2008
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 misrepresentations made by Ms. Ramon included false claims that JaxTrece was an international investment company with hundreds of millions of dollars in assets, JaxTrece provided bridge loans to non-profit organizations which would then repay the loans with interest when pending grants were funded, and that Ms. Ramon was conferred a doctorate in statistics from Rice University. Ms Ramon has been charged with failing to provide loans to non-profits from investor funds and with instead using such proceeds for her personal purposes including homes located in Bellaire, Texas and Wyoming, a Mercedes, travel and clothes. The Securities Commissioner initially entered an Emergency Cease and Desist Order against Ms. Ramon on February 26, 2007, Order No. ENF-07-1625, and was indicted in the United States District Court, Southern District of Texas, Houston Division in Criminal No. H-08-681. The indictment contains a notice of forfeiture seeking a monetary judgment of $3,005,560.00 as well as Ms. Ramon's interest in the Bellaire and Wyoming homes which were acquired during the alleged scheme. The case was investigated by the Texas State Securities Board and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant United States Attorney Gregg Costa is prosecuting the case.