Not a Law Firm
Bar Rule 3.6 bars attorneys from using the press. We’re an investigative newsroom, not a law firm — and we operate under journalistic freedoms that let us do what your defense team legally cannot.
Indicted by the DOJ, SEC, or IRS?
Your attorney can’t use the press. You can.
US~Observer is an investigative news organization led by Michael Quiel — vindicated 8–0 by a federal jury after a 15-year fight. For 35 years we’ve done what defense attorneys legally cannot.
“They spent 15 years trying to destroy me. Eight jurors needed four hours to set me free — then hugged me in the hallway.”
Michael Quiel · CEO, US~Observer
93%
93% of federal cases end in conviction. Don't walk in without every tool available.
Confidential
1st Amendment Protected
35+ yrs
of investigative work since 1991
All 50
states served, plus international
80%
of cases resolve without publication
Days–months
to resolution, not 5–6 years
Why US~Observer
We do what your defense attorney legally cannot. Since 1991.
An attorney argues inside the courtroom. We investigate everywhere else — the evidence prosecutors hide, the contradictions they ignore, the public record that turns indictments into dismissals.
First Amendment Confidential
Calls are protected by reporter’s shield privilege — separate, stronger, and not subject to the subpoenas that pierce attorney-client privilege. 35 years, zero burned sources.
Evidence Your Lawyer Can’t Build
Case chronologies, evidence maps, witness contradiction matrices, Brady/Giglio audits — counsel-ready packages your defense team plugs straight into trial.
Public Pressure That Works
80% of cases resolve before publication. The threat of a sourced, printable article brings prosecutors and adversaries to the table. The other 20% become the headline.
Days, Weeks, Months
Federal cases drag on for 5–6 years on the conventional track. US~Observer-driven matters resolve in days, weeks, or months — matching the speed of the threat.
Alongside Your Attorney
We don’t replace your defense team — we make them dangerous. Evidence packages, expert referrals, and rebuttal narratives slot directly into their strategy.
What We Investigate
The work that keeps innocent people out of prison.
Federal white-collar matters where the client is innocent, willing to invest in a real investigation, and ready to fight back.
DOJ · FBI · USAO
Federal White-Collar Defense
Mail fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy, RICO, target letters. We surface the prosecutorial vulnerabilities every federal indictment has — missing FBI 302s, undisclosed witness benefits, informant credibility holes — and hand your attorney a counsel-ready exhibit package.
SEC · FINRA · CFTC
SEC & Securities Fraud
Securities fraud, market manipulation, insider trading. Our proprietary USO Arbiter system surfaces trading patterns and inter-broker behaviors regulators routinely miss. Michael Quiel’s own 8–0 jury vindication in his SEC case is built into how we work.
IRS-CI · DOJ Tax
IRS Criminal Investigation
Tax evasion, failure-to-file, false-return defense. We reconstruct documents, build filing chronologies, and develop intent-rebuttal narratives. The Morans achieved complete vindication on all 64 IRS felony counts with US~Observer behind their defense.
Civil Recovery
Naked Short Selling & Recovery
Public-company officer, founder, or investor whose stock was destroyed by abusive short selling? USO Arbiter identifies the trading patterns, names the bad actors, and builds the civil recovery case. Millions recovered for defrauded clients to date.
Brady · Giglio
Prosecutorial Misconduct
Suppressed exculpatory evidence, coached witnesses, selective prosecution. The DOJ logs 660 misconduct instances with one prosecutor disciplined. We put the facts in front of the public and force accountability where the courtroom alone fails.
Press · Restoration
Reputation & Vindication
A federal indictment lives forever in Google. Our vindication coverage — nationally distributed — restores the public record and gives you a sourced article you can hand to clients, lenders, employers, and family for the rest of your career.
80%
Resolved Without Publication
“The threat of a sourced article is usually enough. The other 20% become the headline.”
US~Observer · Since 1991
8–0
Quiel Vindication
Michael Quiel won an 8–0 federal jury verdict in his own SEC case.
How It Works
Indictment to vindication in four steps.
Most cases move from intake call to active investigation inside a week.
- 1
Confidential Intake
Senior investigator returns your call within one business day. First Amendment protected — what you share stays with our team.
- 2
Case Evaluation
We map the indictment against the facts, identify investigative angles your defense team can’t pursue, and tell you straight if we can move it.
- 3
Active Investigation
Chronology, evidence map, witness contradiction matrix, Brady/Giglio audit. Coordinated with your attorney. Pressure applied where it works.
- 4
Resolution
80% of cases resolve without publication. When we do publish, it becomes the permanent record of your vindication.
Track Record
The cases that define US~Observer.
Since 1991: thousands of charges beaten, federal conviction streaks ended, millions recovered for defrauded investors.
Client
Michael Quiel
SEC-driven federal indictment
Outcome: 8–0 federal jury vindication
After a 15-year fight, eight jurors needed four hours to clear our CEO — then hugged him in the hallway. Lived experience now informs every case we take.
Client
James & Pamela Moran
64 IRS felony counts
Outcome: Complete vindication on all 64
We rebuilt the case chronology, surfaced preparer-reliance evidence the government buried, and delivered the exhibit package that ended an IRS conviction streak.
Client
Federal Defendants
Mail fraud, wire fraud, RICO
Outcome: $850K settlement & dismissals
Multi-defendant federal matters built on cherry-picked transactions. Our contradiction matrix flipped the cases to dismissal and civil settlement instead of conviction.
Client
Public-Company Officers
Abusive short selling damage
Outcome: Millions recovered for investors
USO Arbiter identified the trading patterns, named the bad actors, and built the civil recovery case. Multi-million-dollar investor recovery across multiple matters.
Recognized By
Endorsed by the names who fight the federal machine.
Ron Paul
Former Congressman
G. Gordon Liddy
Author / broadcaster
Edward Snook
Founder · Editor-in-Chief
Leadership
The man who beat the federal machine — now leads the team that fights it.
Michael Quiel
CEO · US~Observer
8–0
Federal Jury
Michael Quiel is the rare federal-prosecution survivor who runs an organization that fights them. After a 15-year SEC-driven case, eight jurors needed four hours to deliver an 8–0 vindication. Today he leads US~Observer using the lived blueprint of what beats the federal machine.
15 yrs
the system tried to break him
8–0
federal jury vindication
4 hrs
for jurors to clear him
35+ yrs
investment banking
Edward Snook · Founder
Founded US~Observer in 1991. Overturned false murder charges in US District Court — one of the rarest legal outcomes in federal history. 35 years of investigative reporting and client advocacy.
All 50
U.S. states
International
Select jurisdictions
Federal · State
Both court systems
Remote
We come to you
Common Questions
The questions every client asks first.
Straight answers. The rest belong on the intake call.
Are you a law firm?
No. US~Observer is an investigative news organization, not a law firm. We work alongside your defense team — doing the investigative and public-pressure work Bar Rule 3.6 prohibits attorneys from doing. We do not give legal advice or represent you in court.
Are calls really confidential?
Yes. Calls are protected under the First Amendment and reporter’s source privilege — separate, stronger, and not subject to the subpoenas that pierce attorney-client privilege. 35 years, zero burned sources.
How is this different from a private investigator?
A PI gathers evidence but can’t publish, can’t apply public pressure, and operates under state licensing constraints. We operate under journalistic freedoms with 35 years of federal-prosecution source relationships and a nationally distributed paper.
Are you accepting pro bono cases?
No. US~Observer is a fee-based professional services firm. The investigative work, expert coordination, and publication leverage we deploy are not free to run — and that investment is what makes them effective.
What kinds of cases do you take?
Federal white-collar matters where the client asserts factual innocence and no criminal intent — mail/wire fraud, conspiracy, RICO, securities fraud, IRS criminal, prosecutorial misconduct, abusive short selling. We do not represent clients who admit guilt.
How fast does this move?
Federal cases drag on for 5–6 years on the conventional track. US~Observer-driven matters typically resolve in days, weeks, or months. Intake call within one business day; active investigation begins within a week if we engage.
Will my case end up in the newspaper?
80% of cases resolve without publication — the threat of a sourced article is usually enough. When publication is part of the strategy, you sign off before anything runs.
How do I know you can help my case?
You don’t — until we have the intake call. It’s free, confidential, and First Amendment protected. We listen, ask the questions that surface whether investigative angles exist, and tell you straight whether we can move it.
Confidential Intake
Tell us about your case. We’ll take it from there.
Fill out the form and a senior US~Observer investigator returns your call within one business day. The call is protected under the First Amendment and reporter’s source privilege. Nothing you share leaves our investigative team unless you authorize it.
- Calls are confidential and First Amendment protected
- Senior investigator returns your call within one business day
- We are not a law firm — we work alongside yours
- Investigative work, evidence packages, public pressure
- Not accepting pro bono cases — fee-based engagement
Call Now (Confidential)
(602) 960-4609Time-zoned for Arizona business hours. After-hours calls are returned by a senior investigator the next business day. Voicemails and form submissions are reviewed daily.