Company Leadership
Joseph E. Canone, Jr.
President & CEO
Joseph E. Canone, Jr. is President, Chief Executive Officer and a co-founder of Pinnacle Investigations, Inc. He brings more than thirty-three (33) years experience in the investigative industry to his role as Managing Partner of the Due Diligence and Corporate Investigations practice and to his responsibilities for overall company operations.
Mr. Canone’s professional background includes:
- Five years as an undercover operative in a defense intelligence operation
- Developed Pinnacle’s domestic/international due diligence practice and its training programs for research analysts
- Conducted noteworthy environmental investigations
- Works to protect Fortune 500 companies trade and operational secrets through countermeasures investigations
- Conducts effective executive protection assignments and is part of an executive protection team for a Fortune 100 Company.
- Managed the company’s insurance fraud practice
Joseph majored in General Studies/Pre-Law at Kutztown University and he holds an Associates Degree in Criminal Justice Administration. He has received continuing education through the American Society for Industrial Security, the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners and the New Jersey Special Investigators Association in the areas of Corporate & Due Diligence Investigation, Advanced Internet Research/Information Retrieval, and Internal Fraud Investigation. He has presented on the topics “Conducting Effective Due Diligence in a Global Economy”, “Internet Techniques and Tools”, “Due Diligence/Open Source Record Retrieval” and “Open Source Record Exposure of Executives Personal Information.” In addition, Mr. Canone has completed several training programs in executive protection, protective driving and continues to assist clients/executives at corporate sponsored events for Fortune 100 companies.
Professional memberships include:
- Council of International Investigators
- American Society for Industrial Security
- New Jersey Licensed Private Investigators Association
- Pennsylvania Association of Licensed Investigators
Mr. Canone is a member of the board of directors for AAA Northampton County. His volunteer work includes organizing and sponsoring The Open, an annual charitable golf tournament and community events benefiting cancer charities and local causes.
Matthew B. Orr
Vice President & CFO
Matthew B. Orr is a co-founder, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Pinnacle Investigations, Inc. In addition to overseeing the company’s financial operations, Matthew is the Managing Partner of the Litigation Support Practice.
Accomplishments during his more than twenty (20) years in the investigative industry include conducting extensive field investigation and research in areas such as:
- Serious catastrophic accidents
- Mass tort litigation
- Environmental exposures
- Managing surveillance operations
- Providing intelligence and executive protection support for corporate executives
- Successfully conducting investigations in high-exposure matters.
Mr. Orr holds a BA in Political Science/Pre-Law from Messiah College. Professional memberships include the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners and the New Jersey Licensed Private Investigator Association (NJLPIA).
Matthew’s continuing education at the local and national level has been through:
- Association of Certified Fraud Examiners
- New Jersey Special Investigators Association
- Institute of Continuing Legal Education
- NJ Open Public Records Act
- Workers’ Compensation and Employment Law
Mr. Orr has also conducted educational presentations on varying investigative topics for a diverse audience of clients and professional associations. He volunteers as a board member for several non-profit organizations and assists in overseeing personnel issues as well as children and youth worker screening procedures for one. Matthew also coaches in a number of community youth sports organizations.
Courtney R. Williams
Director of Research & Operations
Courtney R. Williams is a Research Analyst at Pinnacle Investigations, Inc. She previously served as an Income Maintenance Casework Supervisor with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, where she cultivated a mastery of policy interpretation, information analysis, investigative skills, interviewing techniques, and research methods. These skills, combined with her keen attention to detail, inquisitive nature, and love of research have equipped her for success as an analyst with Pinnacle’s Due Diligence and Corporate Investigations practice, as well as our Litigation Support practice.
Courtney is a veteran of the United States Army, where she served as a medic and paratrooper. In her five years of service, she was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and was deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Courtney holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of Missouri at Saint Louis, as well as a Master of Business Administration degree from Liberty University. Courtney’s volunteer commitments include serving on a community outreach team that supports several local non-profit organizations throughout the area. She also volunteers as a chef with Lasagna Love and provides a home cooked meal to local families in need once a month.
William F. Castillo
Case Manager
William F. Castillo is a Case Manager at Pinnacle Investigations, Inc. He joined Pinnacle after a distinguished career at the New York Police Department, where he retired as a Detective in 2020. Prior to joining the NYPD, he worked as a Case Worker/Investigator for the Suffolk County Department of Child Protective Services, and he interned as a Criminal Investigator at the Legal Aid Society. Between retiring from the NYPD and joining Pinnacle, Will worked as an Estimator in the construction industry in New York, which gives him special insight into construction accidents and litigation.
Will is bilingual, fluent in both English and Spanish. Since joining Pinnacle, he has brought investigative expertise to the company’s diverse client base by conducting and directing numerous field and rapid response investigations. He manages a full caseload involving diverse matters requiring multi-disciplinary investigation.
Will graduated from Long Island University with a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice in 1999 after obtaining an Associate of Arts & Science in Criminal Justice at the State University of New York at Farmingdale in 1996. He also attained certification as a Child Protective Services Case Worker in 2000 from Cornell University.
Benjamin D. Orr
Associate Director of Investigations
Benjamin D. Orr is the Associate Director of Investigations at Pinnacle Investigations Inc. He started as a Case Manager, where he developed expertise in the core practices of Pinnacle and received training in evidentiary rules, data collection, ethics, public record research & retrieval, and open-source intelligence. Alongside a deep understanding of the digital media landscape, these skills have positioned him for success as the Associate Director of Investigations, servicing both Pinnacle’s Litigation Support Division and Due Diligence and Corporate Investigations practice.
Mr. Orr attended Baylor University and received a Bachelor of Arts in Film & Digital Media, which included extensive training and experience with the technical aspects of photo, video and audio capture/recording, editing, and preservation. Additionally, his focus in the program included working as a researcher on various projects related to future technologies including machine learning, augmented reality, and virtual reality.
Prior to joining Pinnacle Investigations, Inc., Mr. Orr worked in pre-production and market research in the television & film industry in Manhattan. Later, he co-founded a multimedia production company in Bethlehem, PA, which focused on servicing clients in PA, NY, and NJ. He has worked closely with legal, medical, industrial, private equity, non-profit, and corporate clients. His experiences in senior leadership through this endeavor included directing and advising others through both technical processes and creative problem solving, which have uniquely positioned Ben to bring a wide-reaching understanding and analysis of the fields he has worked in. Through this, he also garnered vast experience with documenting events, gatherings, and happenings as a photographer and videographer in a variety of circumstances.
When not at work, Mr. Orr has a passion for documenting the people, places and culture of the Lehigh Valley & surrounding areas. Additionally, his volunteer commitments include serving the local arts community through documentation and serving on local arts advisory boards, planning and teaching extracurricular educational programs for children and youth, and co-leading a video team for a Bucks County nonprofit.
Gary Vinson
Project Manager
Gary Vinson is a Project Manager at Pinnacle Investigations, Inc. with over 40 years of experience as a leader in the Behavioral Health field. Gary held high level leadership positions at several nationally recognized organizations including KidsPeace National Centers, Keystone Human Services and Resources for Human Development. Gary is also currently involved as a Principal Consultant at Consulting for Human Services specializing in Mergers and Acquisitions. Gary was previously a Certified Investigator with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania while employed at Resources for Human Development.
Gary holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from Kutztown University and a Master’s Degree in Education from Concordia University. Gary has strong relationships with local government agencies and brings a great deal of marketing and networking experience to Pinnacle Investigations, Inc. In addition to his investigative skills and experience with court and government agencies, Mr. Vinson has received training in ethics, public records retrieval and OSINT research. Gary previously coached for youth sports in his community and has mentored several youth for Big Brothers of Northampton County.