In federal court in Texas, Charles Banks, the former financial adviser to ex-NBA star Tim Duncan, has pleaded guilty to wire fraud. Banks admitted to misleading Duncan into guaranteeing a $6M loan to a company that had financial connections to the ex-advisor. Duncan, who retired from professional basketball in 2016,…
Articles Posted in Texas Securities Fraud
Dallas Financial Adviser Indicted in $3M Texas Investment Fraud
Carlton Chadbourne Sayers has been indictment in district court. The 51-year-old is accused of Texas investment fraud and he is charged with mail fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity fraud, and bank fraud. The scam caused dozens of investors to lose over $3M. According to the indictment, Sayers allegedly sought to…
Texas Securities Fraud: San Angeleno Man Goes to Prison over $900K Investment Scam, Jury Convicts Houston Couple For Bilking California Bank, and Dallas Twins Go to Jail Over Ponzi Scam
San Angeleno Man Goes to Prison Over Investment Scams Stanley Jonathan Fortenberry of Texas has been sentenced to 78 months behind bars for running two investment scams and bilking investors of about $900K. He pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice and mail fraud in 2016. Now, Fortenberry must pay over…
Dallas, TX Man Pleads Guilty in $131M Broker Fraud Case
Herschel “Tress” Knippa III, a Dallas, Texas resident, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit securities fraud. The former registered broker, who owned a commodities trading firm, was implicated over fraudulent market rigging involving ForceField Energy Inc. (FNRG), which was a supposed global distributor and provider of LED lighting products…
Dallas Investment Firms Charged with Texas Securities Fraud in Alleged Ponzi Scam
The US Securities and Exchange Commission has filed Texas fraud charges against Patrick O. Howard, Optimal Economics Capital Partners, LLC (OE Capital) and Howard Capital Holdings, LLC. Howard controls the two Dallas-based companies., which have raised about $13M from 119 investors. The regulator is alleging that the money went to…
Texas Securities Fraud Leads to Expulsion for Red River Securities and $24.M in Investor Restitution
A Financial Industry Regulatory Authority hearing panel has expelled a Plano, Texas-based brokerage firm from the industry, barred its CEO, and ordered both of them to pay customers $24.6M in restitution. Red River Securities LLC and Brian Keith Hardwick are accused of engaging in fraudulent sales involving five oil and…
Halliburton to Pay $100M to Settle Securities Fraud Class Action Lawsuit Originally Brought in Dallas
Halliburton Co. (HAL.N) has agreed to settle a securities fraud class action case for $100M. The case, brought in Dallas, accuses the oil field services providers of misrepresenting its possible liability in asbestos lawsuits and the benefits it expected from certain construction contracts, as well as a merger from nearly…
Texas Ponzi Scams: Oil Co. Owner Is Indicted by a Federal Grand Jury, CEO of Texas First Financial is Charged in Internet-Related Fraud, and Texas REIT United Development Funding Remains in Trouble
Texas First Financial CEO is Arrested For Fraud Authorities have arrested Bobby Eugene Guess, an ex-Texas-based registered representative and the CEO and founder of Texas First Financial, for financial fraud. Guess promoted himself as a financial expert through financial seminars and radio promotions in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. He is accused…
Securities Fraud: Former California Financial Adviser Who Worked For Texas Brokerage Firm is Barred After Bilking Professional Athletes of $2M, FINRA Fines Allstate Financial Services $1M for Inadequate Supervision, and Former Registered Investment Adviser Settles Cherry Picking Scam for $328K
Ex-Financial Adviser Who Worked for Texas-Based Firm is Barred by SEC After Defrauding Pro Athletes Ash Narayan, an ex-California financial adviser, has been barred by the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Narayan, who is accused of secretly receiving almost $2M from companies that he invested in on behalf of his…
Houston-Based Valic Financial Advisers Settles Variable Annuities Case Involving Alleged Conflicts for $1.75M
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority is ordering VALIC Financial Advisors Inc. to pay a $1.75M fine for purported conflicts of interest that impacted the way that the firm compensated brokers for selling annuities. According to the self-regulatory organization, from 10/2011 through 10/2014, the Houston-based financial firm established a conflict of…