Cases by state
Ponzi schemes in Texas
101 cases announced 2003–2026, involving about $9.9B in reported investor money. Most common types: investment funds & advisory, trading, forex & commodities and real estate. Listed by where the main defendant was based.
The largest by reported amount: Robert Allen Stanford, Laura Pendergest-Holt, Gilbert Lopez, Mark Kuhrt, Leroy King, James Davis ($7B, 2009). Charges are allegations unless a court has entered a conviction or judgment.
Pitch phrases seen in these cases
- “guaranteed profits exceeding 100% in as little as 21 days”
- “more than 40-50% within 30 to 45 days”
- “secured by a surety bond, insured by the fdic”
- “zero risk”
- “$2 billion in u.s. treasury bonds”
- “10 to 12 percent returns by investing in popular stocks”
- “high returns with low risk”
- “locked in electricity rates as low as 4.5 cents per kilowatt-hour”
Cases
| Date | Case | Location | Industry | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 29, 2026 | Privvy Investments LLC, Gateway Digital Investments Nathan Fuller |
Cypress, TX | Crypto & digital assets | $12.3M |
| Mar 28, 2026 | BOLO Entertainment LLC, BOLO Sports LLC, Shoot N'2 Sports LLC Timothy France Johnson |
El Paso, TX | Investment funds & advisory | $3M |
| Feb 19, 2026 | Christopher Knight Lopez, Jayson Lopez, Nadir Abdel Torres | Katy, TX | Lending & cash advance | $17M |
| Jan 30, 2026 | AEI Financial Carl Channing Spence |
Mont Belvieu, TX | Trading, forex & commodities | $2.1M |
| Jan 28, 2026 | DJE Texas Management Group LLC Devin Ward Elder |
San Antonio, TX | Real estate | $69.5M |
| Nov 19, 2025 | Geosyn Mining LLC Caleb Ward |
Fort Worth, TX | Crypto & digital assets | $4.5M |
| Sep 8, 2025 | Trade with Ayasa LLC Arsalan A. Rawjani |
Dallas, TX | Trading, forex & commodities | $18M |
| Jul 9, 2025 | Joshua Allen, Michael Cox, Brooklynn Chandler Willy | Lubbock, TX | Investment funds & advisory | $80M |
| Mar 10, 2025 | John Robert Leake | Plano, TX | Real estate | $8.1M |
| Aug 28, 2024 | GCZ Global LLC, Triten Financial Group LLC Jonathan Adam, Tanner Adam |
Angleton, TX | Crypto & digital assets | $60M |
| Jun 13, 2024 | Nurnepes Nurjanov | Austin, TX | Trading, forex & commodities | $1.5M |
| Dec 18, 2023 | Agridime LLC Jed Wood, Joshua Link, Tia Link, Royana Thomas, Taylor Bang |
Fort Worth, TX | Agriculture & cattle | $191M |
| Oct 16, 2023 | Nanban Ventures LLC Gopala Krishnan (aka GK), Manivannan Shanmugam, Sakthivel Palani Gounder |
Frisco, TX | Trading, forex & commodities | $128M |
| Oct 6, 2023 | Chris Pettit and Associates PC Christopher John Pettit |
San Antonio, TX | Real estate | $65M |
| Sep 25, 2023 | Sapphire Exploration LLC, Harris Exploration Inc Stephen L. Bailey |
TX | Energy & alternative assets | $7.8M |
| Sep 21, 2023 | Aras Investment Business Group S.A.P.I. de C.V. Armando Gutierrez Rosas, Efren Quiroz, Luis Quiroz, Maria Tolentino, Diayanira Rendon |
TX | Real estate | $15M |
| Sep 14, 2023 | National Royalty Group William Logsdon, Jamie Thompson |
Midland, TX | Energy & alternative assets | $2.1M |
| Aug 23, 2023 | Cambridge Financial Advisors LLC Walter Dunning Larrick III |
Corpus Christi, TX | Trading, forex & commodities | $3.6M |
| Jul 20, 2023 | Dexter Development, Disman Energy Michael Disman |
Terrell, TX | Real estate | $3.2M |
| Jun 22, 2023 | Billy Marcum Jr. | Fort Worth, TX | Energy & alternative assets | $30M |
| May 31, 2023 | Outstanding Real Estate Solutions Inc Chimene Van Gundy, Michael Trofimoff, Santos Kidd, Maria Tosta |
New Braunfels, TX | Investment funds & advisory | $18.5M |
| Mar 27, 2023 | Aaron Cain McKnight, Kenneth Miller, Sherry Rebekka Sims, Harmony Brooke McKnight, Timothy Neher | Dallas, TX | Investment funds & advisory | $8.4M |
| Feb 7, 2023 | John K. Eckerd Jr., Afif Baltagi | Dallas, TX | Investment funds & advisory | $50M |
| Dec 16, 2022 | Avail Progression LLC, Elite Generators Inc John Fernandez |
Houston, TX | Trading, forex & commodities | $4.3M |
| Nov 3, 2022 | Tommie Carter Jr. (aka Tom Carter), Derrick R. Trussell | Austin, TX | Real estate | $1M |
| Oct 3, 2022 | CryptoFX LLC, CBT Group LLC Ismael Zarco Sanchez, Mauricio Chavez, Giorgio Benvenuto |
Houston, TX | Crypto & digital assets | $300M |
| Sep 26, 2022 | Carnegie Development Inc, Wall007 LLC, WallDisc LLC Timothy Barton, Stephen T. Wall, Haoqiang Fu (aka Michael Fu) |
Dallas, TX | Real estate | $26M |
| Sep 23, 2022 | AMIG, NECO James Clark Nix, Bradley Nix |
Leander, TX | Investment funds & advisory | $6M |
| Jul 1, 2022 | Justin R. Kimbrough, Terry Nikopoulos | Plano, TX | Real estate | $3M |
| Jun 15, 2022 | Boron Capital LLC, BC Holdings 2017 LLC, United BNB Fund 2018 LLC Blake Robert Templeton |
Lubbock, TX | Real estate | $18.7M |
| Mar 1, 2022 | Permian Basin Proppants Inc. Marco Perez Jr. (aka Sully Perez) |
Keller, TX | Investment funds & advisory | $11M |
| Dec 8, 2021 | James Ikey, John Muratore, Thomas Brad Pearsey, Rustin Brunson, Manjit Singh (aka Roger) Sahota | TX | Energy & alternative assets | $122M |
| Oct 20, 2021 | Kikit & Mess Investments LLC Abner Alejandro Tinoco |
El Paso, TX | Crypto & digital assets | $3.9M |
| Oct 4, 2021 | Mejdi Mahmoud Abousaoui | Richmond, TX | Investment funds & advisory | $4M |
| Sep 14, 2021 | Rudy Avila | Dallas, TX | Trading, forex & commodities | $6M |
| Aug 20, 2021 | deeproot Funds LLC, Policy Services Inc. Robert J. Mueller |
San Antonio, TX | Legal & litigation funding | $58M |
| Jun 14, 2021 | BINT Operations LLC (Blessings in No Time) Marlon Moore, LaShonda Moore |
Prosper, TX | Investment funds & advisory | $30M |
| Dec 1, 2020 | FACTAC Inc Earl Roberts Sr., Larry Roberts |
San Antonio, TX | Investment funds & advisory | $800,000 |
| Nov 10, 2020 | Ronald Wayne Schroeder, Jill Martin Alvarado, Phyllis Jo Martinez, Rigo Alvarado, Ryan Martinez | San Antonio, TX | Investment funds & advisory | $13M |
| Sep 2, 2020 | JC Loans Finance, Inversiones JC Dallas Jose Anibal Linares |
Dallas, TX | Real estate | $2M |
| Aug 4, 2020 | Integrity Aviation & Leasing LLC Victor Lee Farias |
San Antonio, TX | Investment funds & advisory | $14M |
| Mar 12, 2019 | Gallagher Financial Group Inc., W. Neil Gallagher Ph.D. Agency Inc. William Neil "Doc" Gallagher |
TX | Insurance-linked | $19.6M |
| Nov 5, 2018 | Bobby Duane Vise | Fort Worth, TX | Real estate | $1.2M |
| Oct 11, 2018 | Hightower Capital Group William Andrew Hightower |
Bellaire, TX | Insurance-linked | $10M |
| Jul 3, 2018 | Phillip Michael Carter, Bobby Eugene Guess, Richard Gregory Tilford | Frisco, TX | Real estate | $45M |
| Apr 9, 2018 | The Lifepay Group LLC, SMDRE LLC Clifton E. Stanley, Michael E. Watts |
Houston, TX | Real estate | $3.8M |
| Jan 4, 2018 | Justin Tyler Greer | Tarzan, TX | Agriculture & cattle | $1.5M |
| Sep 5, 2017 | Commodities Online LLC, Commodities Online Management LLC Michael Ralph Casey, James C. Howard III, Louis N. Gallo III |
TX | Trading, forex & commodities | $27.5M |
| May 22, 2017 | Bryant United Capital Funding Inc. Thurman P. Bryant III |
Frisco, TX | Real estate | $22.7M |
| May 16, 2017 | Four Winds Carlos I. Uresti, Stanley P. Bates, Gary L. Cain, Vernon C. Farthing III |
San Antonio, TX | Energy & alternative assets | $6.3M |
| May 10, 2017 | Mito Bank, Mito Capital LLC, Mito Financial LLC, Mito Group Juan Miguel Lopez |
Addison, TX | Lending & cash advance | $4.9M |
| Apr 25, 2017 | Shepherd's Light Learning Center, Lord of Peace Learning Center Nemelee Liwanag Jiao |
Irving, TX | Investment funds & advisory | $1M |
| Feb 16, 2017 | Optimal Economics Capital Partners LLC, Howard Capital Holdings LLC Patrick O. Howard |
Dallas, TX | Investment funds & advisory | $13M |
| Sep 29, 2016 | El Paso Federal Credit Union Maria Guadalupe Hernandez, Hilda Simental Mendoza |
El Paso, TX | Investment funds & advisory | $18.4M |
| Aug 19, 2016 | James VanBlaricum | Colleyville, TX | Energy & alternative assets | $2.6M |
| Feb 12, 2016 | Millennium Title Nancy Jackson Carroll (aka Nancy Spinks) |
Southlake, TX | Investment funds & advisory | $8.6M |
| Jan 18, 2016 | Coaching by Coral LLC (dba The Secret to Life Coaching) Coral Rose Grant (aka Coral Rose Thomas), Gary McGonagle Grant II (aka Mac Grant) |
Austin, TX | Investment funds & advisory | $20M |
| Jan 15, 2016 | Rose Marie O'Reilly | La Grange, TX | Investment funds & advisory | $1.4M |
| Nov 20, 2015 | Robert B. Hahn | Tyler, TX | Lending & cash advance | $5.5M |
| Oct 29, 2015 | Collins Financial Group Michael Anthony Collins |
Alice, TX | Trading, forex & commodities | $5M |
| Aug 3, 2015 | F.A. Voight & Associates LP, DayStar Funding LP Frederick Alan Voight |
Richmond, TX | Real estate | $114M |
| Jun 3, 2015 | RHM Exploration LLC William Allen Risinger |
Round Rock, TX | Energy & alternative assets | $4.5M |
| Jan 20, 2015 | Charles D. Jones Capital Management Inc. Charles D. Jones |
Waco, TX | Investment funds & advisory | $9.3M |
| 2015 | Clarence Counterman, Robert Loya, Leopoldo Parra | El Paso, TX | Energy & alternative assets | $2.1M |
| Dec 6, 2013 | Vendetta Royalty Partners Robert A. Helms, Janniece S. Kaelin, Deven Sellers, Roland Barrera |
Austin, TX | Energy & alternative assets | $18M |
| Oct 1, 2013 | USA Now LLC, USA Now Energy Capital Group LP, Now Co. Loan Services Marco Ramirez, Bebe Ramirez |
McAllen, TX | Investment funds & advisory | $5M |
| Jul 23, 2013 | Bitcoin Savings and Trust Trendon T. Shavers |
McKinney, TX | Crypto & digital assets | $4.5M |
| Jun 17, 2013 | Global Corporate Alliance Duncan J. MacDonald III, Gloria Solomon |
Dallas, TX | Insurance-linked | $10M |
| Feb 1, 2013 | Titan Wealth Management LLC Karen P. Bowie |
Plano, TX | Investment funds & advisory | $5M |
| Jan 25, 2013 | WALTEC Consultants, LRE Holdings, The MDM Group Russell Allen Erxleben |
Austin, TX | Investment funds & advisory | $2M |
| Nov 1, 2012 | Capital Finance, Paris Properties, Paris RE Inc. Robert Roland Langguth |
Corpus Christi, TX | Real estate | $10M |
| Oct 15, 2012 | Billy Frank Davis (aka Bill F. Davis) | Houston, TX | Real estate | $7.8M |
| May 1, 2012 | Falcon Energy Kelly Gordon Rogers |
Frisco, TX | Energy & alternative assets | $2.8M |
| Mar 12, 2012 | Kenneth Alfred Scudder | The Woodlands, TX | Real estate | $11M |
| Feb 8, 2012 | ITLDU, ICM, International Forex Management LLC, IFM LLC Christopher B. Cornett, Heidi Beryl Beyer |
Buda, TX | Trading, forex & commodities | $14M |
| Feb 4, 2012 | Red Earth Resources Inc., Alpine Petroleum LLC Jimmy E. Morrisett |
Burnet, TX | Energy & alternative assets | $7M |
| Nov 9, 2011 | GID Group Inc Roger Wagner, Rodney Wagner |
Grand Prairie, TX | Trading, forex & commodities | $5.5M |
| Aug 11, 2011 | Evolution Capital Advisors, Evolution Investment Group I Damian Omar Valdez |
TX | Investment funds & advisory | $10M |
| Aug 2, 2011 | J. David Salinas, Brian A. Bjork | Houston, TX | Investment funds & advisory | $52M |
| Jun 23, 2011 | AV Bar Reg Inc., Millers A Game LLC Christopher Blackwell |
Colleyville, TX | Trading, forex & commodities | $4M |
| May 27, 2011 | Cash Rewards Inc David Maloy |
Coppell, TX | Investment funds & advisory | $7M |
| Apr 29, 2011 | China Voice Holding Corp David Ronald Allen, Alex Dowlatshahi, Christopher Mills, William F. Burbank IV, Gerald Patera, Ilya Drapkin, Robert Wilson |
TX | Lending & cash advance | $8.6M |
| Apr 18, 2011 | H.R. Financial Services, H.R. Sales and Marketing Robert Hague-Rogers |
Frisco, TX | Lending & cash advance | $9.3M |
| Feb 17, 2011 | Larry Benny Groover, Joanne Groover | Gunter, TX | Trading, forex & commodities | $1.4M |
| Feb 16, 2011 | Triton Financial LLC Kurt Branham Barton |
Austin, TX | Investment funds & advisory | $41M |
| Jan 5, 2011 | National Life Settlements LLC Howard G. Judah, Gregory F. Jablonski |
Houston, TX | Insurance-linked | $30M |
| Oct 1, 2010 | Delta Interest Inc Richard W. McFarland Jr. |
Marshall, TX | Energy & alternative assets | $30M |
| Mar 4, 2010 | Prosper Oil and Gas Inc (aka Prosper Energy Inc) Alan Todd May |
Dallas, TX | Energy & alternative assets | $6M |
| Nov 23, 2009 | Derek A. Nelson | Dallas, TX | Real estate | $25M |
| Sep 21, 2009 | Netschi Vance Moore II |
McKinney, TX | Lending & cash advance | $80M |
| Jul 7, 2009 | Provident Royalties LLC, Provident Asset Management LLC Brendan Coughlin, Henry Harrison, Paul R. Melbye, W. Mark Miller |
Dallas, TX | Energy & alternative assets | $485M |
| May 8, 2009 | Aspen Exploration Inc William Anthony Rand (aka Tony Rand), Gregory Keith Rand, Mark Albert Rand, Joel William Peterson (aka Joel William Petersen) |
Plano, TX | Energy & alternative assets | $56M |
| Apr 22, 2009 | Excel Lease Fund Inc Benny L. Judah |
Lubbock, TX | Investment funds & advisory | $40M |
| Apr 6, 2009 | Weizhen Tang | Plano, TX | Trading, forex & commodities | $75M |
| Mar 5, 2009 | CRW Management LP, Hurricane Motor Sports LLC Ray M. White |
Mansfield, TX | Trading, forex & commodities | $10.9M |
| Feb 17, 2009 | Robert Allen Stanford, Laura Pendergest-Holt, Gilbert Lopez, Mark Kuhrt, Leroy King, James Davis | Houston, TX | Investment funds & advisory | $7B |
| Jan 21, 2009 | RCS Hedge Fund Rod Cameron Stringer |
Lamesa, TX | Trading, forex & commodities | $8.5M |
| Aug 20, 2008 | Executive Investors Inc, Newlife Trade Group Ronald Keith Owens |
Mineral Wells, TX | Trading, forex & commodities | $2.5M |
| May 21, 2008 | George D. Hudgins | Nacogdoches, TX | Trading, forex & commodities | $25M |
| Nov 4, 2004 | Learn Waterhouse Inc. Randall T. Treadwell, Rick D. Sluder, Larry C. Saturday, Arnulfo M. Acosta |
Tyler, TX | Trading, forex & commodities | $24.5M |
| Feb 5, 2003 | Long Point Investments LLC, CDM Technologies LLC John A. Wheeler |
Nacogdoches, TX | Trading, forex & commodities | $35M |