Mike Wagner

Mike Wagner is the Director of the Las Vegas office for 1789 Investigations Group, bringing a wealth of experience from his 23-year career with the United States Marshals Service (USMS). Retiring in 2018, Mike spent the last six years of his service as a Senior Operations Manager at the USMS National Sex Offender Targeting Center (NSOTC). The NSOTC is a multi-agency fusion center dedicated to supporting the USMS Sex Offender Investigations Branch and assisting state, local, military, and tribal law enforcement in tracking down non-compliant sex offenders. During his tenure, Mike was instrumental in designing and directing a nationwide training program that equipped thousands of law enforcement personnel with the tools and knowledge to effectively utilize the services of the NSOTC. Under his leadership, the center expanded significantly in both size and scope, including the creation of an international program, a data science program, and a missing child unit.

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Before his work with the NSOTC, Mike was a key member of the USMS Financial Surveillance Unit (FSU), where his specialized investigative training led to the arrests of hundreds of fugitives. Among his most notable cases were the capture of Eric Toth, a sex offender on the FBI's Top 10 list; James Jones, the U.S. Army’s most wanted fugitive, who had evaded capture for 27 years; and John Cody, also known as Bobby Thompson, a scam artist who stole $100 million over a decade and had been a fugitive for more than 25 years.

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Mike's career with the USMS was largely based in the Northern District of Ohio, where he conducted risk assessments and developed operational plans for several high-threat criminal trials involving multiple defendants. He also played a crucial role in the development of the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force.

After retiring from the USMS, Mike transitioned to the private sector, first as an Executive Protection Agent for the CEOs of a Fortune 100 company. He later applied his investigative expertise as a Corporate Investigator for a large international logistics company, where his work saved the company millions of dollars in insurance claims and provided critical evidence for court proceedings.

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Today, Mike applies his extensive investigative and surveillance skills as a Private Investigator. He has a particular passion for cases involving security threat assessments, scams, fraud attempts, and the protection of vulnerable populations such as children and the elderly. Whether locating people who have gone off the grid or tackling any other challenging casework, Mike brings a meticulous and determined approach to his investigations, making him a valuable asset to 1789 Investigations Group.