BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH Gary D. Cooper President, Founder and Qualified Manager Medical Disability Investigators, Inc. 2219 W. Olive Avenue, # 100 Burbank, California 91506-2648 PI License # 19018 Telephone (800) 990-0222 Fax (661) 269-2555 e-mail mdi007@prodigy.net Mr. Cooper was born in Pasadena, California, in 1952. Raised in Sacramento, he has been a resident of Southern California for 35 years. He served in the United States Army from 1970 to 1972, and was assigned to a communications center in the Panama Canal Zone. He attended various colleges and universities earning an AA degree in Criminal Justice. He joined the Los Angeles Police Department in 1974. He is very proud of his previous law enforcement carrier. He has over twenty years of investigative and supervisory experience with the L. A. P. D. The Los Angeles Police Department is perhaps the most recognized civil law enforcement agency in the world and known as a trend setter. Mr. Cooper began his law enforcement career as a patrol officer assigned to various patrol divisions in the central, west and San Fernando Valley sections of Los Angeles. His most memorable assignments included vice, detectives and foot beat. Mr. Cooper was promoted to sergeant in 1986, and served in the Department s downtown communications center, 77 th Street and Foothill Divisions. He served for a period as an aid to the division commanding officer (captain) and was responsible for reviewing all administrative work, including personnel complaints, audits, and other documents submitted for approval. He also served as the training coordinator for the division. Mr. Cooper later served as an aid to the to the bureau commanding officer (deputy chief) and was responsible for following the progress of all sworn officers assigned to the valley bureau who were on off duty status due to disability. In addition to being a wellness coordinator, Mr. Cooper promoted the deputy chief s philosophy that all injured officers should receive the best medical care and return to duty as soon as possible. Mr. Cooper served as liaison between the injured employee, workers compensation division, and the medical community. He was credited with returning officers to work at an expedited pace. Mr. Cooper later served as a workers compensation supervisor responsible for reviewing and processing new benefit claims. He insured that department policy was followed and served as liaison to the city s workers compensation division, pension and city attorney s offices.
Mr. Cooper was chosen to represent the police department at the City s personnel department where he interviewed perspective entry level police officer candidates. He gained over 200 hours of experience assessing candidate s aptitudes for police work. He was later assigned as a supervisor to a special unit and was responsible for reviewing pre-employment background investigations of police candidates. Mr. Cooper s final assignment with the police department was as a team member of a surveillance unit charged with conducting investigations pertaining to injured employees currently on disability status and suspected of fraud. Several of his investigations led to the termination and discipline of numerous police officers on disability leave who were engaged in activities inconsistent with their medical disability. His most notable achievement was a 1989 investigation that resulted in a 74 count criminal complaint against seven people - including a police officer on disability leave and his father-in-law, a disbarred attorney - who operated four medical clinics in the Boyle Heights area of Los Angeles that were staffed mostly by bogus medical personnel. Most pled guilty to the charges. Mr. Cooper founded and has successfully operated Medical Disability Investigators since 1992. His clients have almost entirely been state and local government entities. He has dedicated almost his entire life to public service. Many private investigative agencies tout their law enforcement credentials, but often do not have experience or exposure to personnel management or workers' compensation issues. Mr. Cooper s final five years with the police department centered on work place disability investigations. For sixteen years he has successfully managed his private investigative business which specializes in employer/employee related investigations. Although thorough and objective workers' compensation investigations has been his trademark, identifying fraudulant claims, ferreting out dishonest employees and pre employment matters have occupied much of his time. He has conducted literally thousands of interviews with applicants, supervisors, doctors and witnesses with the objective of learning the facts. Managing his own business has perhaps been his most challenging endeavor. Time management, meeting deadlines and supervising his professional team of investigators are responsibilities he has learned not to take lightly. He has a proven track record in these matters. Mr. Cooper has acquired extensive investigative experience, including more than 15,000 hours of surveillance of those suspected of workers' compensation fraud. Have extensive video experience. Between 1998 and 1999, Mr. Cooper conducted an investigation of a city employee on disability leave that led to a 2001 conviction for workers compensation fraud. The
employee received a six month jail sentence and was ordered to pay restitution of over $ 60,000. Over the course of fifteen years Mr. Cooper has conducted more than 2,000 employer level AOE/COE investigations designed to establish whether injury or illness was industrial in nature. He has conducted thousands of interviews related to workers compensation, criminal and civil investigations. Mr. Cooper has conducted workers compensation fraud seminars for adjusters employed for State Compensation Insurance Fund. Special emphasis placed on working as a team and methods of identifying workers compensation fraud. Mr. Cooper has extensive experience assisting legal council and personnel analysts in preparation for criminal, administrative and Workers Compensation Appeals Board hearings. He has appeared in court on countless occasions providing expert testimony related to his investigations. In addition to workers compensation and disability matters, Mr. Cooper has developed a reputation investigating dishonest employee issues. He has a background as an undercover department store detective and responsible for many successful dishonest employee theft prosecutions. A number of apprehensions involved sophisticated shop lift rings. Mr. Cooper has conducted a number of dishonest employee investigations for the Department of General Services and Department of Building and Safety, City of Los Angeles. Some investigations involved the use of sophisticated covert video surveillance equipment to detect theft and the identity of individuals using companyowned computers off hours to download pornographic web sights. Mr. Cooper Is a skilled skip tracer which has assisted him in many ways. He was retained over ten years ago by local postal credit union to assist with the recovery of automobiles whose owners failed to meet their financial obligations. INVESTIGATIVE SERVICES OFFERED Workers' Compensation Sub-Rosa AOE / COE Related Services Consulting Pre-Employment / Background Dishonest Employee Investigations Process Service Skip Trace
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE CHIEF INVESTIGATOR, President - Medical Disability Investigators, Inc. 1992 - Present Career Highlights As a licensed private investigator, Mr. Cooper founded Medical Disability Investigators, Inc. in 1992, a full service investigative firm specializing in workers compensation related investigations. Clients have included state and local government entities, insurance carriers, third party administrators and the legal community. Mr. Cooper has conducted workers compensation fraud seminars for adjusters employed for State Compensation Insurance Fund. Special emphasis placed on working as a team, methods of identifying workers compensation fraud. Extensive investigative experience, including more than 15,000 hours of surveillance of those suspected of workers' compensation fraud. Have extensive video experience. In 1998 and 1999, Mr. Cooper conducted an investigation of a city employee on disability leave that led to a 2001 conviction for workers compensation fraud. The employee received a six month jail sentence and was ordered to pay restitution of over $ 60,000. Over the course of fifteen years I have conducted more than 2,000 employer level AOE/COE investigations designed to establish whether injury or illness was industrial in nature. I have conducted thousands of interviews related to workers compensation, criminal and civil investigations. Mr. Cooper has conducted numerous dishonest employee investigations for the Department of General Services and Department of Building and Safety, city of Los Angeles. Some investigations involved the use of sophisticated covert video surveillance equipment to detect theft and the identity of individuals using company-owned computers off hours to download pornographic web sights. Mr. Cooper has extensive experience assisting legal council and personnel analysts in preparation for criminal, administrative and Workers Compensation Appeals Board hearings. He has also provided expert testimony during these hearings.
POLICE SERGEANT, Los Angeles Police Department (Retired), Los Angeles, California. Career Highlights 1974-1985 Patrol and Field Training Officer 1974-1994 1986-1994 Police Sergeant Patrol Supervisor, Communications Division Supervisor, Adjutant, Investigator 1986-1988 Mr. Cooper supervised field personnel, civilian dispatchers at L A P D s communications center and investigated allegations of misconduct against police personnel. 1988 Patrol Adjutant Mr. Cooper served as an aid to the division commanding officer. I was responsible for reviewing all administrative work, including personnel complaints, audits, submitted for approval. He served as training coordinator for the division. 1988-1991 Investigator, Workers Compensation Mr. Cooper served as a member of a team of investigators assigned to monitor sworn and civilian employees on sick and injured on duty status. He assessed new claims and made initial determination as to whether injury or illness was industrial in nature. He served as liaison to the Personnel Department, City Attorney s Office, Pension Department, and the medical community. His 1989 investigation led to a 74 count criminal complaint against seven people - including a police officer on disability leave and his father-in-law, a disbarred attorney - who operated four medical clinics in the Boyle Heights area of Los Angeles that were staffed mostly by bogus medical personnel. 1991-1992 Officer in Charge of Medical Claims Analysis Unit Mr. Cooper served as a special assistant to the deputy chief of police for the Valley Bureau and was responsible for monitoring the status of all sworn personnel on injured on duty status. I served as wellness coordinator and liaison to the Personnel Department, Pension Department and medical community. Reviewed medical reports and met with injured workers with special emphasis placed on returning officers to work in a light duty status.
1992-1994 Team Member of Claims Validation Unit 1988-1994 Mr. Cooper served in a plain-clothed capacity performing surveillance assignments to determine extent of injuries of officers on injured on duty status. I met with medical professionals to review video and conducted preliminary investigation related to misconduct when appropriate. Several of his investigations led to the termination and discipline of numerous police officers on disability leave who were engaged in activities inconsistent with their medical disability. More than 200 hours of experience interviewing perspective entry level police officer candidates. Mr. Cooper was assigned to a special unit (on loan) as a supervisor responsible for the review of pre-employment background investigations of police candidates. He reviewed completed investigations for accuracy and completeness. STORE DETECTIVE - Bullocks Department Stores Century City, Ca 1974-1976 Career Highlights Working as an undercover department store detective was responsible for many successful dishonest employee theft prosecutions. Some included the use of sophisticated electronic monitoring devices. EDUCATION 62 Semester Units, Criminal Justice major- AA Degree Universities and Colleges attended: Sierra College, Rocklin, California (Northern California) 1972-1974 California State University at Los Angeles 1974, 1979 College of the Canyons, Valencia, California 1985, 1987-1989 640 hours (POST certified) specialized training (Los Angeles Police Academy) 1974 400 hours (Post certified) in-service training (Los Angeles Police Academy) 1974-1994
24 Hours, Insurance Fraud Seminar (Sacramento, December, 1993) Seminar was co-sponsored by the California District Attorneys Association and the California Department of Insurance. TRADE ASSOCIATIONS Former member of the Southern California Fraud Investigators Association MILITARY United States Army (Signal Corps) 1970-1972 My service included a one- year tour of duty in Panama (Canal Zone). Mr. Cooper held a Secret security clearance.