Enforcement Actions: Criminal & Civil

Michael K. Wallens Sr. pleaded guilty to one count of securities fraud on Oct. 19 in U.S. District Court in Dallas.

Wallens and his associates collected more than $17 million from about 180 investors who bought Collateral Secured Debt Obligations issued by W Financial Group.

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Richard W. McFarland Jr. of Uncertain, a small town near Caddo Lake in East Texas, was sentenced to 97 months in federal prison on Oct. 4 for selling interests in non-existent oil and gas wells to investors.

U.S. District Judge T. John Ward also ordered McFarland to $8,861,160 in...

The Bexar County District Attorney re-filed an indictment against Terrence Riely of San Antonio on August 26, alleging misapplication of fiduciary funds in connection with the fraudulent sale of promissory notes to Texas residents.

Riely was a director of Paramco Financial Group Inc....

Stephen Bayliss Jones of Corpus Christi was sentenced to 12 years in prison on July 12 for stealing money from investors in a building materials scam. Jones had previously pleaded guilty to a charge of felony theft.

Judge Nanette Hasette of the 28th District Court in Nueces County...

A Limestone County grand jury indicted Reginald Lee Clark on May 19 on charges of theft and misapplication of fiduciary property..

Clark, who did business as Clark Investment Advisors, most recently in McLennan County, allegedly stole more than $400,000 from his clients.

Clark...

Melissa Marie Ramon of Bellaire on May 10 was sentenced to serve 10 years in federal prison for an investment scam that was investigated by the State Securities Board and prosecuted by the U.S. District Attorney's Office in Houston. U.S. District Judge Vanessa Gilmore also ordered Ramon to pay...

Albert "Andy" Anzaldua of McAllen was indicted on 14 counts of securities fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy to commit securities fraud for operating an allegedly fraudulent high-yield investment program.

The indictment was unsealed April 19 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern...

A federal grand jury indicted Jeffrey Scott Rand of Houston on 25 counts of securities fraud and mail fraud in connection with the offer and sale of investments in oil and gas well projects in Texas.

The grand jury in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas, Hot...

David Boyer Prince was indicted on 12 counts of wire fraud on March 3, 2010, in United States District Court, Northern District of California, San Jose Division.

The indictment stems from an investigation by the Texas State Securities Board, which worked with the Federal Bureau of...

A Collin County state District Court jury on February 18, 2010 sentenced Edward S. Digges Jr. to 99 years in state prison for organizing and leading a multistate, fraudulent scheme involving the sale and lease of credit card and debit card terminals.

The jury convicted Digges of...

William Leon Fenoglio of Bowie was sentenced on December 17, 2009, to six years in state prison for second-degree securities.

Fenoglio, a licensed insurance agent at the time, sold one-year debt securities totaling $122,000 to six elderly investors. He promised an annual return of 15...

Jeremy McGilvrey of San Antonio was sentenced to 20 years in state prison on two counts of misapplication of property by a fiduciary.

McGilvrey, the former CEO of Hill Country Wealth, a money management firm, pleaded guilty to the counts on October 22 and was sentenced Nov. 30 by Bexar...