3856

(800) 424-5081

TDD

(800) 354-0996

(202) 208-5300

International Trade Commission, U.S.

500 E Street, S.W., Room 515

Washington, D.C. 20436 (202) 205-2210 (202) 205-1859 (202) 205-2217

Justice, Department of

950 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.

Room 4706

Washington, D.C. 20530 (202) 514-3435 (202) 514-4001 (800) 869-4499

Labor, Department of

200 Constitution Avenue, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20210 (202) 219-7296 (202) 219-5130

(800) 347-3756

(202) 219-5227

Legal Services Corporation

750 First Street, N.E., 10th Floor

Washington, D.C. 20002-4250 (202) 336-8830 (202) 336-8955

(800) 678-8868

(202) 336-8936

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

300 E Street, S.W., Room 8V69

Washington, D.C. 20546 (202) 358-1220 (202) 358-2767 (800) 424-9183

National Archives and Records Administration

8601 Adelphi Road, Room 1300

College Park, MD 20740-6001 (301) 713-7300 (301) 713-7320

(800) 786-2551

(301) 713-6667

National Credit Union Administration

1775 Duke Street

Alexandria, VA 22314-3428 (703) 518-6350 (703) 518-6349

(703) 518-6357

(800) 778-4806

National Endowment for the Arts

1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.

Room 528

Washington, D.C. 20506 (202) 682-5402 (202) 682-5649 None

National Endowment for the Humanities

1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.

Room 419

Washington, D.C. 20506 (202) 606-8350 (202) 606-8329 (202) 606-8423

National Labor Relations Board

1099 14th Street, N.W., Room 9820

Washington, D.C. 20570 (202) 273-1960 (202) 273-2344 (800) 736-2983

National Science Foundation

4201 Wilson Boulevard, Room 1135

Arlington, VA 22230-0002 (703) 306-2100 (703) 306-0649 (703) 306-2004

(continued)

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Chapter 2 

Federal Agencies

Federal Entity/Mailing Addressa Telephone Number Fax Number Hotline Number(s)

Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Mail Stop T5D28

Washington, D.C. 20555-0002 (301) 415-5930 (301) 415-5091 (800) 233-3497

Office of Personnel Management

1900 E Street, N.W., Room 6400

Washington, D.C. 20415-0001

(202) 606-1200 (202) 606-2153

(202) 606-2423

Health insurance

fraud -

(202) 418-3300

Panama Canal Commission (in Panama)

Unit 2300

APO AA 34011-2300

(800) 622-2625 ext.

272-3142 None

(800) 622-2625 ext.

272-7801

Pan. 272-7801

Peace Corps

1990 K Street, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20526 (202) 606-3320 (202) 606-2459 (800) 233-5874

Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation

1200 K Street, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20005 (202) 326-4030 (202) 326-4033 (800) 303-9737

Postal Service, U.S.

475 L’Enfant Plaza, Room 2016

Washington, D.C. 20260-0020

(202) 268-5600

(202) 268-5623 (202) 268-6686

Railroad Retirement Board

844 North Rush Street, Room 450

Chicago, Illinois 60611-2092 (312) 751-4690 (312) 751-4342

(800) 772-4258

(312) 751-4336

Securities and Exchange Commission

450 5th Street, N.W. (11-7)

Washington, D.C. 20549 (202) 942-4460 (202) 942-9653 None

Small Business Administration

409 3rd Street, S.W., Room 7150

Washington, D.C. 20416-0005 (202) 205-6586 (202) 205-7382

(800) 767-0385

(202) 205-7151

Smithsonian Institution

955 L’Enfant Plaza, S.W., Room 7600

Mail Stop 905

Washington, D.C. 20560-0001 (202) 287-3326 (202) 287-3017 (202) 287-3676

Social Security Administration

6401 Security Boulevard, Suite 300

Altmeyer Building

Baltimore, MD 21235 (410) 966-8337 (410) 966-9201

(800) 269-0271

SSA employee

(800) 772-1213

SSA program

State, Department of

Room 6817

2201 C Street, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20520-0001 (202) 647-9450 (202) 647-7660

(202) 647-3320

Tennessee Valley Authority

400 West Summit Hill Drive

Knoxville, TN 37902-1499 (423) 632-4120 (423) 632-4130 (800) 323-3835

Transportation, Department of

400 7th Street, S.W., Room 9210

Washington, D.C. 20590 (202) 366-1959 (202) 366-3912

(800) 424-9071

(202) 366-1461

(continued)

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Federal Agencies

Federal Entity/Mailing Addressa Telephone Number Fax Number Hotline Number(s)

Treasury, Department of the

1500 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.

Main Treasury Building

Room 2418

Washington, D.C. 20220-0002 (202) 622-1090 (202) 622-2073 (800) 359-3898

Veterans Affairs, Department of

810 Vermont Avenue, N.W. 

Washington, D.C. 20420-0001 (202) 565-7702 (202) 565-7630

(800) 488-8244

(202) 565-8644

aFederal Inspectors General may also be reached via the Internet on IGnet

(http://www.sbaonline.sba.gov/ignet/internal/iglist.html).

The following table provides web addresses for federal agencies, most of

which are discussed in this chapter.

Table 2.5: Federal Agency Internet Addresses

Federal Agency Internet Address

Cabinet-Level Departments and

 Associated Agencies

Department of Agriculture http://www.usda.gov

Department of Commerce http://www.doc.gov

Department of Defense http://www.dtic.dla.mil/defenselink

Department of Education http://www.ed.gov

Department of Energy

Federal Energy Regulatory

 Commission

http://www.fedworld.gov/ferc/ferc.html

Department of Health and Human

 Services

Food and Drug Administration

http://www.os.dhhs.gov

http://www.fda.gov

Department of Housing and Urban

Development

http://www.hud.gov

Department of the Interior http://www.doi.gov

Department of Justice

Drug Enforcement Administration

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Immigration Naturalization

 Service

United States Marshals Service

http://justice2.usdoj.gov

http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/deahome.htm

http://www.fbi.gov

http://www.usdoj.gov/ins/245.htm/#257

http://www.gopher.usdoj.gov/bureaus/usm.html

Department of Labor http://www.dol.gov

Department of State http://www.state.gov

Department of Transportation

Federal Aviation Administration

U.S. Coast Guard

http://www.dot.gov

http://www.faa.gov

http://www.dot.gov/dotinfo/uscg

(continued)

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Federal Agencies

Federal Agency Internet Address

Department of the Treasury

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and

 Firearms

Bureau of Engraving and Printing

Bureau of Public Debt

Federal Law Enforcement

Training Center

Financial Crimes Enforcement

 Network

Financial Management Service

Internal Revenue Service

Office of the Comptroller of the

 Currency

Office of Thrift Supervision

U.S. Customs Service

U.S. Mint

Treasurer of the United States

U.S. Secret Service

http://www.ustreas.gov

http://www.ustreas.gov/bureaus

http://www.ustreas.gov/bureaus

http://www.ustreas.gov/bureaus

http://www.ustreas.gov/bureaus

http://www.ustreas.gov/bureaus

http://www.ustreas.gov/bureaus

http://www.ustreas.gov/bureaus

http://www.ustreas.gov/bureaus

http://www.ustreas.gov/bureaus

http://www.ustreas.gov/bureaus

http://www.ustreas.gov/bureaus

http://www.ustreas.gov/bureaus

http://www.ustreas.gov/bureaus

Veterans Affairs http://www.va.gov

Banks and Related Federal

 Administrations and Corporations

Export-Import Bank http://www.exim.gov

Federal Deposit Insurance

 Corporation

http://www.fdic.gov

Federal Reserve System http://www.bog.frb.fed.us

National Credit Union

 Administration

http://www.ncua.gov

Independent Establishments and

 Government Corporations

Commodity Futures Trading

 Commission

http://www.cftc.gov/cftc

Federal Communications

 Commission

http://www.fcc.gov

General Services Administration http://www.gsa.gov

National Aeronautics and Space

 Administration

http://www.nasa.gov

National Archives and Records

 Administration

http://www.nara.gov

Amtrak http://www.amtrak.com

Nuclear Regulatory Commission http://www.nrc.gov

Securities and Exchange

 Commission

http://www.sec.gov

Small Business Administration http://www.sba.gov

Social Security Administration http://www.ssa.gov

U.S. Postal Service

U.S. Postal Inspection Service

http://www.usps.gov

http://www.usps.gov/websites/depart/inspect/

jurisdic.htm

(continued)

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Federal Agencies

Federal Agency Internet Address

Legislative Branch Agencies

General Accounting Office http://www.gao.gov

Government Printing Office http://www.gpo.gov

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Directories, Reference Works, and Other

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Directory About

Directories

Directories in Print This annual publication thoroughly describes and indexes about 15,000

directories of all kinds, including business and industrial directories,

professional and scientific rosters, state and city directories, and foreign

and international directories. Arrangement is by broad subject category,

and indexing is by subject, title/keyword, and alternative (electronic)

format. A mid-year supplement adds approximately 700 titles per year.

Directories in Print is available electronically through a commercial

database.

Directories Focusing

on Businesses

America’s Corporate

Families

Volumes 1 and 2 of this 3-volume annual Dun & Bradstreet directory list

approximately 11,000 parent companies and over 79,000 subsidiary

companies and divisions owned by the parent companies. Parent

companies must have at least two locations, 250 employees, and one

subsidiary to be included in volumes 1 and 2 of the directory. Volume 3 is

the international companion to volumes 1 and 2 and lists approximately

7,100 parent companies and 34,000 subsidiaries in the United States and

overseas. A company must have at least one U.S. company and one

subsidiary elsewhere to be listed in volume 3. Parent company entries are

alphabetically arranged and indexes of parent companies and subsidiaries

are listed by name, location, and industrial code.

Best Insurance Reports The annual editions of the Best Insurance Reports (Life-Health and

Property-Casualty) present detailed information on the financial position,

investments, earnings, operating results, management, history, and group

affiliation of 4,950 U.S. and 1,100 international insurance companies. This

material is the basis for Best’s credit rating of each company. Weekly

updates in Best Week Insurance News and Analysis cover individual

corporate rating changes, general insurance news stories, financial

reports, executive announcements, and Washington and international

events. Best’s Rating Monitor charts rating changes on a similar schedule.

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Directory of Companies

Filing Annual Reports With

the Securities and

Exchange Commission

Under the Securities

Exchange Act of 1934

Published by GPO, this directory lists over 14,000 companies that sell stock

on the national exchanges or over the counter and that file annual reports

with SEC. Entries are arranged alphabetically by name and numerically by

standard industrial classification code. This directory distinguishes

between public and private parent companies.

Directory of Corporate

Affiliations—Who Owns

Whom

This 3-volume annual directory provides information on almost 150,000

public and private parent, subsidiary, and associate companies in the

United States and overseas. Entries are arranged first by the parent’s

location, and then hierarchically by the company’s organization. Criteria

for inclusion is revenue in excess of $10 million or a work force in excess

of 300 for U.S. companies, and revenue in excess of $50 million for

non-U.S. firms. A 2-volume master index provides access by company

name, brand name, location, personnel, and standard industrial

classification code.

Dun & Bradstreet’s Million

Dollar Directory

This 3-volume annual Dun & Bradstreet directory contains information on

over 20,000 public and 140,000 private utilities, transportation companies,

banks, trust companies, mutual and stock insurance companies,

wholesalers, and retailers. The type of information available includes

annual sales, corporate officers, locations, phone numbers, type of

business, and number of employees. To be included in the directory, a

company must be a headquarters or a single location and have 250 or more

employees, $25 million or more in sales, or a net worth of $500,000 or

more. Company names are arranged alphabetically. A 2-volume index is

arranged by location and standard industrial classification code.

Financial Yellow Book This directory lists over 41,000 top executives at leading financial

institutions from chief executives to subject-area officers and over 8,500

board members and their affiliations. The directory has five indexes—on

company, parent organization, geographical location, financial services

rendered, and individual name.

Foreign Representatives in

the U.S. Yellow Book

This directory has sections on foreign corporations, foreign-based

financial institutions, foreign governments (embassies and consulates),

intergovernmental organizations, non-U.S. media, and personnel who

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represent foreign corporations and government in the United States. It

includes officials’ titles, addresses, and telephone and fax numbers.

Moody’s International

Manual

This manual contains background and financial information on over 3,000

foreign firms. It is arranged by country and gives economic and political

information and statistics for each geographical area. It provides statistical

information regarding foreign stock exchanges, consumer price indexes,

money market rates, imports, and exports.

Moody’s Investors Services Moody’s broad business sector manuals cover companies whose stock is

traded in the New York and American stock exchanges, regional American

stock exchanges, and in over-the-counter transactions. Each entry

contains history and background; data on acquisitions, mergers, and

subsidiaries; business and product descriptions; names and titles of

officers and directors; number of stockholders and employees; location of

plants and properties; the headquarters phone number and address; and

financial statements. Separate annual volumes with weekly supplements

cover industries, transportation, utilities, and banking. Another series

supplies detailed data on corporate and government bond sales and

ratings.

Predicasts Funk and Scott

Index, United States

Issued weekly and cumulated monthly, quarterly, and annually, this

directory indexes articles on products, companies, and industries that

appear in most business periodicals and newspapers. Funk and Scott also

publishes the quarterly Index of Corporate Change, which lists recent

business activities such as mergers and acquisitions. The indexes are

available on CD-ROM.

Standard & Poor’s

Corporation Records

Originally provided to Standard & Poor subscribers, this directory is now

available on CD-ROM. The records cover over 12,000 publicly traded

companies and 34,000 subsidiaries, affiliates, and privately held firms.

Coverage consists of a company’s brief history, financial statements,

capital structure, lines of business, subsidiaries, and officers and directors.

Information on 70,000 executives is also available.

Standard & Poor’s Register

of Corporations, Directors

and Executives

This 3-volume annual directory lists about 56,000 public and private

companies and the names and titles of over 400,000 officials. Company

information—similar to that provided by the Dun & Bradstreet and Moody

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directories—includes financial data, standard industrial classification code

products and services, and number of employees. Indexing is by standard

industrial classification code, geographical area, and

subsidiaries/divisions/affiliates. The set is updated in April, July, and

October.

Directories Focusing

on Individuals

American Medical

Directory2

 Published by the American Medical Association, this source contains

listings for the presidents and secretaries of all county medical

associations. The directory also has listings of doctors—by state and city,

year of birth, medical school and year of graduation, year of license,

residence and office addresses, specialties, and membership in associated

medical organizations. A name index of all doctors is provided.

Congressional Directory This directory is prepared by the Joint Committee on Printing and is the

official directory of the Congress. It presents short bibliographies of each

Member of the Senate and the House—listed by states and districts,

respectively—and includes additional data such as his/her committee

memberships, terms of service, administrative assistant and/or secretary,

and room and telephone numbers. The Congressional Directory also lists

officials of the courts; the military establishments; and other federal

departments and agencies, including the District of Columbia government,

governors of states and territories, foreign diplomats, and members of the

press, radio, and television galleries. The directory is available both in

paper format and on-line. The database is updated irregularly as changes

are provided by the Joint Committee on Printing.

Congressional Staff

Directory

One of a series of directories produced by the Congressional Quarterly,

this directory has an extensive section on congressional staff biographies.

2

In addition to the directories focusing on individuals that are listed in this section, several other

directories cited in this chapter—under other sections—contain information about individuals. These

other directories are the Associations Yellow Book; Directory of Corporate Affiliations—Who Owns

Whom; Dun & Bradstreet’s Million Dollar Directory; Law Firms Yellow Book; Martindale-Hubbell Law

Directory; Moody’s Bank and Finance Manual; National Directory of Law Enforcement Administrators,

Prosecutors, Correctional Institutions, and Related Agencies; National Trade and Professional

Associations in the United States; Standard & Poor’s Corporation Records; Standard & Poor’s Register

of Corporations, Directors and Executives; and Thomson Bank Directory.

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Two lists—one of large-city mayors and the other of state governors—are

also helpful, as are two indexes—key word/subject and

individual/personal name. This source is updated every 4 months.

Congressional Yellow

Book

This source has extensive lists of office staff for and party posts of each

member of the Congress. Additionally, it is updated quarterly and has a

three-part index by staff, organization, and subject. It also contains

biographical information.

Corporate Yellow Book This is a directory of the people who manage, direct, and shape the largest

public and privately held companies in the United States. It enables

subscribers to access corporate leaders, including board members who

are taking increased responsibility for corporate decisionmaking. The

directory features (1) over 1,000 leading corporations and over 7,500

subsidiaries and divisions; (2) names and titles of over 45,000 executives,

including more than 10,000 corporate board members and their outside

affiliations; (3) over 18,700 direct-dial telephone numbers of executives;

(4) business descriptions and annual revenues; (5) addresses, telephone

and fax numbers, and Internet addresses of corporate headquarters and

domestic and foreign subsidiaries and divisions; and (6) Washington, D.C.,

government affairs offices, with addresses and telephone and fax

numbers.

Defense Organization

Service

From Carroll Publishing Company, this service provides coverage

exclusively for the DOD. Detailed charts describe the organization and list

the staff of the Office of the Secretary, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the unified

commands, and the individual services. Indexes reference locations,

acronyms, key words, personal names, and program elements. This source

is updated monthly.

Federal Organization

Service

This loose-leaf chart produced by Carroll Publishing Company provides

names, addresses, and telephone numbers for staff members in the White

House, executive departments, independent agencies, quasi-governmental

organizations, and congressional support offices. It has name and key

word indexes and it is updated monthly. Due to its high cost and

time-consuming maintenance, it is mostly available at selected federal

government libraries.

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Federal Regional Yellow

Book

This yellow book describes federal regional offices located outside

Washington, D.C. It contains over 3,000 regional directors and over 29,000

administrative staff of federal departments and agencies. It also has

information on administrators and professional staff at federal

laboratories, research centers, military installations, and service

academies.

Federal Staff Directory Another Congressional Quarterly tool, this item is similar to the Federal

Yellow Book. One of its strong points is its “Quasi-Official, International

and Non-Government Organizations” section that describes the mission

and lists the staff of almost 50 such organizations. In addition, it contains

over 2,600 biographies of key executives and senior staff as well as entries

for U.S. ambassadors to other countries and other countries’ ambassadors

to the United States. It is indexed by key word/subject and

individual/personal name. It is updated semiannually.

Federal Yellow Book This quarterly publication provides detailed listings of the names,

locations, and telephone numbers of more than 40,000 staff members in

the White House, the executive departments, and the independent

agencies. Like its congressional counterpart, it has subject, organization,

and staff indexes. Over 4,000 fax numbers and e-mail addresses are also

included.

Government Affairs Yellow

Book

This yellow book lists over 18,000 government affairs professionals who

lobby at both the state and federal levels. It details the issues the lobbyists

contest as well as the coalitions they form to advance their legislative

agenda. Five indexes are included—on organization, subject, current

legislative issues, geographical location, and individual name. Biographical

data is included on each professional.

Judicial Yellow Book This directory provides detailed biographical information for state and

federal judges and gives information on each judge’s staff, including law

clerks. It features more than 2,000 judges in the federal court system and

more than 1,200 state judges of the highest appellate courts.

Municipal Yellow Book This directory provides information on over 30,000 elected and appointed

officials in U.S. cities, counties, and authorities, including name, address,

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and telephone and fax numbers. It contains sections on cities and

counties, which feature complex hierarchies of municipal officials. This

directory also has listings for local departments, agencies, subdivisions,

and branches.

State Yellow Book This directory provides information on who’s who in the executive and

legislative branches of the 50 state governments, as well as American

Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. It has both a subject

and personnel index and includes information on government officials,

departments, agencies, and legislative committees. Informational profiles

of all states and territories are also provided.

Who’s Who Series This biennial series of international, U.S., regional, and professional

biographical sources contains information submitted by the individual at

the request of the publisher. Who’s Who in America contains entries for

over 100,000 nationally prominent individuals, and the regional and

professional volumes cover many thousands more people who are

renowned in a locality or an occupation. Each entry includes information

about an individual’s family, schooling, profession, writings, and awards

and about offices held by the individual. Indexing is by location,

profession, who retired, and who died. Non-U.S.-wide titles, while

following the same format as U.S. entries, do not have indexes.

Directories of

Associations

Associations Yellow Book This is a directory of major trade and professional associations.

Semiannual editions of the Associations Yellow Book provide current

information on chief staff executive turnovers, changes in staff and

governing boards, mergers, and name changes. It features (1) over 45,000

officers, executives, and staff, with titles, affiliations, education, and

telephone and fax numbers, at more than 1,175 associations with budgets

over $1 million; (2) addresses and e-mail addresses and telephone and fax

numbers of headquarters and branches, and Internet addresses for

headquarters; (3) boards of directors, with outside affiliations;

(4) committees and chairmen, Washington representatives, political action

committees, and foundations; (5) publications, including editors; and

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(6) annual budget, tax status, number of employees, and number of

members.

Encyclopedia of

Associations

This 4-volume annual directory describes more than 22,000 nonprofit

associations in the United States and some foreign countries. Each entry

includes the organization’s name, address, telephone and fax numbers,

purpose, recurring publications, and computer services. A 2-volume set

covering more than 15,000 international organizations is also available.

Since the books are alphabetically arranged by subject, keyword, and

name, it is important to use the name, keyword, geographical, or executive

index. These resources are also available as a commercial computer

database file or on CD-ROM.

National Trade and

Professional Associations

in the United States

This annual directory lists about 7,500 active U.S. national trade and

professional associations, labor unions, scientific societies, and technical

organizations. Alphabetically arranged entries contain the name, location,

telephone and fax numbers, executives’ names, history, recurring

publication titles, budget amount, membership count, and annual meeting

times. The directory has subject, geographical, budget, executive,

acronym, and management firm indexes.

Directories of Banks

and Financial

Institutions

Moody’s Bank and Finance

Manual

This 4-volume annual manual covers the field of finance represented by

banks (including trust companies and savings and loan associations),

federal government financial agencies, insurance companies, investment

companies, unit investment trusts, and miscellaneous financial

enterprises. Information is also given on real estate companies and real

estate investment trusts. Material for the manual (history, subsidiaries,

officers, directors, financials, policies, and property) comes from the

institutions themselves, the stock exchanges, or SEC filings.

Moody’s News Reports These reports are weekly supplements to the annually published Moody’s

manuals which provide information on more than 30,000 publicly traded

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companies worldwide, and 20,000 municipal and government entities.

There are currently eight manuals and corresponding News Reports,

grouped according to size of company, exchanges traded on, and nature of

business. The objective of News Reports is to inform customers of

announcements that may affect companies’ financial condition, stability,

and growth by providing reports on their financial, structural, operational,

legal, capital, and market activities.

Thomson Bank Directory

(replaces the Rand

McNally Bankers

Directory)

This semiannual directory in 4 volumes is a guide to all U.S. and non-U.S.

banks. Entries include the name, address, and telephone number of the

bank; type of charter; funds processor; automated clearinghouse; holding

company; asset rank; financial figures; balance sheets; officers and

directors; branches; subsidiaries; and foreign offices.

Law Firm and Law

Enforcement

Directories

Law Firms Yellow Book This directory has information on 715 of the largest corporate law firms in

the United States. It focuses on the 4,500 administrators and 10,000

attorneys in these firms, and it is indexed by specialties, law schools,

management/administrative personnel, geography, and personnel. It is

updated semiannually.

Martindale-Hubbell Law

Directory

This 19-volume annual directory contains over 900,000 entries consisting

of profiles of law firms, corporate law departments, state bar associations,

and law schools; biographies of lawyers in private and corporate practice;

and descriptions of legal service, supplier, and consultant firms in the

United States and Canada. Indexing is by individual, firm, specialty, and

geographic area. The 4-volume International Law Directory, which is part

of the 19-volume work, has similar entries and indexes for non-U.S. and

non-Canadian firms and individuals. It includes law digests for 140

countries and is available electronically on CD-ROM and LEXIS.

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National Directory of Law

Enforcement

Administrators,

Prosecutors, Correctional

Institutions, and Related

Agencies

This annual source lists the following information: names, addresses,

telephone numbers, and fax numbers of city chiefs of police, county

sheriffs, district attorneys, state highway patrols, and federal law

enforcement agencies.

Lloyd’s Directories

About the Shipping

Industry

List of Shipowners This list includes over 40,000 owners, managers, and managing agents for

vessels listed in the Register of Ships. It is published annually in August

and includes postal addresses; telephone, telex, and telefax numbers; fleet

lists; and a geographical index. Subscribers receive eight cumulative

supplements with the list.

Register of International

Shipowning Groups

This register is available in 3 volumes annually (April, August, and

December). The register is indexed by ship and company name and lists

20,000 companies operating on ships of at least 1,000 gross tons or more;

ownership of 30,000 ships; registered owners, grouped by ship

management company; and subsidiaries and associate companies,

identified together with owners’ representatives.

Register of Offshore Units,

Submersibles and

Underwater Systems

This register is published annually in October. It contains sections listing

mobile drilling rigs, submersibles, underwater systems, work units (ships,

barges, and platforms) used for a variety of offshore work, owners, and

addresses of offshore support ships with their fleet lists.

Register of Ships This register is published in 3 volumes annually in July, listing details of

over 80,000 merchant ships. Cumulative monthly supplements are

provided to update the volumes.

Shipping Index This index is published every week with reports on current voyages, latest

reported movements, and essential characteristics of approximately 22,000

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merchant vessels worldwide. There are three sections in the index: (1) the

World Fleet Details section which lists 22,000 vessels engaged in

oceangoing trade and records over 40,000 changes to their ownership,

characteristics, latest positions, and casualty histories; (2) the Marketing

Briefing section which highlights major changes in the market, from

launches and name changes to demolition sales; and (3) the Buyer’s Guide

which lists products and services directly related to the world’s marine

market.

Voyage Record This record details the recent voyage history of 22,000 vessels in

commercial service by reporting movements collected continuously by

Lloyd’s agents worldwide. It is a companion to the Shipping Index, which

lists the historical movements of vessels.

Weekly List of Alterations

to the Register of Ships

This list is a noncumulative set of amendments—in alphabetical order by

ship name—to details published in the Register of Ships. Although the

amendments will appear in the monthly supplements, the Weekly List is

intended for those who need to receive updated information expeditiously.

Other Directories,

Indexes, and

Reference Works

Biological and Agricultural

Index

This monthly source, which cumulates quarterly and annually, is an

alphabetically arranged subject index to English-language periodicals.

Subjects include agricultural chemicals, agricultural economics,

agricultural engineering, agriculture and agricultural research, animal

husbandry, biochemistry, biology, biotechnology, botany, ecology,

entomology, environmental science, fishery sciences, food science,

forestry, genetics and cytology, horticulture, marine biology and

limnology, microbiology, nutrition, physiology, plant pathology, soil

science, veterinary medicine, and zoology. A separate listing of book

review citations follows the subject entries.

Gale Directory of

Databases

This directory provides detailed descriptions of over 5,900 data bases

worldwide that are available on-line. Its scope includes all types of

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databases in all subject areas. Information under each entry is organized

for rapid retrieval via computer. Producer contact information is also

included with each entry.

Gale Directory of

Publications and

Broadcast Media

(Formerly Ayer Directory

of Publications)

This 3-volume annual directory contains information on 38,000 serial

publications printed in the United States, Canada, Bermuda, and the

Philippines as well as data on radio and television stations and cable

systems. Arrangement is alphabetical by location, name, and media type.

The information given about each publication includes its address, phone

number, frequency of publication, names of editors and publishers,

advertising rate, and circulation. Material on electronic media includes

programming formats, network affiliations, operating hours, key

personnel, advertising rates, and wattage. Indexes of publishers and

subjects are included, as are maps showing sites where media originates.

Index to Legal Periodicals This source covers English-language articles from over 600 regularly

published legal periodicals, bar association reports, and judicial council

reports of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Ireland, Australia,

and New Zealand. Arrangement is alphabetical by subject and author.

Electronic access is available on the WilsonLine commercial database and

on CD-ROM.

Index Medicus This monthly classified index of the world’s biomedical literature

(including research, clinical practice, administration, policy issues, and

health care services) is produced by the National Library of Medicine. It

covers publications in all principal languages and includes periodical

articles and other analytical material as well as books, pamphlets, and

theses. The January issue includes lists of the periodicals indexed and

medical subject headings used. Quarterly and annual cumulations are

provided, and electronic access via commercial databases and CD-ROM is

also available.

News Media Yellow Book Over 31,000 reporters, writers, editors, and producers at more than 2,900

national news media organizations are listed in this yellow book. It

features 12 media categories—on newspapers, news services, and

bureaus; television, radio, and cable stations and networks; publishers;

independent journalists; and consumer, trade, and association magazines.

This directory is fully updated on a quarterly basis.

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Public Affairs Information

Service

This subject index to the articles, books, documents, microfiche,

pamphlets, and reports in the public affairs field is published monthly and

cumulated annually. Each year, it includes selective indexing to more than

1,600 periodicals and 8,000 books from around the world. It contains

factual and statistical information about political science, government,

legislation, economics, and sociology. It is also available electronically via

CD-ROMs and commercial databases.

Reader’s Guide to

Periodical Literature

This guide indexes articles by subject and author in over 225 popular

magazines. It is published semimonthly and cumulates annually. Each

entry includes the article’s author, title, and pages as well as the

periodical’s title, volume, and date. The presence of graphic material is

also noted. This tool is also available electronically on a commercial

database and on CD-ROM.

The New York Times Index This source, published semimonthly and cumulated annually, includes an

exact reference to the date, section, page, and column of The New York

Times edition in which articles will be found. It contains cross references

to names and related topics and has a brief synopsis of articles. Electronic

access to the index is available in many forms from many sources:

searchable, full-text files in the NEXIS and Dow Jones databases; a

searchable, full-text CD-ROM called The New York Times ONDISC; and a

searchable, full-text Internet site known as THE NEW YORK TIMES ON

THE WEB.

Similar resources exist for many large-city newspapers in the United

States, including the Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post.

Other Sources

Abstract and Title

Companies

Abstract and title companies generally develop an overview of the

property, examine the title for liens and other conditions, and prepare a

commitment to insure. Information contained in supporting records may

include transfer of property, locations, mortgage amounts, and releases of

mortgages.

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Directories, Reference Works, and Other

Sources

Better Business Bureaus Better Business Bureaus are independently operated by Council of Better

Business Bureaus in various localities. They (1) maintain records showing

the manner in which listed merchants or businesses operate and

(2) record and investigate complaints filed against such merchants or

businesses.

Bonding Companies An application for a bond contains the applicant’s (person or firm)

financial statement and data. This is essentially the same information as

required in loan applications but in greater detail.

Car Fax Car Fax is a private service that provides a history of automobiles. It

determines whether there is an odometer discrepancy or evidence of prior

salvage or title washing. It covers most of the United States and contains

over 45 million problem records for over 18 million vehicles.

Credit-reporting Agencies Routine credit bureau records will disclose identifying information limited

to name, address, former address, or current/former places of

employment. They may also provide information concerning the number

of persons in the family, addresses, bank accounts maintained, and record

of judgments. However, in most instances, such information can not be

used unless obtained through a grand jury subpoena. (Full-service

databases—Equifax; Trans Union; and Experian, formerly TRW—are

discussed in chapter 4.)

International Air Transport

Association

This association has information on all international matters dealing with

aviation security, including counterterrorism efforts worldwide. It also

monitors and attempts to prevent fraud against airlines, such as ticket

fraud.

International Foundation

for Art Research (IFAR)

IFAR is a non-profit organization established in 1969 to help prevent the

circulation of forged and misattributed works of art. IFAR offers an

Authentication Service to help resolve controversies concerning the

authenticity of works of art. IFAR also publishes IFARreports ten times a

year with articles on authentication research, art law, theft and recovery,

and extensive listings of recently reported stolen and missing art and

antiques. The IFAR can be contacted at (212) 391-6234.

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Sources

See chapter 4 for information on the Art Loss Register.

National Association of

Insurance Commissioners

This association is the organization of insurance regulators from the 50

states, the District of Columbia, and the 4 U.S. territories. It provides a

forum for the development of policy when uniformity is appropriate. A

state regulator’s primary responsibility is to protect the interests of

insurance consumers and the association helps regulators fulfill that

obligation.

Phonefiche The Phonefiche Community Cross-Reference Guide is divided into three

parts—U.S. directories, Canadian directories, and Puerto Rican

directories—and each part is subdivided into sections entitled Community

Index and Directory Coverage. The guide is both a compendium to

Phonefiche and an independent reference tool. It facilitates the use of

telephone directories in any format and provides search assistance for

directories included in the Phonefiche program.

The guide includes a revised listing of all United States, Canadian, and

Puerto Rican telephone books arranged in alphabetical order by state or

province.

Select Phone This six-disk CD-ROM set provides telephone numbers from millions of

residential and commercial listings across the United States. Searchable

elements include name, street, city, state, zip code, area code, telephone

number, and standard industrial classification code. Search results can be

sorted, printed, or downloaded. Currency is indicated by the month and

the year a listing appeared in a printed directory. This set is updated

quarterly.

Western Union

Corporation

Western Union (1) offers commercial financial and messaging services to

businesses as well as worldwide fund transfer services to individuals and

businesses and (2) maintains records of these transactions.

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Government

Investigative and Law

Enforcement

Databases

Canadian Interface The Canadian Interface is a semiautomated link between law enforcement

information networks of the United States and Canada. It allows the 50

states, federal agencies that are members of the National Law

Enforcement Telecommunications System, and their Canadian

counterparts to exchange police information through the National Law

Enforcement Telecommunications System, using the INTERPOL National

Central Bureaus in Washington and Ottawa as the necessary interface.

See the discussion in this chapter on the National Law Enforcement

Telecommunications System for the type of information available from the

Canadian Interface.

Central Index System (CIS) CIS is an INS system that assists in locating files that contain information on

legal immigrants, naturalized citizens, and aliens who have been formally

deported or excluded. CIS also contains information on some aliens who

have come to the attention of INS because of an investigation or an

application for benefits. Available information usually includes name,

birthdate, nationality, applicable INS files control office, date of entry, and

immigration status. The immigration status should not be considered

definitive unless confirmed by an INS officer.

Local INS offices or the El Paso Intelligence Center can provide directions

to the appropriate state coordinator. Requests may be made by providing

either a file number or name and birthdate. The El Paso Intelligence

Center is discussed further later in this chapter.

Also, see the discussion in this chapter on INS’ Law Enforcement Support

Center, the point of contact for federal, state, and local criminal justice

agencies that want to know the immigration status of a suspect alien

arrested for committing an aggravated felony.

Consular Lookout and

Support System (CLASS)

The Department of State’s CLASS consists of an automated database of

several million names including those of aliens who have been found

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ineligible for visas; those whose visa applications require a Department of

State opinion prior to issuance; and those who might be ineligible for a

visa should they apply for one. CLASS also includes the network of

telecommunication lines linking diplomatic posts to the Washington, D.C.

computer and the terminals used for CLASS access at posts abroad.

Defense Central and

Investigations Index (DCII)

DCII is the automated central repository that identifies investigations

conducted by DOD investigative agencies and personnel security

determinations made by DOD adjudicative authorities.

DCII is an unclassified system that is operated and maintained by the

Defense Investigative Service. Access is limited to DOD and other federal

agencies with adjudicative, investigative, and/or counterintelligence

missions. Information contained in the DCII is protected by the Privacy Act

of 1994.

The DCII database consists of an alphabetical index of names and titles of

individuals that appear as subjects, cosubjects, victims, or

cross-referenced incidental subjects in investigative documents

maintained by DOD criminal, counterintelligence, fraud, and personnel

security investigative activities. In addition, personnel security

determinations are maintained, by subject, in DCII.

El Paso Intelligence Center

(EPIC)

EPIC is a cooperative established to collect, process, and disseminate

intelligence information concerning illicit drug and currency movement,

alien smuggling, weapons trafficking, and related activity. Staffed by

personnel from 15 federal agencies, its primary functions are (1) to disrupt

the flow of illicit drugs at the highest trafficking level through the

exchange of time-sensitive, tactical intelligence dealing principally with

drug movement and (2) to support, through the intelligence process, other

programs of interest to EPIC’s participating agencies, such as alien

smuggling and weapons trafficking.

EPIC is mandated to support local law enforcement entities with drug

intelligence, all 50 states, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, American

Samoa, Guam, District of Columbia, U.S. Forest Service, National Marine

Fisheries, Bureau of Prisons, Amtrak, and DOD through South COM, Joint

Interagency Task Force, East and West, and Joint Task Force 6.

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The EPIC member agencies include DEA, INS, Customs, Coast Guard, ATF,

FAA, USMS, FBI, IRS, Secret Service, Department of State, Department of the

Interior, Central Intelligence Agency, Defense Intelligence Agency, and

DOD. Member agencies have direct access to all EPIC information, with

appropriate safeguards to provide for the protection and/or secure

communication of highly sensitive or classified information. State and

local law enforcement entities have access to EPIC data through a

designated group within the respective organization or through a member

agency.

EPIC can be reached 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-888-USE-EPIC

(873-3742).

Electronic Data Gathering,

Analysis, and Retrieval

(EDGAR)

EDGAR accelerates the receipt, acceptance, dissemination, and analysis of

time-sensitive corporate information filed with the SEC. It performs

automated collection, validation, indexing, acceptance, and forwarding of

submissions by companies and others who are required by law to file

forms with the SEC. Not all documents filed with the SEC by public

companies will be available on EDGAR for the following reasons: some

documents are not yet permitted to be filed electronically, some

submissions are voluntary, other documents may be filed manually, and

filings by foreign companies are not required to be filed on EDGAR. Public

filings to the SEC can be viewed on the SEC home page within 48 hours of

being filed.

Federal Procurement Data

Center (FPDC)

FPDC is a convenient source of consolidated federal buying information. It

has governmentwide procurement information beginning with fiscal year

1979. The FPDC master file contains detailed data regarding the

procurement actions of 60 federal agencies. The system can provide a

wide variety of information about federal buying. It contains 24 data

elements, including the name of the agency that awarded the contract;

contract number including order and or modification number; purchase

office and address; date of award; principal product or service; and the

name and address of the contractor. A standard report is published each

quarter which examines the data from a variety of perspectives.

Fingerprint Identification

Records System (FIRS)

Formerly titled the Identification Division Records System, the FBI’s FIRS

performs identification and criminal history record information functions

and maintains those records for (1) federal, state, local, and foreign

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criminal justice agencies, (2) noncriminal justice agencies, and (3) other

entities. It also provides identification assistance during disasters and for

other humanitarian purposes. FIRS represents (1) individuals fingerprinted

as a result of arrest or incarceration, (2) persons fingerprinted as a result

of federal employment applications or military service, (3) persons

fingerprinted for alien registration and naturalization purposes, and

(4) individuals who want their fingerprints on record with the FBI for

personal identification purposes. In addition to the criminal records of

about 24 million people in the automated file, there are approximately

10 million older records in the manual files.

INTERPOL Case Tracking

System (ICTS)

ICTS, located at USNCB in Washington, D.C., contains information about

persons, property, and organizations involved in international criminal

activity. USNCB can determine the existence of an international connection

to an investigation or of any previous international criminal activity.

Interstate Identification

Index (III)

The III system contains information on criminal records of about 24 million

people who were born in 1956 or later and have an FBI record. The system

also contains information on persons born prior to 1956 whose first arrest

was recorded with the FBI in 1974 or later, and selected older records for

certain fugitives and repeat offenders. See the discussion on the National

Crime Information Center in this chapter.

Joint Maritime Information

Element (JMIE)

JMIE—a consortium of U.S. government agencies from the law

enforcement and intelligence communities—has developed a consolidated

maritime database. Consortium members are the Office of Naval

Intelligence, Military Sealift Command, DEA, Department of State,

Executive Office of the President’s Office of National Drug Control Policy,

Customs, Central Intelligence Agency, Coast Guard, Maritime

Administration, Department of Energy, Defense Intelligence Agency, INS,

and National Security Agency.

The system includes information on maritime-related law enforcement and

national foreign intelligence data to meet members’ operational missions,

such as narcotics interdiction, smuggling, sea and defense zone

surveillance, border control, petroleum traffic monitoring, and emergency

sealift management.

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Approximately 35 operational sites allow access to data sources that

provide at-sea and in-port location information and characteristics on

commercial and private vessels and vessel registration files for Florida,

California, Delaware, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.

Law Enforcement Support

Center (LESC)

INS’ LESC—located in South Burlington, Vermont—provides information on

aliens who have been arrested. The center’s staff queries six INS databases

in responding to requests from federal, state, and local law enforcement

agencies. Direct access to the center is available from the National Law

Enforcement Telecommunications System, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Because of the sensitive nature of the information provided by LESC, it can

only be accessed by agencies authorized to request criminal record

information over the National Law Enforcement Telecommunications

System.

List of Parties Excluded

From Federal Procurement

and Nonprocurement

Programs

The List is maintained by GSA for the use of federal programs and

activities. Issued monthly, it identifies those parties excluded from

receiving (1) federal contracts or certain subcontracts and (2) certain

types of federal financial and nonfinancial assistance and benefits.

Narcotics and Dangerous

Drugs Information System

(NADDIS)

NADDIS inquiries should be limited to narcotics-related cases or files,

smugglers of funds, other contraband, and aliens. NADDIS is accessible

through EPIC and local DEA offices.

National Alien Information

Lookout System (NAILS)

NAILS is an INS index of names of individuals who may be excludable from

the United States. All names in NAILS are passed to the Treasury

Enforcement Communications System (TECS), which is discussed later in

this chapter. Therefore, a search of NAILS is not necessary if TECS has been

searched.

National Crime

Information Center (NCIC)

NCIC is a widely used law enforcement computer system. Most major law

enforcement agencies have NCIC connections.

NCIC is often compared to a large “file cabinet,” with each file having its

own label or classification. This cabinet of data contains information

concerning the following:

• stolen, missing, or recovered guns;

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• stolen articles (must have a serial number);

• wanted persons (for questioning or arrest);

• stolen/wanted vehicles (autos, aircraft, motorcycles);

• stolen license plates;

• stolen, embezzled, or missing securities, stocks, bonds, and currency;

• stolen/wanted boats;

• missing persons;

• Index to State Criminal History Records and Criminal History Records of

Federal Offenders;

• unidentified persons;

• foreign fugitives;

• ATF Violent Felon File;

• U.S. Secret Service Protection File;

• gang and terrorist organizations file;

• deported felon file;

• Originating Agency Identifier File; and

• protective order file.

The NCIC, through the Interstate Identification Index (III) system, can

provide an investigator with information on the criminal records of about

24 million people. See the discussion on III in this chapter.

National Law Enforcement

Telecommunications

System (NLETS)

NLETS is a sophisticated message-switching network that links all law

enforcement and criminal justice agencies in the United States; Puerto

Rico; and, through a computerized link, to INTERPOL Canada. Agencies

include state and local law enforcement agencies, motor vehicle and

licensing departments, and a wide variety of federal enforcement agencies.

The latter includes Customs, FBI, DOJ, Secret Service, USMS, Naval Criminal

Investigative Service, Air Force Office of Special Investigations,

Department of State, Department of the Army, and Department of the

Interior. The National Insurance Crime Bureau is also linked to NLETS.

A great deal of information is available through the network, including the

following:

• vehicle registrations by license or vehicle identification number;

• driver’s license and driver history by name and birthdate or driver’s license

number (some states support driver’s license queries by name only);

• criminal records by name and birthdate, state identification number, or FBI

number;

• boat registrations by hull number, registration number, or name;

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• snowmobile registrations by registration number, vehicle identification

number, or owner’s name and birthdate;

• hazardous material file data by UN number, which is an international

recognized code for hazardous material;

• private aircraft tracking data by registration number or date range;

• aircraft registrations by registration number, serial number, or names of

registrant;

• directory of participating agencies by originating agency identifier or

location;

• registration information on diplomatic license plates;

• index to parole/probation and corrections information; and

• sex offenders registration information.

Through an interface to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s Canadian

Police Information Centre, many files are available, including the

following:

• criminal history by name or FPS (Canadian national identification

number);

• wanted persons by name and birthdate;

• stolen vehicles by license number or vehicle identification number;

• stolen articles by serial number;

• stolen guns by serial number;

• stolen securities by serial number, corporation name, issuer, or name of

owner; and

• stolen boats/motors by license number, hull number, registration number,

or name of owner.

Users have the capability to send free-form messages to other users either

individually or via a broadcast message.

National Tracing Center

(NTC)

NTC, a branch of the Firearms Enforcement Division of ATF, provides

24-hour assistance to ATF field offices and law enforcement agencies

worldwide. Using ATF’s Firearms Tracing System, NTC systematically tracks

firearms used to commit crimes from their place of manufacture to the

place of sale.

National White Collar

Crime Center

The Center is dedicated to supporting law enforcement in the prevention,

investigation, and prosecution of economic crimes and computer-related

crimes. The Center has a database system that contains information on

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individuals and businesses suspected of economic criminal activity,

including advanced fee loan schemes, credit card fraud, computer fraud,

and securities and investment fraud. It can be contacted at (800) 221-4424

or (804) 323-3563.

Nonimmigrant Information

System (NIIS)

NIIS is an INS system that contains information on the arrivals and

departures of nonimmigrants, or aliens entering the United States for a

temporary stay. Canadians and Mexicans who visit for pleasure are not

entered into the system. NIIS also contains entry and departure data on

students, except classes Fl and Ml. Information can be queried and

retrieved by nationality, port of entry, admission class, and date of entry.

See the discussion on the Central Index System in this chapter.

Regional Information

Sharing System (RISS)

More than 4,500 local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies are

members of RISS. Comprised of 6 regional projects, RISS operates in 50

states, the District of Columbia, and Canada.

Although the following RISS projects focus on the overall objective noted

above, each project is allowed individuality in its choice of

multijurisdictional crimes to target and in its range of services by which to

support member agencies.

• Middle Atlantic-Great Lakes Organized Crime Law Enforcement Network

(MAGLOCLEN)—This project includes the states of Delaware, Indiana,

Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. It

also encompasses the District of Columbia and two provinces of Canada,

Ontario and Quebec. MAGLOCLEN focuses on organized criminal activity,

criminal gangs, and violent crime.

• Mid-States Organized Crime Information Center (MOCIC)—This project

provides services to member agencies in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota,

Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin, as well

as Canada. MOCIC focuses on narcotics trafficking, professional traveling

criminals, organized crime, criminal gangs, and violent crime.

• New England State Police Information Network (NESPIN)—Encompassing

agencies in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode

Island, and Vermont as well as Canada, NESPIN focuses on narcotics

trafficking, organized crime, major criminal activity, criminal gangs, and

violent crime.

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• Regional Organized Crime Information Center (ROCIC)—This project

includes the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky,

Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina,

Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. It also encompasses Puerto

Rico. ROCIC focuses on narcotics violators, professional traveling criminals,

organized crime, criminal gangs, and violent crime.

• Rocky Mountain Information Network (RMIN)—This project provides

services to member agencies in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana,

Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming, as well as Canada. RMIN focuses

on narcotics trafficking, associated criminal activity, criminal gangs, and

violent crime.

• Western States Information Network (WSIN)—This project provides

services to member agencies in Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and

Washington, as well as Canada. WSIN focuses on narcotics, narcotics

trafficking, and criminal organizations/associations.

Scorpio This on-line service is maintained by the Library of Congress and its

Congressional Research Service (CRS).

• The Library of Congress Computerized Catalog lists works catalogued by

the Library of Congress. In addition to being available through the Scorpio

system, the catalog, as well as other information from the Library of

Congress, is now accessible via the Internet.

• The Bibliographic Citation File contains citations to journal articles on

many aspects of public policy, as well as citations to congressional

publications, government documents, and independent studies. This file

contains material dating back to 1976.

• Congressional Bill Status Files are files that can be searched by subject

(e.g., acid rain) or by bill number to determine the status of a bill, such as

its resolution, ratification, and amendments, if any. This file can also be

searched by Committee, Subcommittee, or Member’s name. In many cases

a digest of the bill is provided; however, for electronic access to the full

text of congressional legislation, or to search the Congressional Record,

use the Internet.

Securities Information

Center

Located in Boston, Massachusetts, the Securities Information Center

operates SEC’s Lost and Stolen Securities Program. The Center maintains a

central database that receives and processes reports and inquiries about

missing and stolen securities. Established in 1977 to reduce trafficking in

lost, stolen, and counterfeit securities, the Center is used by investment

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professionals. The Center’s database currently consists of reports of lost,

stolen, and counterfeit certificates.

Sentry Sentry is a Federal Bureau of Prisons on-line database that contains

information on all federal prisoners incarcerated since 1980. The

information includes physical description, inmate profile, inmate location

or release location, numerical identifiers, personal history data, security

designation, past and present institution assignments, custody

classification, and sentencing information. To obtain information, contact

the Sacramento Intelligence Unit.

South Pacific Islands

Criminal Intelligence

Network (SPICIN)

SPICIN is a law enforcement program of the South Pacific Chiefs of Police

Organization comprising 21 member countries of American Samoa,

Australia, the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), Cook

Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia (Tahiti),

Guam, Kiribati, the Kingdom of Tonga, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New

Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua - New Guinea, Solomon

Islands, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and Western Samoa.

The primary purpose of SPICIN is to promote the gathering, recording, and

exchanging of information not otherwise available through normal

channels. Information made available concerns drug trafficking, mobile

criminals, organized/white collar crime, terrorism, the use of the Pacific

Island waters and aircraft, and other information of a criminal nature that

concerns law enforcement in the Pacific region and elsewhere.

In addition to the 21 member countries, SPICIN can provide assistance to

the national and international law enforcement communities regarding

• location of suspects/fugitives/witnesses,

• missing/wanted persons,

• criminal history checks,

• firearm checks,

• license plate checks (stolen plates),

• driver’s license checks,

• vehicle registration,

• military checks, and

• stolen vessels.

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Treasury Enforcement

Communications System

(TECS)

TECS is a Department of the Treasury system managed by Customs. It was

designed to provide controlled access to a large database of information

about suspects and to interface with a number of other law enforcement

systems. These capabilities are provided to TECS users through various

applications, including the following.

• Inspection/Interagency Border Inspection System (IBIS) applications

facilitate passenger processing through the implementation of innovative

border control technology.

• Information sharing applications permit on-line entry and maintenance of

subject records and provide access to other data sources including

NCIC/NLETS and various commercial directories. TECS’ role as the IBIS

clearinghouse strongly supports Customs’ information sharing strategy by

providing a formal mechanism for acquiring relevant enforcement data

from the IBIS member agencies. In support of interagency data exchange

agreements, TECS provides both on-line and tape interfaces for capturing

information from external data sources. TECS applications allow subject

queries and reviews of linkage relationships between subjects and other

types of records. Primary query history information is available for person

and vehicle subjects.

• Investigative applications permit on-line entry of enforcement reports

including the capture, storage, and display of full narrative text.

• Management information applications allow users to view, print, or

download previously generated reports.

Other Databases

Art Loss Register (ALR) ALR, which began operations in 1991, is a private international information

clearinghouse on stolen art and antiques that offers several services to the

art community, law enforcement, and the insurance industry. The register

contains a database of over 80,000 items reported as stolen or missing by

INTERPOL, state and local police, insurance companies, the FBI, foreign

governments, private collectors, art dealers, and museums. Prospective art

buyers may check the ALR to see whether a proposed purchase is stolen

property before buying a work of art. Also, theft victims and law

enforcement officials may register stolen works of art in the database.

Shareholders in the ALR include the IFAR, Sotheby’s, Christie’s, Phillips,

Nordstern Insurance, Aon Corporation, the Society of Fine Auctioneers,

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and the British Antique Dealers Association. ALR can be reached at

(212) 391-8791.

CDB Infotek CDB Infotek is an on-line source of public records, including more than

3 billion records collected from local, county, and state governments all

across the United States; the federal government; and various businesses.

CyberHound Online CyberHound Online provides information on databases, discussion groups,

libraries, companies, people, associations, and newspapers that have

home pages on the Internet. Each entry includes name; access paths,

including gopher, telnet, file transfer protocol, electronic mail, and web

addresses; and description of the site. CyberHound covers all subject areas

accessible via the Internet and is international in scope.

DataStar DataStar, a service of Knight-Ridder Information, Inc. provides worldwide

access to over 350 databases and focuses on business data. Information

available includes directory-type listings of companies or associations,

company financial statements, bibliographic citations, and the complete

text of journal articles. Subscribers can reach DataStar databases at its

home page or via telnet.

Deluxe ChexSystems Deluxe ChexSystems provides data on over 11 million individuals and

businesses that have had their account closed for cause by their financial

institution due to fraud or abuse. Reasons include automatic teller

machine fraud, check kiting, and writing checks on closed accounts.

Records on abused accounts are maintained for 5 years.

DIALOG DIALOG is a Knight-Ridder Information, Inc. service that provides access

to over 450 on-line databases and more than 45 CD-ROM titles. DIALOG

provides professional librarians and researchers with access to articles,

conference proceedings, news, and statistics from many subject areas,

such as scientific, technical, medical, business, trade, and academic

disciplines. It also has access to over 100 full-text newspapers worldwide

as well as thousands of magazines and journals.

Dun & Bradstreet United

States

This on-line directory contains information on more than 1.1 million U.S.

business establishments with 10 or more employees. Data provided

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includes company name, address, and telephone number; type of business,

chief executive officer, company status, and subsidiary; language

preference and geographic codes; number of employees at a given location

and total number of employees; and total sales volume.

Equifax Equifax provides credit and commercial information, card processing,

check authorization, analytics and consulting, and financial software.

Some of the services provided by the Equifax subsidiary CDB Infotek for

locating persons or businesses in the United States follow.

• CDB Infotek’s exclusive Info:PROBE, a locating tool available anywhere,

can instantly search hundreds of nationwide, regional, and local databases

to determine where information exists for a particular subject.

• Nationwide Consumer Reporting Agencies can be used to obtain the most

recent address that has been reported to any of the three major

nationwide credit reporting agencies and other nationwide consumer

reporting sources.

• People Tracker can identify consumer address and demographic

information on a nationwide basis.

• National Address Changes can be used to obtain a 3- to 12-year history of

address changes for an individual based on federal sources.

Experian Experian, which replaced TRW Information Systems and Services,

provides services on consumer and business credit, direct marketing, and

real estate information services. Key Experian services include credit card

processing, risk management, and target marketing. Some of these

services follow.

• Property Profile, Recent Home Sales and Home Portfolio Reports help to

estimate a home’s value and provide an understanding of a particular

neighborhood.

• Business Snapshot Reports summarize credit histories—including

payment patterns and legal filings—of small businesses or contractors.

Global Scan USA Inc. Global Scan USA Inc. is now an integral part of the Equifax Europe group

of companies. It has been developing its position in the on-line, business

information arena since its formation in 1991. Global Scan is a multilingual

(10 languages), multinational on-line gateway service providing

subscribers with (1) a way to access credit reports and financial

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statements on any public or private company in the world and (2) country

reports, including political and trade reports and country filing

requirements.

Information America Information America, an affiliate of West Publishing, offers on-line

databases and document services that can be used to obtain background

data about businesses, locate assets and people, and retrieve official

public records. It can also provide ownership and financial information on

businesses. Information America can be reached on the Internet or by

calling (800) 532-9876.

International Business

Machines (IBM) Internet

Connection

IBM Internet Connection is a large international provider of on-line services

that offers its subscribers Internet connection services, electronic mail,

newsgroups, and business services. In addition, it provides more than 860

dial-in numbers in approximately 50 countries.

LEXIS-NEXIS A division of Reed Elsevier Inc., the LEXIS full-text legal information

service contains major archives of federal and state case law, continuously

updated statutes of all 50 states, state and federal regulations and public

records from major states, and international legal materials from selected

countries. LEXIS Public Records Online service provides on-line access to

information from selected states about real and personal property assets,

Uniform Commercial Code liens, secretary of state corporation filings,

verdicts and settlements, and court indices and dockets. The NEXIS news

and business information service contains more than 7,100 sources, 3,700

of which provide their entire publications on-line. These include the full

text of regional; national; and international newspapers, news wires,

magazines, trade journals, and business publications. NEXIS service is the

exclusive on-line archival source for The New York Times in the legal,

business, and other professional markets. Also available are brokerage

house and industry analyst reports and public records such as corporate

filings, company records, and property records.

MetroNet MetroNet, implemented by Metromail Corporation, specializes in

consumer and business information. MetroNet provides on-line access to

Metromail’s National Consumer Databases for the following purposes:

• address verification,

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• telephone number lookup,

• neighbors lookup, and

• change of address.

National Center for

Missing and Exploited

Children (NCMEC)

NCMEC is a private, nonprofit organization—mandated by the

Congress—that works in cooperation with DOJ’s Office of Juvenile Justice

and Delinquency Prevention. It is a vital resource for law enforcement

agencies throughout the United States in the search for missing children

and the quest for child protection. NCMEC operates a 24-hour, toll-free

hotline for the recovery of missing children in cooperation with DOJ. It also

operates a 24-hour, toll-free child pornography tipline in cooperation with

Customs and the Postal Inspection Service. Additionally, NCMEC handles

for the Department of State, applications that seek the return of or access

to children abducted and brought to the United States under the Hague

Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. Among

its services is a National Computer Network linked via online services

with 49 state clearinghouses, the District of Columbia, the Royal Canadian

Mounted Police in Canada, New Scotland Yard in the United Kingdom,

Belgium Gendarmerie, Netherlands Police, Australia National Police,

INTERPOL, Secret Service Forensic Services, and the Department of State.

The network allows the instant transmission of images and information on

missing child cases. The NCMEC can be contacted at 1-800-THE-LOST.

National Fraud

Information Center (NFIC)

NFIC—a project of the National Consumers League—helps consumers

report fraud and offers advice on how to avoid becoming a victim. Incident

reports are entered in the NFIC database and referred electronically to the

National Electronic Fraud Database administered by the Federal Trade

Commission and the National Association of Attorneys General. NFIC

incident reports are also referred to a variety of federal and state

regulatory and enforcement agencies—the FBI, Secret Service, U.S. Postal

Inspection Service, SEC, and U.S. Attorneys.

National Insurance Crime

Bureau (NICB) Online

NICB, a national, not-for-profit, tax-exempt organization established in

1992, is supported by approximately 1,000 property/casualty insurers and

self-insured companies. The bureau maintains an on-line computer

database of 300 million records that assists law enforcement officials and

insurance investigators and claims personnel in detecting fraudulent

insurance claims and identifying stolen vehicles. NICB also has an

investigative force of 200 experienced special agents who team up with

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insurance investigators and law enforcement officials to uncover and

prosecute vehicle theft and insurance fraud. To obtain more information

and access to NICB, call 1-800-447-6282.

Questel-Orbit Questel-Orbit, an international on-line information company, has files on

patent, trademark, scientific, chemical, business, and news information.

Standard & Poor’s

Databases

Standard & Poor, a McGraw-Hill company, offers access to a variety of

information about companies. For an Internet link to more information

about several Standard & Poor resources, the McGraw-Hill Internet site

offers a starting point. Some Standard & Poor information is also available

as printed directories, some of which are discussed in chapter 3.

Trans Union Trans Union is an international consumer credit information company

whose products include credit reports, credit and insurance risk scoring

models, target marketing systems, preemployment evaluation reports, skip

tracing and search tools, collection services, customized lists, and

transaction services. Some of the search services follow.

• ATLAS is a flexible and comprehensive database that offers a choice of

four broad, automated search categories that provide instant access to, or

confirmation of, millions of addresses and telephone numbers. Searches

are possible by subject or address, surname, or phone number.

• IDSearch is an automated system that helps verify application information

or flag customers who provide information that contradicts data on file by

returning names, addresses, and social security numbers based on input

information.

• TRACE is a search system that, based on the social security index data

built into Trans Union’s database, can find the current and previous

addresses of any person on file, identified by his/her social security

number.

• TRACEplus includes all information contained in the TRACE report plus

telephone numbers, aliases, age, employment, and salary history, if

available.

USDatalink USDatalink provides access to individuals’ credit reports, criminal

records, education, workers’ compensation claims, and employment

histories. A people locator service can search for individuals using social

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security numbers, names, addresses, phone numbers, and surnames.

USDatalink also gives information on vehicles from automobiles to

airplanes. The database contains information on numerous companies

including asset reports, in-depth general reports, and case records.

USDatalink provides access to background checks, and other information

reports, from public record repositories and proprietary databases

throughout the United States.

Westlaw Westlaw, a service of West Publishing, is a computer-assisted legal

research service that contains over 9,000 databases. Coverage includes

federal and state court cases, the U.S. Code Annotated and state statutes,

federal regulations, administrative law decisions, topical databases, legal

periodicals, West’s Insta-Cite, West’s QuickCite, Shepard’s Citations,

Shepard’s PreView, Black’s Law Dictionary, and public records.

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The Internet is made up of more than 80,000 academic, commercial,

government, and military interconnected communications (computer)

networks in over 200 countries. Originally developed for the military, the

Internet became widely used for academic and commercial research in the

1980s. Currently, the number of Internet users is estimated to be over

70 million; some 10 million users are said to be connected to the “Net” at

any given time. It is not unreasonable to expect that, by the year 2000,

some 1 billion users will have access to the Internet.

For the investigator, there may be significant advantages to accessing

sources on-line rather than using a library or another information medium.

The Internet provides enormous resource potential for investigators in a

timely and cost effective manner and is often more up-to-date than its

paper counterparts.

For those who seek to defraud the public, the Internet provides a ready

avenue for their schemes. Credit card fraud, money laundering,

counterfeiting, and extortion are only a few of the ways that high

technology criminals are using the Net. Criminal investigators are using

both traditional and “cyberspace” techniques to identify and apprehend

the malefactors.

Internet: the

Storehouse of

Government

Information

The Internet has become a rich resource for government information, in

part, because work produced by many government agencies is not eligible

for copyright protection. Many local, state, and federal agencies have

“home pages,” or information sites, on the Internet, thus enabling law

enforcement investigators to gather information in cyberspace. Internet

users can access hundreds of sources of current government information

from around the world—census data, Supreme Court decisions, property

and vehicle ownership records, lien filings, company financial reports, and

much more.

One way to access government agencies on-line is a system called

FedWorld (sometimes referred to as the National Technical Information

Service System). FedWorld provides access to detailed information from

over 50 agencies and includes access to about 100 government information

systems. FedWorld file libraries provide on-line access to more than 14,400

files, including the full text of selected U.S. government publications.

Another system, Marvel from the Library of Congress, is considered to be a

one-stop source for a multitude of government material taken from a

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variety of sources such as census data, congressional information, White

House documents, crime statistics, and Department of State reports.

Accessing the Internet With a computer, a telephone line, a modem, and an Internet service

provider, anyone may access the Internet. Many government organizations

establish a direct connection to the Internet and route it through the office

LAN, or local area network, to benefit the largest number of employees.

You will also need a “web browser,” which is software that converts

messages to a graphical user interface. Two popular browsers are

Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer. If you are connecting

to direct dial-up systems, you will need software that supports that

function. Some Internet service providers provide other popular browsers

free with your subscription.

Internet browsers are designed to make your search easy, but with the

tremendous amount of information and the number of systems available,

finding what you need may still be difficult. To help you to maneuver

through the system are many different “search engines” that allow

keyword and directory-type searches and respond to your search request

with an organized group or category. The various search engines use their

own unique methods to catalog information. Yahoo, AltaVista, Web

Crawler, Infoseek, Lycos, and Magellan are a few of the search engines on

the Internet.

Examples of Internet

Functions and Tools

Most people interact with the Internet using one or more tools that are

fairly standard in their functionality. These tools let you send someone a

message, retrieve a file from another computer, log onto another network,

access databases, participate in newsgroups and forums, and so on. Two

primary tools of the Internet are electronic mail (e-mail) and the World Wide

Web (WWW). Many of the functions provided by traditional sources

described in the following table are Internet utilities that can be used in

connection with the WWW.

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Table 5:1: Tools of the Internet

Component Function

Electronic Mail (E-Mail) E-mail allows the user to send and receive electronic messages and files.

List Server (LISTSERV) LISTSERV is an automated mailing-list distribution system that responds to subscribers’

requests to add or delete their names to/from a particular discussion list. An Internet user

may subscribe to a LISTSERV mailing list by sending an e-mail to the computer on which

LISTSERV is running. By addressing a message to the list, subscribers may exchange

messages with others on the list. Any replies to messages will be delivered to all

subscribers.

Usenet & Bitnet The basic building block of Usenet is the newsgroup, which is a collection of messages

with related themes. On other networks these would be called conference, forums,

bulletin boards, or special interest groups. Users may access Usenet from the Internet.

On the other hand, Bitnet discussion groups and mailing lists take place in e-mail.

The World Wide Web (WWW) The WWW links different Internet servers together all over the world. WWW uses

“hypertext links” that can move from one reference page to another with a single mouse

command. That is, the user clicks on icons or word groups with the mouse in order to

call up the information requested.

File Transfer Protocol (FTP) FTP is a tool used to retrieve copies of files from other computers on the Internet to your

own computer.

Telnet Telnet lets you log on to other servers on the Internet and run a program. After log on,

telnet will provide you with a set of commands or menus to access the functions it

provides. You can “telnet” into databases or into libraries around the world to perform

research. The commands and functions that can be performed will vary with the

particular system.

Gopher Gopher is a utility that lets you search hierarchical menus describing Internet files.

Gopher servers were set up to provide a menu for accessing documents that exist on

different computers on the Internet in a manner similar to the WWW. The primary

difference is that gopher servers do not provide hypertext; they are strictly menu-driven.

A gopher menu item will take you to a document or to a list of relevant documents. One

menu can take you to another, which can take you to Internet sites all over the world.

Veronica Veronica is a keyword search tool used to search gopher menus and text. Veronica will

search all gopher text to find the key words you are looking for.

Archie Archie is a database system that calls up file libraries and finds out what they have

available. You can dial into Archie, type in a file name, and see where on the Internet it

was available. Archie currently catalogs close to 1,000 file libraries around the world.

Wide Area Information Server (WAIS) WAIS is a system designed for retrieving information from networks. With WAIS, you

enter a set of words that describe what you are looking for, and WAIS digs through

whatever libraries you specify, looking for documents that match your request.

Internet Relay Chat (IRC) IRC is computer conferencing on the Internet. There are hundreds of IRC channels on

every subject conceivable from more than 60 countries on the Net.

Searching the Net This is a sample Internet search for the full text of U.S. copyright laws.

This Netscape browser screen provides hundreds of choices. The purpose

of the search is to find information about violations of copyright law and

penalties assessed for such violations.

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Figure 5.1: Selecting From the Search Menu

In figure 5.1, samples of various topics are shown in the left column, while

choices of search engines are listed closer to the center of the page. For

this particular search, we select “Legal” as the general topic area. We also

select the Yahoo search engine.

This page contains copyrighted material used here with the permission of the respective copyright

holders. See page 3 for more information.

Novell is a registered trademark and the Novell Network Symbol is a trademark of Novell, Inc. in

the United States and other countries.

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Figure 5.2: The Search Request

Figure 5.2 illustrates the response after we select “Legal.” The search

request is “copyright law,” which gives three reference systems from

which to choose. For this search, we select “Cornell University’s Legal

Information Institute.”

This page contains copyrighted material used here with the permission of the respective copyright

holders. See page 3 for more information.

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Figure 5.3: Cornell’s Legal Information Institute Web Site

This screen appears after clicking on “Cornell University’s Legal

Information Institute.”

This page contains copyrighted material used here with the permission of the respective copyright

holders. See page 3 for more information.

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Figure 5.4: The LII Annotated Table of Contents

We scroll down the page and highlight “the full U.S. Code” in order to get

citations on copyright law.

This page contains copyrighted material used here with the permission of the respective copyright

holders. See page 3 for more information.

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Figure 5.5: The U.S. Code Web Page

Selecting “U.S. Code” brings up this screen.

This page contains copyrighted material used here with the permission of the respective copyright

holders. See page 3 for more information.

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Figure 5.6: Access Path for Information

We scroll down the page to select “listing of all Titles” to find the title that

specifically pertains to copyright law.

This page contains copyrighted material used here with the permission of the respective copyright

holders. See page 3 for more information.

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Figure 5.7: U.S. Code Titles and Headings

For our search, we select “Title 17 Copyrights” because we need to know

what the U.S. Code has to say about copyright law.

This page contains copyrighted material used here with the permission of the respective copyright

holders. See page 3 for more information.

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Figure 5.8: Chapter Within Title 17 - Copyrights

From this screen, we select “Chapt. 5. Copyright Infringement and

Remedies” to find information about copyright violations and penalties

assessed.

This page contains copyrighted material used here with the permission of the respective copyright

holders. See page 3 for more information.

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Figure 5.9: Sections Within Chapter 5 - Copyright Infringement and Remedies

For our search, we want to see what the U.S. Code has to say about

criminal offenses as they relate to copyright infringement, so we select

“§ 506. Criminal offenses.”

This page contains copyright material used here with the permission of the respective copyright

holders. See page 3 for more information.

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Figure 5.10: Full Text of 17 U.S. Code, Section 506

Our final selection provides us the information for which we searched.

This page contains copyright material used here with the permission of the respective copyright

holders. See page 3 for more information.

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Internet Sites Provide

Valuable Information

By accessing the Internet, investigators may gather intelligence

information about virtually any issue of interest to law enforcement. As

evidenced by the following table, such information—including general

information related to government and law enforcement and specific

information about persons, businesses, and organizations—is available

from a myriad of sources.

Table 5.2: Selected Internet Sites for Investigative Reference

Internet Site Internet Address

1. Searching for Government Information

Federal

Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval http://www.sec.gov.edgarhp.htm

Federal Procurement Data Center http://tsd.r3.gsa.gov/bsc/bsc_iiie.htm

IGnet http://www.sbaonline.sba.gov/ignet/ig.html

Scorpio

Library of Congress Computerized Catalog

Congressional Record and congressional legislation

http://lcweb.loc.gov/catalog/

http://thomas.loc.gov

U.S. Government Printing Office Web Site http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs

The Federal Court Locator http://www.law.ville.edu/fed-ct/fedcourt.html

The Federal Government Web Locator http://www.law.vill.edu/fed-agency/fedwebloc.html

U.S. Government Internet Resources http://www.ds.internic.net/ds/gov.html

WINGS

Federal http://www.wings.gov/federal/index.html

World Wide Web Servers (U.S. federal government) http://sdf.laafb.af.mil/us_gov.html#us_gov_exec

State and Local

State and Local Governments http://lcweb.loc.gov/global/state/stategov.html

The State Court Locator http://www.law.vill.edu/state-ct

The State Government Web Locator http://www.law.vill.edu/state-agency/index.html

WINGS

State http://www.wings.gov/state/index/html

2. Searching for Persons, Businesses, or Organizations and

Detailed Information About Them

AltaVista http://altavista.digital.com/

C | net http://www.search.com

DIALOG http://www.dialog.com/dialog/dialog1.html

Dun & Bradstreet http://www.dnb.com

Equifax http://www.equifax.com

Experian http://www.experian.com

Infomine http://www.lib-www.ucr.edu/govinfo.html

Infoseek Guide http://www.infoseek.com

(continued)

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Internet Site Internet Address

LEXIS-NEXIS http://psweb1.lexis-nexis.com/lncc/about.html

National Fraud Information Center http://www.fraud.org

Standard & Poor http://mcgraw-hill.com/financial-markets/finprod.htm

Switchboard: Find People and Businesses http://www.switchboard.com

Teleport Internet Services: White and Yellow Pages http://www.teleport.com/news/ypwp.shtml

The World EMail Directory http://worldemail.com

Trans Union http://www.tuc.com

WhoWhere?: Searches for People http://www.whowhere.com

Yahoo http://www.yahoo.com

3. Department of Justice and the FBI

The Justice Information Center http://www.ncjrs.org

Department of Justice http://justice2.usdoj.gov

FBI DECA (Development of Espionage Counterintelligence and

Counterterrorism Awareness)

http://www.fbi.gov/deca.htm

FBI Fugitive Policy http://www.fbi.gov/fugitive/fpphome.htm

FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives http://www.fbi.gov/mostwant/tenlist.htm

Federal Bureau of Investigation http://www.fbi.gov

Federal Bureau of Investigation National Computer Crime Squad http://www.fbi.gov/compcrim.htm

Kidnapping http://www.fbi.gov/kidnap/violi.htm

The FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin http://www.fbi.gov/leb/leb.htm

4. Other Law Enforcement and Legal References

Criminal Justice Organizations http://www.pima.edu/DPS/organiz.htm

COPNET: Police Resource List http://www.copnet.org

Police Officer’s Internet Directory http://www.officer.com

U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command http://www.belvoir.army.mil/cidc/index.htm

High Technology Crime Investigation Association http://htcia.org

National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center http://www.nlectc.org

U.S. Code, Rules of Evidence, and Civil Procedure http://www.law.cornell.edu/lii.table.html

Westlaw http://www.westpub.com/WLAWInfo

5. International Justice and United Nations References

International Centre for Criminal Law Reform and Criminal Justice

Policy: Guide to Internet Resources in Criminal Law and Criminal

Justice

http://www.law.ubc.ca/centres/icclr/icclr/guide/guide.html

National Institute of Justice http://www.ncjrs.org/nijhome.htm

http://www.ncjrs.org/unojust

United Nations International Drug Control Programme http://www.undcp.org/index.html

6. Official Weather Resource

Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

http://www.noaa.gov/index.html

7. Maps

(continued)

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Internet Site Internet Address

MapBlaster: Map Generating Site http://www.mapblast.com

MapQuest - zoom in on any street in the United States and find

the best way to drive there

http://www.mapquest.com

8. News Resources

Deja News: News Searches of All Newsgroups http://www.dejanews.com

FedNews - Full text speeches, news releases, congressional

hearings, and Supreme Court debates.

http://www.fnsg.com

Industrial Technology Institute Electronic Publications http://www.iti.org/staff/ezines.html

NewsLink - An index of newspapers and weekly magazines http://www.newslink.org

Newspage - News collected from hundreds of different sources,

sorted by topic.

http://www.newspage.com

9. Document Indices

Government Information Locator Service (GILS) http://info.er.usgs.gov/gils/index.html

Library of Congress Catalog http://lcweb.loc.gov/z3950

NARA (National Archives and Records Administration) Archival

Information Locator (NAIL)

http://www.nara.gov/nara/nail.html

National Academy Press http://www.nap.edu/readingroom

Rand http://www.rand.org

Search FinanceNet http://www.financenet.gov

10. Legislative Branch Resources

C-SPAN gopher://c-span.org

Thomas - Library of Congress Legislative Server http://thomas.loc.gov

11. Guides and Tutorials to the Internet

EFF’s (Electronic Frontier Foundation’s) (Extended) Guide to the

Internet

http://www.eff.org/papers/eegtti/eegttitiop.html

Planet Earth Home Page - Virtual Library - text version http://www.nosc.mil/planet_earth/info_modern.html

TileNet: Indexes of Listservs by Name and a Brief Description http://www.tile.net/tile/listserv/about.html

Security on the

Internet

Internet users should take precaution when writing e-mail or using any

other Internet tool. Users should always assume that mail or files sent will

never be erased and may be accessed or read by thousands. It is not

recommended that you use the Internet to place in e-mail sensitive

material—such as passwords or other information—that you would not

readily make available to the public. The material you write in e-mail is

analogous to the words on a postcard. You do not know how many people

will actually read the information.

There are secure services, however, for the use of the Internet. These

software programs generally require matching software, such as web

browsers with encryption capability, for the sender and receiver. In

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addition, many implementations of electronic commerce over the Internet

provide for security. For example, many major credit card companies offer

secure electronic commerce over the Internet for software that conforms

to their secure electronic transaction specifications.

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Index

Abbreviations 5-7

Abstract and title companies 64

Agriculture 16, 17, 29, 62

Agriculture, Department of 7, 17, 20, 27, 45, 49

Aircraft (See Aviation)

Alcoholic beverages 23

Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Bureau of 20, 23, 24, 50, 69, 72, 73

Aliens 19, 67, 70, 71, 74

 Central Index System (CIS) 67

 Consular Lookout and Support System (CLASS) 67-68

 El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC) 19, 68-69

 Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) 19, 20, 49, 69, 70, 98

 Fingerprint Identification Records System (FIRS) 69-70

 Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) 19, 20, 49, 69, 70, 71, 74

 Interpol Case Tracking System (ICTS) 70

 Law Enforcement Support Center (LESC) 71

 National Alien Information System (NAILS) 71

 Nonimmigrant Information System (NIIS) 74

Amtrak 33, 45, 50, 68

Art

 Art Loss Register 77

 forgery and theft 20, 65

 Associations 58-60, 66, 78

 Attorneys General 11, 12-15, 81

 Autos (See Property-vehicles)

Aviation 22, 65

 Aircraft ownership, pilots, repair/maintenance records 22, 65, 72, 73

 Airports, civilian 22

 International Air Transport Association 65

Banking (See Finance)

Better Business Bureau 65

Bonding companies 65

Border control (Also see Aliens, INS) 70, 77

Building inspection, permits, blueprints 8

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) 20, 23, 24, 50, 69, 72, 73

Bureau of Engraving and Printing 24-25, 50

Businesses

 affiliates 53, 54, 56

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Index

 assets 17, 20, 25, 26, 29-30, 31, 33, 80

 capital structure 33, 54, 59

 corporate filings 34, 80

 corporate officers 33, 53, 56, 59, 79

 “doing business as” (DBA) 10

 financial data and reports 17, 20, 24, 26, 31, 54, 59, 78, 80

 foreign representatives 53

 insurance companies 52, 53, 59, 66, 77, 81

 investment companies 33, 34, 35, 59

 law firms 60

 lobbyists 57

 organization 33, 54, 56,

 ownership 17, 21, 29-30, 33-34, 80

 real estate companies, sales and transactions 9, 59, 80

 sales and revenue 34, 78

 small businesses 35

 standard industrial classification 53, 55, 66

 stock and securities 31, 33-35, 53-54

 subsidiaries 52, 53, 54, 56

 trust companies 56, 59

 utilities 53, 54

Canadian Interface 67

Canadian Police Information Centre 73

Car Fax 65

Cease and desist orders 33, 38

Central Index System (CIS) 67

Commodity Futures Trading Commission 31, 45, 50

Commerce, Department of 17, 45, 49, 98

Congress, Members, districts, staff 55, 75, 84

Consular Lookout and Support System (CLASS) 67-68

Corrections (See People)

Counterfeiting 27

Courts, U. S. 39-44, 57

Credit-reporting agencies 65

Criminal history (See People)

Cultural property (See Art)

Currency, currency transactions 23-24, 25, 26, 72

Defense Central and Investigations Index 68

Defense, Department of 18, 45, 49, 68

Defense Organization Service 56

Page 103 GAO/OSI-97-2 Investigators’ Guide to Sources of Information
Index

Diplomatic license plates 73

Directories

 America’s Corporate Families 52

 American Medical Directory 55

 Association Yellow Book 58

 Best Insurance Reports 52

 Biological and Agricultural Index 62

 Congressional Directory 55

 Corporate Yellow Book 56

 Directories in Print 52

 Directory of Companies Filing with Securities and Exchange

 Commission 53

 Directory of Corporate Affiliates—Who Owns Whom 53

 Dun & Bradstreet’s Million Dollar Directory 53

 Encyclopedia of Associations 59

 Federal Organization Service 56

 Federal Regional Yellow Book 57

 Financial Yellow Book 53

 Foreign Representatives in the U. S. Yellow Book 53

 Gale Directory of Databases 62

 Gale Directory of Publications and Broadcast Media 63

 Government Affairs Yellow Book 57

 Index Medicus 63

 Index to Legal Periodicals 63

 Judicial Yellow Book 57

 Law Firms Yellow Book 60

 List of Shipowners 61

 Lloyd’s Register of Ships/Lloyd’s Weekly List of Alternations 61, 62

 Lloyd’s Voyage Record/Lloyd’s Shipping Index 61

 Martindale Hubbell Law Directory 60

 Moody’s Bank and Finance Manual 59

 Moody’s International Manual 54

 Moody’s Investors Services 54

 Moody’s News Report 59

 Municipal Yellow Book 57

 National Directory of Law Enforcement Administrators, Prosecutors,

 Correctional Institutions, and Related Agencies 61

 National Trade and Professional Associations in the United States 59

 News Media Yellow Book 63

 Predicasts Funk and Scott Index, United States 54

 Reader’s Guide to Periodical Literature 64

Page 104 GAO/OSI-97-2 Investigators’ Guide to Sources of Information
Index

 Register of International Shipowning Groups 61

 Register of Offshore Units, Submersibles and Underwater Systems 61

 Register of Ships/Weekly List of Alterations 61, 62

 Shipping Index 61

 Standard & Poor’s Corporation Records 54

 Standard & Poor’s Register of Corporations, Directors and Executives 54

 State Yellow Book 58

 The New York Times Index 64

 Thomson Bank Directory 60

 Voyage Record 62

 Who’s Who Series 58

Driver license (See People)

Driver history (See People)

Drugs (See Narcotics)

Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) 19, 20, 24, 49, 69, 70, 71

El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC) 19, 68-69, 71

Electronic data base Internet addresses 97

Electronic data bases 67-83, 96

Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) 29

Farm Credit Administration 29, 46

Federal contracting 32

 Federal Procurement Data Center (FPDC) 69, 97

 Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement

Programs 71

Federal courts (see Courts, U. S. )

Federal Aviation Administration 22, 49, 69

Federal Bureau of Investigation 19, 20, 24, 49, 69, 70, 72, 98

Federal Communications Commission 32, 46, 50

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation 29-30, 46, 50

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 18, 49

Federal government agencies

 Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Bureau of 20, 23-24, 50, 69, 72, 73

 Amtrak 33, 45, 50, 68

 Agriculture, Department of 17, 20, 27, 45, 49

 Commerce, Department of 17, 45, 49, 98

 Commodities Futures Trading Commission 31, 45, 50

 Defense, Department of 18, 45, 49, 68

 Drug Enforcement Administration 19, 20, 24, 49, 69, 70, 71

 Engraving and Printing, Bureau of 24, 50

Page 105 GAO/OSI-97-2 Investigators’ Guide to Sources of Information
Index

 Farm Credit Administration 29, 46

 Federal Aviation Administration 22, 49, 69

 Federal Bureau of Investigation 19, 20, 70-72, 98

 Federal Communications Commission 32, 46, 50

 Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation 29-30, 46, 50

 Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 18, 49

 Federal Highway Administration 23

 Federal Maritime Commission 32, 46

 Food and Drug Administration 49

 General Accounting Office 38, 46, 51

 General Services Administration 32, 46, 50, 71

 Government Printing Office 38, 46, 51, 53

 Health and Human Services, Department of 18, 47, 49

 Housing and Urban Development, Department of 47, 49

 Immigration and Naturalization Service, U. S. 19, 20, 49, 69-71, 74

 Inspectors general 44-49

 Internal Revenue Service 20, 25-26, 50, 69

 Justice, Department of 19, 27, 47, 49, 72, 81, 98

 National Aeronautics and Space Administration 32, 47

 National Credit Union Administration 31, 47, 50

 National Railroad Passenger Corporation (See Amtrak)

 Nuclear Regulatory Commission 33, 48, 50

 Securities and Exchange Commission 33-35, 48, 50, 53, 75, 81

 Small Business Administration 35, 48, 50

 Social Security Administration 35, 36, 50, 48

 State, Department of 22, 48-49, 67-70, 72, 81

 Transportation, Department of 22, 48, 49

 Treasury, Department of the 23-28, 49-50, 77

 U. S. Coast Guard 22, 49, 69, 70

 U. S. Customs Service 26, 50, 69-70, 72, 77, 81

 U. S. Department of Agriculture 17, 20, 27, 45, 49

 U. S. General Accounting Office 38, 46, 51

 U. S. Marshals Service 20, 24, 49, 69, 72

 U. S. National Central Bureau - INTERPOL 20, 67, 70, 72, 77, 81

 U. S. Secret Service 20, 27-28, 50, 69, 72, 81

 Veterans Affairs, Department of 28, 49, 50

Federal prisons 76

Federal Highway Administration 23

Federal Maritime Commission 32, 46

Federal Organization Service 56

Federal Procurement Data Center (FPDC) 67, 69

Page 106 GAO/OSI-97-2 Investigators’ Guide to Sources of Information
Index

Federal Reserve System 30, 46, 50

Finance

 Banks, savings and loans, credit unions 28, 53, 60

 Bureau of the Public Debt 24, 50

 Currency 23-26, 72

 Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) 29-30, 46, 50

 Federal Reserve System 30, 46, 50

 Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) 24-25, 50

 financial data and reports 29, 31, 52-54

 financial institutions and key executives 59-60

 Financial Management Service (FMS) 25, 50

 U. S. Savings Bond Series 24

Financial crimes 24-25, 26, 27, 73, 78

Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) 24-25, 50

Fingerprint Identification Records System 69-70

Firearms (Also see Property) 23, 68, 71-73

 ATF 20, 23, 24, 50, 69, 72, 73

 Dealers 23, 73

 FBI 19, 20, 24, 49, 69, 70, 71, 72, 98

 Importers 22, 23, 26, 73

 manufacturers 23

 National Tracing Center 73

 NCIC 71-72, 79

Food and Drug Administration 49

Food stamps 17, 27

Foreign fugitives (See People)

Foreign representatives 53

Fugitives (See People)

General Accounting Office 38, 46, 51

General Services Administration 32, 46, 50, 71

Government Printing Office 38, 46, 51, 53, 97

Hazardous material 73

Health and Human Services, Department of 18, 47, 49

Housing and Urban Development, Department of 47, 49

Page 107 GAO/OSI-97-2 Investigators’ Guide to Sources of Information
Index

Interagency Border Inspection System 77

International fugitives 19, 20, 70, 72, 76

Interstate Identification Index 70

Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) 19, 20, 49, 69, 70, 71, 74

Importers 29

Income tax 16, 25

Individuals (See People)

Inspectors general 44-49

Insurance fraud 66, 81-82

Insurance companies 52, 53, 56, 81

Internal Revenue Service 20, 25-26, 50, 69

International Air Transport Association 65

International Foundation for Art Research (IFAR) 65

International fugitives (See People)

Internet 49-52, 84-100

International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) 20

Interpol Case Tracking System (ICTS) 70

Interstate Identification Index (III) 70

Investment companies 34, 35, 59

Joint Maritime Information Element (JMIE) 70

Judges 39, 57

Justice, Department of 19, 27, 47, 49, 72, 81, 98

Labor, Department of 20-22

Labor organizations 20, 21, 58, 59

Labor unions 20, 21, 58, 59

Law Enforcement Support Center (LESC) 71

Law firms 60

Local government (See State and local government)

License plates (See Vehicles)

Middle Atlantic-Great Lakes Organized Crime Law Enforcement Network

 74

Mid-States Organized Crime information Center 74

Military personnel 18

Money (See Banks, Finance)

Page 108 GAO/OSI-97-2 Investigators’ Guide to Sources of Information
Index

Mortgages 9, 64

Municipalities (See State and local government)

Narcotics 19, 20, 23-25, 26, 68-69, 70, 71, 74, 75, 76

Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information System (NADDIS) 71

National Aeronautics and Space Administration 32, 47

National Alien Information Lookout System (NAILS) 71

National Association of Insurance Commissioners 66

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) 27, 81

National Credit Union Administration 31, 47, 50

National Crime Information Center (NCIC) 71-72

National Fraud Information Center (NFIC) 81, 98

National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) 72, 81

National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (NLETS) 72-73

National Railroad Passenger Corporation (See Amtrak)

National Tracing Center 73

National White Collar Crime Center 73

New England State Police Information Network (NESPIN) 74

Nonimmigrant Information System (NIIS) 74

Nuclear material and equipment 33

Nuclear Regulatory Commission 33, 48, 50

Parole/Probation (See People)

People

 addresses, current and previous 79

 aliens (Also see listing on page 107) 19, 67, 70, 71, 74, 102

 banking information 28

 bankruptcy 10, 40

 biographies, professional 55-58

 birth date 9, 10, 15, 55-58

 birthplace 9, 10, 15, 55-58

 bonding companies 65

 children, missing/exploited 81

 corrections 16, 73

 court records of civil and criminal cases 8-9, 10, 39-44

 credit information 78, 79, 80

 criminal history 20, 71-73, 74, 76

 death 8, 9

 divorce 8

 doctors 10, 55

 driver history 15, 72

Page 109 GAO/OSI-97-2 Investigators’ Guide to Sources of Information
Index

 driver’s licenses 15, 72

 employment 9, 11, 20-21, 65, 82

 foreign fugitives 20, 72, 73

 fugitives and wanted persons 20, 72, 73, 77, 98

 judgments 10, 65

 liens 8-10, 64

 marriage records 10, 15

 missing persons 72

 name changes 8, 82

 occupation 10, 15, 82

 parole/probation 9, 74

 passport records 22

 People Tracker 79

 Phone Fiche 66

 security investigations 68

 sex offenders 73

 signatures 8, 9

 social security number 9, 16, 35-36, 82

 social security number issuance, designated geographic areas 37

 stock ownership 33-34, 54

 tax 11, 25, 40

 unemployment compensation 16, 20

 veteran status 10, 18, 28

 vital statistics 15

 Who’s Who 58

 wills 10

Powers of attorney 9

Probate indexes 8

Property

 aircraft ownership, repair and maintenance records 22, 65, 72, 73

 art forgery and theft 20, 65, 77

 blueprints and floorplans 8

 building permits, inspections 8

 construction costs 8

 firearms (See listing on page 107)

 judgments, garnishments, chattel mortgages, other liens 10

 legal description 11

 real estate taxes 11

 sale and transfer 9, 10, 11

 securities 16, 24, 31, 33-34, 53, 54, 59, 69, 75

 values and assessments 11, 79-80

Page 110 GAO/OSI-97-2 Investigators’ Guide to Sources of Information
Index

 vehicles 15, 19, 23, 65, 72, 73, 74, 81

 vessels 19, 22, 23, 32, 61-62, 70, 73, 76

 wills, inheritances, and gifts 8, 10

 Public Affairs Information Service 64

Railroads (See Amtrak)

Real estate companies 59

Real estate transactions 9

Regional Information Sharing System (RISS) 74

Regional Organized Crime Information Center (ROCIC) 75

Rocky Mountain Information Network 75

Scorpio 75

Securities 16, 24, 31, 33-34, 53, 54, 59, 69, 75

Securities and Exchange Commission 33-35, 48, 50, 53, 75, 81

Securities Information Center 75-76

Sex offenders (See People)

Shipping 22-23, 32, 61-62, 71, 72-73, 76

 arrivals, departures; docks, floating, dry, and wet; freight forwarding

 activities, marine insurance companies and associations; offshore

 drilling rigs; ownership; Register of International Shipowning Groups;

 Register of Offshore Units, Submersibles and Underwater Systems;

 Register of Ships; ship movement; shipbuilders; Shipping Index;

 terminals; tonnage

Small Business Administration 35, 48, 50

Social Security Administration 35, 36, 48, 50

Social security numbers 9, 29, 35-36, 82

South Pacific Islands Criminal Intelligence Network (SPICIN) 76

Standard industrial classification 53, 55, 66

State and local government

 Attorneys general 11, 12-15

 building inspector 8

 chiefs of police 61

 consumer complaints 11, 31, 65

 coroner 8, 9

 corrections 16, 73

Page 111 GAO/OSI-97-2 Investigators’ Guide to Sources of Information
Index

 county sheriffs 61

 court clerk 8-9

 district attorneys 61

 executives and legislative officials 57-58

 health department 9

 licensing 15-16

 liquor commission 16

 lottery commission 16

 motor vehicle administration 15

 natural resources 16

 property taxes 11

 public records 78-79

 recorder 9, 10

 registrar of voters 10

 regulatory agencies 10, 15-16

 surveyor 11

 tax assessment and collection 11

 utilities 16

 vital statistics 15

 welfare commission 11

Stock

 consumer complaints 34

 financial reports 33-34, 53, 54, 69

 registration 33, 53, 54, 69, 75

 transactions 34, 53, 54, 69, 75

Subsidiaries 53-54, 56, 59

Terrorism 65, 72, 76

Trade and professional associations 59

Treasury Enforcement Communications System (TECS) 77

Treasury, Department of the 23-28, 49, 50, 77

Trust companies 53, 59

U. S. Coast Guard 22, 49, 69, 70

U. S. Customs Service 26, 50, 69, 70, 72, 77, 81

U. S. Department of Agriculture 17, 20, 27, 45, 49

U. S. General Accounting Office 38, 46, 51

U. S. Marshals Service 20, 24, 49, 69, 72

Page 112 GAO/OSI-97-2 Investigators’ Guide to Sources of Information
Index

U. S. National Central Bureau 20, 67, 70, 72, 77, 81

U. S. Secret Service 20, 27-28, 50, 69, 72, 81

Utilities 16, 18, 53, 54

Vehicles (See Property)

Vessels (See Property)

Veterans Affairs, Department of 28, 49, 50

Vital statistics 15

Wanted persons (See People- fugitives)

Weapons (See Firearms)

Western States Information Network 75

White collar crime 73, 76

(600415) Page 113 GAO/OSI-97-2 Investigators’ Guide to Sources of Information
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