Enforcement Actions Criminal Civil

Michael Eugene Dannelly of Denton was indicted April 9, in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas, Sherman Division, in cause No. 4:09-CR-00067-RAS-DDB on charges of mail fraud and money laundering. Dannelly allegedly obtained over $16 million from investors based on fraudulent...

Donald Joseph Dean of Tyler was indicted March 27, in the 196th District Court of Hunt County in cause nos. 25526, 25527, 25528, and 25529 on charges of securities fraud, selling unregistered securities, acting as an unregistered dealer or agent, and engaging in organized criminal activity in...

In related cases, Michael David Lamont of Allen was charged with selling unregistered securities, acting as an unregistered dealer or agent, and engaging in organized criminal activity in cause nos. 25543, 25544, and 25545.

Also, Carl Tinsley Ratner of Trophy Club was charged with securities fraud, selling unregistered securities, acting as an unregistered dealer or agent, and engaging in organized criminal activity in cause nos. 25561, 25562, 25563, and 25564.

Michael Ray Gee, also known as Michael Ray Wright, pleaded guilty on March 13, to charges of securities fraud and misapplication of fiduciary property in Dallas County Criminal Court. The court ordered deferred adjudication for Gee, placed him on probation for 10 years, fined him $3,500, and ordered...

William Leon Fenoglio of Bowie pleaded guilty and was convicted of one count of theft against an elderly individual on March, 13, in the 142nd District Court of Midland County in cause no. CR34548. Fenoglio, a licensed insurance agent, persuaded the individual to invest $30,000 in his agency for one...

Ronald Keith Owens of Mineral Wells, TX, was sentenced December 17, 2008, in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division, Cause No. 3-08CR-243-M, after previously pleading guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of filing a false tax return. Owens sold investment...

Edward Digges of Cambridge, MD, James Oglethorpe Bowling of Dallas, TX, and George Neil Elliott of Belton, TX, were indicted November 18, 2008, by the Grand Jury of the 219th District Court of Collin Co., TX, in Cause Nos. 219-82769-08, 219-82768-08 and 219-82771-08 for the charge of engaging in...

Melissa Marie Ramon, 33, of Bellaire, Texas was indicted by a grand jury on October 27, 2008, in connection with her alleged operation of a fraudulent investment scheme in a company known as JaxTrece. Ms. Ramon was charged with 10 counts of wire fraud and 3 counts of mail fraud. Alleged...

Chris Fraley of Houston, TX, was indicted October 20, 2008, by the Grand Jury of Harris Co., TX, in Cause No. 1188310 for the charge of theft in the aggregate. Fraley allegedly appropriated money by deception in connection with the offer and sale of interests in an oil and gas lease from March 2008...