Past Performance

USG Past Performance

Samples of Halifax Group’s relevant USG contract support are listed below. 

• U.S. Federal Government DoW Test & Evaluate Project. Halifax Group is under contract with a Prime to provide the Pentagon with red teaming support, including OSINT, HUMINT, SIGINT, and other means to identify potential risks associated with U.S. military exercises and sensitive advanced technology test events. During each of these events since 2022, Halifax has been able to uncover multiple threats posed by foreign intelligence, transnational criminal networks, non-traditional insider threat actors, and foreign-owned companies and organizations.  

• U.S. Special Operations. Halifax is supporting a Prime contractor that is currently engaged by a DoW agency to conduct deep dive investigations and research and provide reports for extremely sensitive mission areas. The mission is particularly sensitive to foreign ownership, control, and influence, with a significant focus on criminal and regulatory background checks, foreign government affiliations, and foreign or criminal ownership, key management, and investment factors. Halifax currently provides vendor vetting of potential DoW contractors and enhanced financial due diligence investigations pertaining to foreign investments in the U.S. 

• U.S. Federal Government Healthcare Supply Chain. In under one year, Halifax supported a Prime contractor with completing nearly 500 comprehensive investigative reports (10,000 pages of investigative analysis). Halifax conducted vendor vetting and SCRM assessments and produced multiple reports. We supported the Prime with focusing on a number of factors, including criminal backgrounds, regulatory compliance, foreign ownership and control, insider threats, physical security and intrusions, cyber security, and more. Our team’s efforts uncovered over 200 significant foreign influence threats and illuminated vulnerabilities to foreign agents and insider threats within the U.S. Federal health supply chain that were previously undetected by our competitors. As part of the Prime’s team, we helped provide  this service to the Federal Government through the incremental delivery of reports and ongoing “persistent stare” of entities of interest. Based in part by our support, in March 2024, our Prime received a follow-on contract award for this same program. 

• Small Business Administration-Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG): Halifax supported SBA-OIG with detailed financial fraud analysis and investigations in support of Payroll Protection Plan loans provided to individuals who claimed they had small businesses that had been affected by the COVID pandemic. Those investigations required us to research bank loans and business formation records that the companies submitted as official documents. We conducted detailed open source and social media research of the companies and individual owners to verify they had a viable company, that the company was in business prior to the February 2020 eligibility date that the USG identified, and that they had no criminal record. We utilized proprietary and publicly available, open-source databases and software and presented formal investigative reports to SBA leadership that were passed on to USG investigators. Our investigations identified multiple instances of fraud perpetrated against financial institutions and the USG. 

• Department of Energy (DoE): Halifax supported a cleared U.S. defense contractor’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract at DoE’s Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER). Halifax conducted a vulnerability and threat assessment on specific critical technology used in association with the National Grid. Our firm identifying current and potential U.S. and foreign vendors who manufactured different components of the technology and conducted risk assessments on the vendors and their key personnel. Halifax also identified U.S. universities that received grants from CESER and the Department of Defense to study both the specific technology and ways to protect the Grid. Halifax Group identified significant risks and vulnerabilities associated with the research teams at two universities. We documented our findings in detailed technical papers that were subsequently briefed to DOE’s Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence. Our research also included investigating U.S. and foreign entities and identify beneficial ownership, financial information, potential criminal and civil litigation, corporate dealings, including partnerships, investments, and professional and personal associations. 

Commercial Past Performance

Samples of Halifax Group’s relevant commercial past performance are listed below. 

• Technology Company 1 – Halifax group provides corporate background investigations and risk assessments to an investment-backed, Virginia based technology firm that has sensitive DoW contracts. Halifax identified risk indicators associated with one employee and additional businesses the employee had not reported when he applied for and was interviewed by the company. Additional security-related due diligence analysis was conducted using open-source, commercial databases, and a proprietary artificial intelligence platform, which exposed other risk indicators associated with the employee.  We played a critical role in strengthening the firm’s risk management framework by identifying and exposing key risks. Our expertise enabled the implementation of proactive measures to mitigate future risks, the development of effective risk indicators, and the provision of comprehensive program management support to enhance overall resilience.

• Technology Company 2 – Halifax conducted enhanced due diligence of a potential investor of an advanced technology firm that about to come out of “stealth mode.” The company was concerned that they would be a target for foreign investment.  The company conducted initial research into the individual investor, but when he found out a representative of the company called our client and ordered them to “Stop looking into…” the individual and that “He is more that capable of being an investor in your firm.” Halifax was asked to discretely investigate the potential investor.  Our firm found that the investor, not only had limited funds, but he had questionable associates who had been investigated for defrauding other investors. Our research saved our client from potential fraud, loss of intellectual property, and possibly subsequent litigation. Our research also identified risk associated with a venture capital (VC) firm that our client did not reveal to our firm.  Our client indicated that one of its C-Suite spouses worked for the VC. Halifax’s research identified a close partnership between the VC firm funding our client and another VC firm led by an individual who was currently sanctioned by the U.S. The partnership could pose potential reputational risk, in addition to regulatory and possible litigation risk, to our client if its VC was combining funds with the sanctioned VC.  

• Venture Capital Company – Based on our investigative support to Technology Company 2, Halifax was referred to the VC firm. The VC firm advised that they ended their partnership with the sanctioned VC company based on our research. The firm focuses on emerging defense and aerospace technology investments. The VC firm wanted Halifax to be a part of an initiative, which would require each of their 50+ portfolio companies, and future companies seeking investments from them, to certify that they have conducted the proper due diligence to ensure they have adequately set measures in place to protect their intellectual property. As a part of that initiative, the VC firm would refer all of the companies to Halifax for investigation. 

• Additionally, the VC firm asked Halifax to conduct a preliminary (not to exceed 10 hours) missing persons investigation of an individual who defrauded one if its foreign (Montenegro) clients.  Halifax coordinated with the foreign firm, which is a manufacturer of plastic explosives (RDX, TNT, Nitro) for NATO. We learned that the suspect required millions of dollars up-front before processing a sale, which he never followed through with. The suspect subsequently cut off all communications with the manufacturer. The VC firm asked Halifax to help its corporate attorney build a case to present to an Assistant U.S. Attorney. The focus was to first locate the suspect and trace the funds.  The attorney also wanted to determine if the suspect’s actions were conducted as an individual trying to defraud a customer, a part of a Russian organized crime effort, or a part of a larger state-sponsored operation. Halifax quickly found the individual in Crete and a personal address in Thailand. We developed a pattern of life based on open source and travel records and identified to most likely location (bank) of where the funds were. Prior to “fully” determining the specific involvement and affiliation of the suspect (fraud, organized crime, foreign intelligence) the VC firm’s attorney decided to leave that to the AUSA’s office. Halifax provided the client with our preliminary assessment of the suspect’s motivations and associations.  

• Logistics Company 1 – Halifax Group provided enhanced due diligence investigations for a third-party logistics (3PL) company, which had recently entered into a partnership with a questionable business that purported to be a U.S. entity. The company is a DoW contractor with a facility security clearance. Our firm was able to identify foreign, beneficial ownership that our client was unaware of, and past instances of fraudulent business practices conducted by the foreign partner. As a result, the client was able to legally terminate their business relationship with the foreign entity for breach of contract. 

• Logistics Company 2 – Halifax conducted an enhanced due diligence investigation for another 3PL company and DoW contractor that suspected their Turkish vendor in Iraq of embezzlement. Collaborating with our partners in Iraq, and after analyzing numerous company financial documents and banking records, Halifax identified several shell companies created by the Turkish vendor. The shell companies were owned by foreign relatives of the vendor and used to make payments from the client’s business account for work that was never approved or completed. Halifax further uncovered information that the Turkish vendor received significant kickbacks from the family entities. Halifax Group identified criminal activity through enhanced due diligence means, which exposed true beneficial ownership. Our forensic audits into the different shell companies and the vendor identified additional financial irregularities. Our firm discovered a loss to the client that exceeded $1 million. We also identified significant instances of theft and numerous unauthorized financial payments made by the Turkish vendor. Halifax Group has numerous USG-vetted associates throughout the world who have access to additional publicly available and proprietary databases in their countries.  

• U.S. Law Firm – Halifax has supported an Annapolis, Maryland law firm for years with identifying and evaluating witnesses including verifying any potential criminal and civil violations.  Our firm also provides expert testimony and other litigation support including financial due diligence of suspected entities, which require examining financial documents and tracing assets.  

• Large Global Retail Company – Halifax supported a Prime contractor with conducting vendor vetting and SCRM of the aerospace division of a well-known online commercial platform with DoW contracts. Our initial research uncovered significant foreign influence issues within the company’s research and development division and its leadership. 

• U.S. Universities – Halifax supported a Prime contractor with research of two U.S. ivy league universities, which required an initial overall threat assessment. Once the enormity of the FOCI issues was disclosed at the first university, we narrowed our focus down to a selected few research departments and laboratories. We identified foreign influence within their research departments, most of which received USG funding in the form of DoW contracts and grants. We further identify specific and direct examples of insider threat, theft of intellectual property, patent infringement violations, potential espionage, and other national security concerns. Learning from our research of the first university, we began investigating the second university by randomly selecting only two of the dozen research labs at the university. We identified the same insider threat and FOCI issues as the first university and specific links directly to the foreign governments of three sanction countries.  

• U.S. Governor’s Office – A U.S. Governor received funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to find ways to protect the 16 critical infrastructure sectors within his state. The Governor provided funds to a local university that recently established a department specifically focused on protecting critical infrastructure. Halifax Group was asked to be a part of a team of small firms, each with specific capabilities ranging from threat assessments and due diligence to cyber security. Halifax conducted initial research regarding potential threats to critical infrastructure within one small city of the particular state. Over the following three weeks, our firm drafted a 200-page document identifying not only recent, current, and potential future threats to each sector, but also specific threats posed within the university department tasked with protecting the 16 sectors. Halifax Group travelled to the university and assisted with briefing our findings to its chancellor and vice chancellor. Representatives from the FBI, U.S. Army, and Governor’s office were also present. Our research and team briefing resulted in a pending infrastructure protection contract award that will potentially cover the entire state. As a result of our firm’s efforts, Governors and universities in several other states are reviewing our infrastructure security services.  

• NGOs and Hollywood Production Company – Halifax is supporting a high net worth individual and his company with country threat assessments in areas where its employees travel to distribute Polio vaccines including Pakistan, Afghanistan, and several countries on the African continent. Our firm maintains professional relationships with U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security vetted entities within each region we provide services. Halifax is a member of several professional associations including the U.S. Department of State, Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC), American Society for Industrial Security, and the International Association of Chiefs of Police. OSAC gives us direct access (phone/internal email) to Regional Security Officers (RSO) in each country we work in and further access to secure end-to-end encrypted message groups with vetted security personnel from U.S. companies operating in the villages we seek information about.  This gives our firm immediate “ground-truth” and insights into potential risk to our clients. Halifax has supported a leading production company in Hollywood, California with country threat assessments. Prior to sending its employees to conduct site surveys and scout locations for filming, the production company employs Halifax to research not only the country and regions of potential travel, but entities and individuals the employees plan to meet with. Additionally, we research and vet local security and transportation companies and vet potential hotels.  Our relationships and coordination with regional RSOs and other professional security and investigative personnel in these countries have contributed to our success.    

• Commercial firms – Our firm has provided additional enhanced due diligence investigations and other services for several commercial entities pursuing mergers, acquisitions, or investments and one expeditionary medical company with United Nations contracts. Halifax conducted comprehensive entity vetting services, examining key management personnel, financial records, potential Foreign Ownership, Control, or Influence (FOCI) issues, and adverse media using open-source intelligence, publicly available data, and proprietary commercial databases. We performed criminal records checks, identified litigation matters, and documented all findings in detailed, sourced reports. 

• USG-Specific Capabilities – Halifax Group possesses additional specialized capabilities tailored for USG requirements in nonpermissive environments in the Middle East, Africa, and the Far East, including logistics, security, and comprehensive vetting and enhanced due diligence. Our services encompass in-depth investigations into entities’ beneficial ownership, partners, associates, supply chains, and other relevant areas to ensure no affiliations with terrorist organizations, adversaries, or entities posing threats to U.S. interests. These sensitive capabilities, along with our broader operational expertise in such environments, can be discussed in detail within a secure, classified setting as appropriate.

• National Child Protection Task Force  – Halifax has been a volunteer and member supporting NCPTF since 2020. NCPTF is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating better outcomes for missing, exploited, and trafficked children. By uniting elite investigators, law enforcement experts, and private-sector specialists, NCPTF provides real-time intelligence, cutting-edge technology, and expert-led investigative support to locate endangered children faster.