Enforcement Actions: Criminal & Civil

In a related case, Kevin Dennis Hays of Euless was charged with selling unregistered securities, acting as an unregistered dealer or agent, securities fraud, and engaging in organized criminal activity in cause nos. 25590, 25591, 25592, and 25593.

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...

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.

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...

Dean Lee Elliott of Dallas was indicted February 26, in the 219th Judicial District Court of Collin County in cause nos. 219-80412-09 and 219-80413-09. Elliott was charged with Securing Execution of Documents by Deception and Theft of Property relating to sales to investors in oil and gas well...

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...

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...

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...

Richard Allen Wilson , of Pearland, Texas, was indicted on September 25, 2008 for acting as a dealer/agent without registration and selling unregistered securities. Both indictments involve the sale of interests in Brazos Valley Capital, LLC, and each indictment has multiple victims. David...

George O. Houseman , of Carrollton, Texas, pled guilty on September 2, 2008, in Collin County, Texas, to a felony information charging him with engaging in fraud in connection with the sale of securities, working interests in oil and/or gas leases in the state of Texas, in an amount of $100,000...

Ulric Jack Sweesy , aka Jack Taylor, of Richardson, Texas, was sentenced on July 1, 2008 to 20 years in prison and ordered to pay restitution of $63,095,560.32 to defrauded investors. Sweesy previously pled guilty to mail fraud on October 24, 2007, in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District...

David Allan Hilburn , of Missouri City, Texas, was convicted of securities fraud on June 6, 2008, in the 339th District Court of Harris County, Texas, Cause No. 1131000. Hilburn, a disbarred lawyer from Louisiana, operated Brazos Valley Capital, an investment fund that was marketed to senior...