I use http://www.myrental.com/ for their nationwide criminal background and eviction checks as part of my screening process.

Cops handle criminal issues. 

This limits my ability to see if they are employed, any information on prior rental history, criminal history etc.I planned to ask the owner to get them to sign a month to month and tell them that my intention is not to put them out after each month (which it isn't) but in case things go bad I do not want to endure it for a year.

Sorry but I need to run your credit and criminal history, so if you don't exist in the system I will just pass on you as a tenant.

Any thought on which of these criminal organizations....erp ...big banks are the least worst to deal with?

The article you posted says FIFTEEN (15) individuals have been prosecuted in the year prior, the article itself is ~3 years old.

First, get rid of slow and non payers and criminals.

He is shady and criminal.

USD is still the preferred currency for drugs and criminals.

To my mind, any attorney who refuses to prosecute such a case lacks ethics and should be disbarred, or at least fall into disrepute.You're right about one thing, though: he should have cancelled the closing and been fully refunded after seeing the property's condition immediately prior to closing.