About the Croft & Hicks Team

Robert Croft—Licensed Investigator
Over the course of his law enforcement career, Robert Croft has conducted numerous overt and covert investigative operations, ranging from targeting street level drug offenders to high-level narcotics trafficking organizations, as well as undercover investigations within public high schools. He has also conducted undercover investigations regarding stolen property, weapons, food stamp fraud and murder-for-hire. Mr. Croft is expert in the development and management of confidential informants, preparation and execution of search warrants, asset forfeiture, surveillance, and the use of a wide variety of audio and video surveillance equipment.

Robert Croft attended the Houston Community College Police Academy in Houston, Texas, graduating top of his class. Croft began his law enforcement career with the Dayton Police Department in 1990 as a warrant officer, and was quickly promoted to patrol officer. In 1992 he joined the Liberty County Sheriff’s Department in nearby Liberty, Texas, and was also a member of the Liberty Police Department SWAT team. After attaining the rank of detective, Mr. Croft was assigned to the Criminal Investigation Division, responsible for conducting a wide range of criminal investigations, including aggravated assaults, burglaries, child abuse, and homicides.

Croft became chief Narcotics Investigator for the Liberty County Sheriff’s Department, in addition to managing the department’s Narcotics Evidence Room. He conducted overt and covert narcotic investigations in rural areas and large cities, working with local law enforcement agencies, Texas DPS, TNCP Narcotic Task Forces, ATF and DEA. During this period Croft also trained three deputies to conduct narcotic investigations and managed a canine handler assigned to the division to assist in drug interdiction efforts throughout Liberty and surrounding counties. Mr. Croft was recognized by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Texas for his narcotics work while with the Sheriff’s Department. He was also recognized by the Liberty/Chambers County District Attorney’s Office for an undercover murder-for-hire investigation involving a couple conspiring to murder a prominent businessman in Atlanta, Georgia. 

In 1998 Croft joined the Dayton Independent School District Police Department. While with the school district, he developed and implemented successful programs to protect students and district property, provide narcotics education and prevention, enforce truancy laws, and furnish district support in dealing with at-risk juveniles.

In 2002, Croft joined the 216th Judicial District Narcotics Task Force in Kerrville, Texas as an investigator. He conducted overt and covert investigations in Kerr, Bandera, Gillespie and Kendall counties, and worked with local law enforcement agencies, Texas DPS and the ATF.

In 2004 he left law enforcement to become an entrepreneur. Managing a successful manufacturing and marketing business has enabled Mr. Croft to add many important management, organizational and financial competencies to his law enforcement skill set.

James "Charlie" Hicks—Licensed Investigator
James “Charlie” Hicks brings over 21 years of diverse law enforcement experience to the Croft & Hicks team, ranging from armed security patrols to Chief Criminal Investigator. Mr. Hicks has over 1800 hours of training in Criminal Investigation, Narcotic Investigation, Patrol Tactics and Law Enforcement Administration. Mr. Hicks is also a Certified Expert Witness for narcotics cases, holds a Master Peace Officer certification from the State of Texas, and is a Texas Licensed Law Enforcement Instructor.

Charlie Hicks began his law enforcement career as an armed security guard, progressing within three years to the rank of Lieutenant, responsible for supervising over 100 security guards. In 1988, he became a police officer, holding positions as a patrol officer (attaining the rank of Patrol Lieutenant), criminal warrant officer, civil process officer, undercover Narcotics Investigator (promoted to Lieutenant), Chief Criminal Investigator over all criminal offenses, Chief Deputy and Interim Sheriff for Kerr County, Texas.

Charlie Hicks has been in charge of two separate Narcotics Units in Kerr County and Hardin County, Texas and was a member of the 216th and the 357th Judicial District Narcotics Task Forces. While a member of the narcotics task forces, he was instrumental in coordinating the efforts of local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies.

Charlie has been nominated as Officer of Year by the State of Texas and has received numerous commendations, including Officer of Year by the Kerr County Sheriff’s Department in 1999. He also received a commendation by the 216th District Narcotics Task Force in 2002 for his efforts in undercover narcotics interdiction operations in Bandera County, Texas.

Dr. Michael Binion—Licensed Investigator
Dr. Michael Binion brings a wealth of pharmaceutical expertise and a long track record of hands-on experience to the investigative arena.

Dr. Binion has a distinguished record of public service in the United States Air Force, retiring as a Colonel after 26 years of active duty. During his Air Force career he served as Director of Clinical Pharmacy Services, Malcolm Grow Medical Center, a major medical facility in the Washington, D.C. area. He was also a Professor, Family Practice Medicine Department for the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences and at the College of Pharmacy, University of Maryland. 

After being assigned to Brooks Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, he served as Chief of the Radiation and Toxicology Division, Chief of the Director Energy Division, and Director of the  Occupation and Environmental Health Laboratory (OEHL). This organization was responsible for conducting Air Force medical research, and environmental quality research and development (R&D). In addition to R&D functions OEHL also helped ensure Air Force military operations were in full compliance with both Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Occupational Safety and Health Agency (OSHA) standards within United States geographic boundaries as well as throughout the world.

During his Air Force tenure, Dr. Binion was credentialed for Secret (S), Top Secret (TS), Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI), and other security clearances.

Dr. Binion’s academic achievements include a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Pharmacy from the University of Kentucky in 1973, where he was named a Kappa Psi Professional Society member. He earned a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Sul Ross University in 1976 and was awarded a Doctor of Pharmacy Degree in 1983 from the University of Kentucky. Later that same year he completed a clinical pharmacy residency program.

Dr. Binion has an extensive patient care background, with over thirty-five years of experience in pharmacotherapy, pharmacokinetics, evaluation of adverse drug reactions/side effects, and assessment of medication interaction with other drugs, food products, and environmental factors. He has performed numerous institutional drug utilization reviews (DUR) to determine adequacy and appropriateness of physician medication usage in severely ill hospitalized patients as well as conducted peer review of prescription drug therapy for insurance and litigation purposes.

Lou Cano—Licensed Investigator
Lou Cano obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Career Arts from Dallas Baptist University and has a vast amount of experience in both the prosecutorial as well as defense side of investigations.

Ms. Cano began her law enforcement career with the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department in 1976. In 1978, Ms. Cano was recruited by Henry Wade, of the infamous Roe vs. Wade, as one of the first bilingual investigators for the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office. Ms. Cano assisted in the preparation and prosecution of over 300 felony cases to include Murders, Capital Murders, Rapes & Robberies.  She assisted in forming the first Victim Witness Division for Dallas County, which was designed to assist victims of violent crimes. Often Ms. Cano was assigned to persuade and protect victims who were hesitant to testify due to duress. Many of these victims were women and children. 

In 1983 she was appointed Chief Investigator for the Dallas County Public Defender’s Office. She was assigned to supervise investigators, and assisted in the investigation and preparation of misdemeanor and felony cases for indigent defendants. She held this position until going into the private sector in 1988 as CEO of Cano Investigations, specializing in fraud cases, until retiring in 2003. She has come out of retirement to join Croft & Hicks.

Truly Holmes—Licensed Investigator
Truly has joined Croft & Hicks Investigations and will be a valuable asset to this office. Mr. Holmes is a retired Dallas Police Detective where he served with the Dallas Police Department for 37 years. He graduated from Abilene Christian University, Cum Laude, with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and began his law enforcement career in 1968 working patrol. In January 1973 he was promoted to the Narcotics Investigations Division where he worked undercover for three years.  In 1976 he was assigned to the Crimes Against Persons Division, assigned to work Homicides and Sexual Assaults.

Within his five-year tenure he was assigned or assisted in over 1000 homicide cases and was instrumental in apprehending a serial rapist who was responsible for committing over 300 sexual assaults. In 1981 he was assigned to the Criminal Intelligence Division where he worked jointly with the U.S. Secret Service and U.S. State Department Agents in providing security for domestic and foreign dignitaries including the President, Vice President, and foreign Heads of State. Mr. Holmes was considered an “expert witness” in the Hate Crime Division, where he was assigned approximately 200 cases. 

In 1998 Mr. Holmes was assigned to the North Texas Field Office of the F.B.I. in the Joint Terrorism Task Force, and was sworn in as a U.S. Deputy Marshall where he assisted other Task Force members of the North Texas Joint Terrorism Task Force, especially after the 9/11 terrorists attacks, before retiring in the summer of 2005.

Ron Long—Licensed Investigator, Certified Fire Investigator
Ron Long brings over 19 years of Law Enforcement experience and training to the Croft & Hicks team. Mr. Long is commissioned with Gillespie County Sheriff's Office and currently holds an Advanced Peace Officer Certificate and a Basic Arson Investigator Certificate with the Texas Fire Commission. He is skilled in general investigations, surveillance, interview and interrogations and detecting individuals under the influence of narcotics. He has received training from the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration, California Department of Justice, Texas Department of Public Safety and many other agencies across the nation.

Over the course of his law enforcement career, Mr. Long has conducted numerous overt and covert investigative operations, for both the public and private sector. Mr. Long is an expert in the development and management of confidential informants, preparation and execution of search warrants, asset forfeiture, surveillance, and was trained by the California Department of Justice on the use of a wide variety of covert audio and video surveillance equipment to conduct investigations.

Ron Long began his law enforcement career in 1990 in the United States Army in the Military Police Corps. During his military career he received commendations from his superiors the United Stated Army Criminal Investigations Command for his assistance in numerous investigations involving Department of Defense personnel for various violations of the UCMJ and California law.

Ron attended Gavilan College Police Academy in Gilroy, California, and graduated 3rd in his class. His career began with the City of Seaside, California as a Patrol Officer in 1995. The administration quickly realized that Ron's integrity, knowledge and motivation were such that he was recommended to be a Field Training Officer responsible for training the department's recruits. Mr. Long was recommended by his peers and awarded the Peace Officer of the Year for 1999. He was selected for the position of Detective with the department, responsible for investigating homicides, major felonies and narcotics violations. He was also the lead investigator in a nationally publicized missing person/homicide investigation that involved a suspect who had murdered no less than 4 people in Seaside. During his tenure as a Detective he helped organize a multi-jurisdictional narcotics operation with the Drug Enforcement Administration Mobile Enforcement Team which resulted in the successful identification and prosecution of numerous subjects for various State and Federal violations. The Seaside Police Department later attached Mr. Long to the Monterey County Narcotics Enforcement Team with the responsibility of investigating narcotics violations within Monterey County, California.

In 2002, Long returned home to the Texas Hill Country and was hired as a Deputy Sheriff with Gillespie County Sheriff's Office. During this tenure with Gillespie County, he worked with the 216th Judicial District Narcotics Task Force in Kerrville, Texas, where he conducted overt and covert investigations in Kerr, Bandera, Gillespie and Kerr Counties. Ron later returned to patrol duties where he continues to respond and investigate all violation of State Law as a Deputy Sheriff.

He has instructed Law Enforcement Officers in California, Texas, Washington, Idaho and Europe on the aspects of narcotics investigations. Ron has given seminars to the general public on Identity Theft Awareness, and has successfully investigated and obtained prosecutions on Identity Theft.

About Croft & Hicks Private Investigations and Security

After long careers in law enforcement, Robert Croft and James "Charlie" Hicks joined forces in a new venture as private investigators.

Their years of diverse experience— augmented by an extensive network of legal and law enforcement contacts— allow them to leverage their reach beyond the Kerrville area in the Texas Hill Country to the entire state of Texas.

Croft & Hicks has also recruited a select team of licensed Texas private investigators, with backgrounds in local, state, and federal law enforcement.

The Croft & Hicks team is committed to bringing you fast, accurate results while maintaining strict confidentiality.

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