Enforcement Actions Criminal Civil

Brian Keith Blalock was arrested March 13 in Tarrant County, five weeks after his indictment in Parker County for theft of property. Blalock allegedly stole money from investors in IEP Oil Fund LP, an investment program he operated. According to the indictment, Blalock spent investors' money on...

Howard Glen Judah and Gregory F. Jablonski were each sentenced to 10 years in state prison on Feb. 20 for operating a nearly $30 million fraud based on the death benefits from life insurance policies. Judah and Jablonski were sentenced in Harris County state District Court. Judah and Jablonski...

Karen P. Bowie was sentenced Feb. 1 to 80 years in state prison for her part in a $5 million fraud operated by Titan Wealth Management LLC of Plano. Titan sold fictitious high-yielding foreign notes that were supposedly issued by European banks and claimed the notes would pay short-term returns of...

Tony Anthony Cruz Jr ., who sold fraudulent promissory notes issued by his company, The Wealth Building Club of San Antonio, pleaded guilty to two counts of mail fraud and was sentenced Jan. 31 to five years' probation on each count and ordered to pay restitution of $1.1 million. Cruz was sentenced...

Russell Erxleben was indicted Jan. 22 in U.S. District Court in Austin on charges of wire fraud, securities fraud, and money laundering. Erxleben is accused of fraudulent practices in the sale of post-World War I reconstruction bonds issued by the German government. The indictment also alleges...

Arturo Gonzalez Salinas of McAllen was indicted Dec. 19 in Hidalgo County on charges of theft, securities fraud, and securing the execution of a document by deception. Salinas was indicted in connection with his sale of interests in a company that said it would build a hospital in Falfurrias...

Bruce Kyle Griffith's guilty plea to federal conspiracy and securities fraud charges was unsealed Dec. 5 by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. Griffith served as president and CEO of Always Consulting Inc., a Richardson company that sold investments in oil and gas drilling...

Norma Eltringham , a bookkeeper and tax preparer in Abilene, pleaded no contest Nov.29 to a charge of aggregate theft and was ordered to pay $67,792 in restitution to investors in an oil-related startup. The sentence, issued in the 104th state District Court in Taylor County, includes seven years...

Sami A. London , a Euless resident, was arrested Nov. 17 in Tarrant County after being indicted in September on charges of securities fraud, theft, money laundering, and securing the execution of a document by deception. The indictments charge London with stealing money from investors in an oil...

Eddie Lacy Stivers III was arrested Nov. 9 in Hood County, five days after being indicted for allegedly selling fraudulent stock and promissory notes. The securities promised ownership and a share of future profits in companies called Patriot Insurance Co., Patriot Holding Co., and Insurance Choice...