Jim Patterson has an extensive background working with and alongside the criminal justice system. He graduated from East Tennessee State University and completed his B.A.Sc. in criminal justice and corrections. His career began with the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department as a patrol officer. This led him to later serve under various titles on the local, state, and federal levels for the next 35 years. Following his time with CMPD, he began working for the state of NC as a probation officer and subsequently at the U.S. Probation Office. During his time there he held many titles including training coordinator, supervisor, and deputy chief U.S. probation officer, all while serving on the federal court.
Upon retirement, he obtained his NC P.I. license and began working as an Investigator. Jim has used his many years of experience and knowledge to serve individuals, businesses, and government agencies in the private sector and has handled cases across the country and internationally. Experience in curriculum development was gained while working with the Federal Judicial Center (FJC) in Washington, D.C, when he was employed by the U.S. Probation Office. The FJC is the national training division for the federal court system.
He conducts training on stress management, communication/relationship building, management coaching, conflict resolution, and team building. Jim has the ability to develop training specific to the needs of an organization.
He provides a variety of training programs to enhance relationships, responsibility, and productivity in the workplace. Jim is a member of the American Institute of Stress, which is a non-profit organization whose mission is to set the standard of excellence of stress management in education, research, clinical care, and the workplace. This training is especially important for staff in the criminal justice field for public safety and their own safety. You can read more about Jim by clicking on the link below to see his full background on LinkedIn.
Contact Jim Patterson
NCPI - 4951
(828) 712-5460
Tom was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and began his 29-year federal government career after graduating from the University of Dayton with a B.S. degree in Criminal Justice. Upon leaving his last position, he decided to obtain his Private Investigator License. With a demonstrated history of working in the security and investigations industry, working as a P.I. was a great new avenue for him to follow. He is a former Federal Special Agent that is skilled in criminal, civil, administrative, and regulatory investigations. Tom has tenaciously conducted and supervised federal criminal investigations involving fraud, money laundering, counter-terrorism, counterfeit merchandise, child exploitation, narcotics smuggling, and human trafficking. He also served as a Project and Program Manager responsible for supervising large-scale federal government and private sector operations and contracts. Tom is an experienced instructor responsible for developing courses and practical exercises for domestic and international training.
Tom retired from the federal government in 2012 and successfully transitioned to the private corporate sector where he held titles such as Director of Security, and Vice President of Special Investigations. Tom is a Certified Protection Professional (CPP) since 2011 - a CPP is the highest designation awarded to individuals whose primary responsibilities are in security management who have demonstrated advanced knowledge in security solutions, best business practices, and recognized as proven leaders in their profession. BCI is proud to have Tom join our team as the Director of Intelligence. You can read more about Tom by clicking on the link below to see his full background on LinkedIn.
Contact Thomas Harter
NCPI - 416205
(980) 242-9459
Mr. Thomas Geisler founded blue Chameleon Investigations. Owning and operating his own Private Investigation Agency was something that Tom always wanted to do. He proudly served his community and retired as a Detective from the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department after serving for nearly 30 years. Retirement didn’t last long for this Detective. It was a foreign feeling to him and it became clear, it was the right time to start his own Private Investigation Agency. He soon looked into getting his P.I. License. These were the beginning phases before his personal vision came to fruition. The name Blue Chameleon Investigations (BCI) was inspired by his beloved wife and her love of chameleons. The company logo was something that they collaborated on and a local artist brought it to life.
Mr. Geisler was driven to expand with experienced, trusted, and credible Investigators. He formed many professional relationships throughout the course of his career that carries into today. Blue Chameleon Investigations is a full-service Investigation Agency that offers a broad variety of experience and the majority of our team is retired law enforcement. BCI keeps clients involved, and informed, and ensures they are given all potential options. BCI is known for its professionalism, integrity, and results! When you bring Blue Chameleon into your case, you have us as your ally. We can be of service to all levels of Investigations. Whether you are an individual or a major corporation, turn to us when you’re in need. You can trust BCI to find the truth.
About BCI
Meet Our Team

Thomas Geisler
Founder, President & CEO
NC Licensed Private Investigator
SC Licensed Private Investigator
Thomas Geisler has been a Charlotte resident for over 35 years and graduated from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a B.S. in Criminal Justice and Police Science. He served proudly with the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department, starting off as a Patrol Officer. In the early stages of his career, he worked as a Field Training Officer, providing supervision and field training of recruits that graduated from the Charlotte Police Academy. During his time with the Department, he later spent twenty-five years in the Investigative Services Division. He worked in numerous Investigative units that specialized in both property crimes and crimes against persons.
Thomas has a strong background in computer technology as well as security assessment and management. He earned numerous certifications while employed with the department, including Interviewing, Interrogation, and Video Analyst Certification. He retired after 28 years on the force. Upon his retirement, he founded Blue Chameleon Investigations. Once the company was established, Thomas was highly selective and only chose the best of the best to add on to his team. Today, he is proud of his expansion and the many services that his company offers. Blue Chameleon Investigations has now been in operation for over 5 years and he serves as President and Lead Investigator for his organization. You can read more about Tom by clicking on the link below to see his full background on LinkedIn.
Contact Thomas Geisler
NCPI- 5022
SCPI- D0003508

Mike Sloop
Director of Operations
NC Licensed Private Investigator
Mike Sloop, a lifetime resident of Charlotte, joined the Charlotte Police Department in 1982 as a second-generation police officer where he worked until retirement in 2011. During his 30 years of credited service, he worked in various areas including patrol, criminal investigations, and special operations, which included federal task forces.
As a police supervisor, he oversaw personnel matters, staffing, budget, inventory, and equipment needs while developing crime prevention strategies that focused police resources on crime patterns and repeat offenders. In secondary assignments, he served more than 10 years on the SWAT Team as a negotiator and the Operations Commander for the Hostage Crisis Team. While assigned to these various units, he gained extensive investigative experience by conducting and supervising both criminal investigations, including crimes against property and crimes against persons. In addition, he is a graduate of Central Piedmont Community College, where he holds an associate degree in criminal justice. He also holds an Advanced Law Enforcement Certificate from the State of North Carolina and has accumulated over 3,000 hours of law enforcement training including specific training, expertise, and experience in investigating most crimes including property crimes of violence, and drug-related offenses. You can read more about Mike by clicking on the link below to see his full background on LinkedIn.
Contact Mike Sloop
NCPI - 4931

Merl Hamilton
Director of Government Accounts
NC Licensed Private Investigator
Merl Hamilton began his 30-year law enforcement career with the Hickory (NC) Police Department. During his nearly 20-year career with that agency, he served in all divisions including Patrol, Criminal Investigations, and Support Services. He led numerous investigations involving both property and personal crime and regularly participated in surveillance operations concerning narcotics and prostitution violations. Hamilton also served as commander of Hickory’s first Community Oriented Policing team and spent time as the supervisor over that Department’s hiring process and SWAT team. He reached the rank of Deputy Chief of Police with Hickory and came to Concord, NC in 2001 as Chief of Police. During his time as chief, Concord enjoyed a steady decline in crime. As Chief, he oversaw many high-profile investigations including serious crimes and those involving well-known persons. Hamilton was the top law enforcement official for ten years for all NASCAR events at Charlotte Motor Speedway including the planning and execution of security plans for these large sporting events. After completing his law enforcement career, Hamilton spent seven years as Assistant then-Deputy City Manager for Concord. He served as interim Human Resources Director among other interim Department Director assignments. He is a graduate of Lenoir Rhyne University, holds an Advanced Law Enforcement Certificate, and is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and the US Secret Service training seminar. He served as president of the NC Association of Chiefs of Police and is involved in several non-profit organizations in Concord. You can read more about Merl by clicking on the link below to see his full background on LinkedIn.
Contact Merl Hamilton
NCPI - 5756

Jim Patterson
Director of Training
NC Licensed Private Investigator
