Enforcement Actions Criminal Civil

On January 18, 2001 a Comanche County Grand Jury indicted Michael James Konkel in cause number 01-01-02278-CCCR for securities fraud and misapplication of fiduciary property in connection with the offer for sale and sale of Venture Fund Group notes to eight Comanche County, Texas residents. Mr...

On January 16, 2001, James F. Ricker was sentenced in Bexar County, by State District Court Judge Mary Roman to 13 years in prison in case number 2000-CR-3948. Mr. Ricker was convicted of unlawfully dealing in unregistered securities and misapplication of fiduciary property. Mr. Ricker operated a...

On January 4, 2001 Sidney Neil Katchem aka Jack Tanner aka Bobby Jones aka Dave Taylor was sentenced to 37 months in prison and to pay restitution in the amount of $2,487,709.28 by Judge James R. Nowlin, Chief United States District Judge for the Western District Of Texas--Austin Division in...

On December 18, 2000 Steven Frank Lovato was sentenced to six years in state prison after his conviction on charges of securities fraud and misapplication of fiduciary property in the 263rd District Court of Harris County, Texas. Lovato was a day trader who obtained the retirement funds of a couple...

On December 14, 2000, Terry Don Rader of Pittsburg was sentenced by Federal Judge Robert B. Maloney to four years in prison to be followed by three years supervised release and to pay $2.4 million in restitution in connection with his conviction for violating Title 18, United States Code Section...

On December 14, 2000 the Honorable Paul Davis of the 250th District Court of Travis County, Texas approved the first distribution of assets to investors defrauded by Russell Erxleben and Austin Forex International, Inc. Janet Mortenson, the receiver appointed pursuant to an action brought at the...

On November 1, 2000, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas, San Antonio Division, Mario Alberto Garza pled guilty to two counts of uttering forged securities of an organization, in violation of 18 USC 513(a). The penalty for each offense is a maximum term of...

On October 31, 2000, in the 175th Judicial District Court of Bexar County, James F. Ricker was convicted of Misapplication of Fiduciary Property and unlawfully dealing in securities in connection with the issuance of promissory notes to the public. Ricker agreed to repay $6 million and will be...

On October 16, 2000, Ronald Joe Blackledge of Alvarado was convicted and sentenced to 12 years in prison and $388633.71 restitution in connection with convictions for Securities Fraud related to oil and gas offerings made through AllTex Petroleum of Alvarado. Blackledge was convicted of...

On October 12, 2000, Edgar Davis Hartigan was sentenced to five years confinement in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice after a conviction for the offense of securities fraud. Operating on the Internet, Hartigan offered high interest investments to the public in the form of promissory notes...