Annapolis Group

The Annapolis Group, Ltd. describes itself as "a full service strategic security and risk management consulting firm."

The firm says its "staff, associates, and alliance partners throughout the world have come from within the United States Secret Service, U.S. Federal and international law enforcement and intelligence communities, as well as the national research laboratory and corporate communities."

Working for the Democrats
In January 2004, the Democratic National Committee hired Annapolis Group "as a security consultant for [their] July convention" in Boston. "John Vezeris, the managing director for The Annapolis Group, and his partner, Joseph Masonis, stand to rake in some $ 75,000 to serve as liaisons between the DNC and the Secret Service, which is in charge of convention security," reported the Boston Herald.

Verzeris, the Herald added, was "the man who tossed former Green Party candidate Ralph Nader out of the 2000 presidential debate in Boston. ... This will be Vezeris and Masonis' third Democratic convention."

Horse racing
In 2002, the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships hired the Annapolis Group, to "develop a strategic security plan for the big event."

Emergency travel assistance
In October 2000, the Annapolis Group announced a partnership with Assist America and Security Management International, to provide "proactive threat and risk assessments and, if necessary, emergency countermeasures, for travelers and expatriates exposed to pending or potential critical events." A press release said the "SecurAssist" program would address "business security issues arising from terrorism, violent crime, political instability, product tampering, kidnapping, extortion, and other safety concerns."

Services
Services offered include:
 * Strategic security planning and management
 * Risk assessment
 * Crisis management, disaster recovery and business resumption planning
 * Contingency planning
 * Event planning and management
 * Protective services - asset and personal protection, for "individuals or large groups anywhere in the world"
 * Tourism security management
 * Technical security services

Personnel

 * John Vezeris - Managing Director; "a twenty-one year veteran of the U.S. Secret Service"
 * Joseph A. Masonis - Managing Director; "a twenty-four year veteran of the U.S. Secret Service" and former principal of the defunct intelligence firm Beckett Brown International
 * Melanie Watts-Hinkle, a Louisville, Kentucky-based "part-time corporate security consultant"

SourceWatch resources

 * Beckett Brown International
 * Chesapeake Strategies Group
 * Diplomatic Tactical Services
 * Global Security Services

Contact information
Suite 136, 3 Church Circle Annapolis, MD 21401 USA Phone: 410-544-5940 Fax: 410-544-6914

Suite 323, No. 2 Lansdowne Row, Berkeley Square London, W1X 8HL UK Phone: 44-0208-911-2210 / 0800-093-0585 (Toll free in UK) Fax: 44-0207-493-4935

Email: annagrp AT attglobal.net Website: http://www.annapolisgroup.com/

Articles

 * "CEOs from Arab countries meet in Dubai: One of the world's longest established global business networks, held a meeting of its Middle East Council on 28-29 October at the Hyatt Regency in Dubai," AME Info, November 19, 2002.
 * James Ridgeway, "Cops and Former Secret Service Agents Ran Black Ops on Green Groups", Mother Jones, April 11, 2008. (Additional reporting by David Corn, Jennifer Wedekind, Daniel Schulman, and Nick Baumann).