Enforcement Actions Criminal Civil

Mark Christopher Parman of Frisco, who raised approximately $850,000 from investors in oil and gas projects, was sentenced to six years in state prison on April 7 after pleading guilty to securities fraud in the 199th State District Court in Collin County. Parman sold interests in oil and gas...

Michael T. Beste was indicted March 16 in Collin County on charges of engaging in organized criminal activity and money laundering for allegedly facilitating the sale of fraudulent investments in the benefits of life insurance policies. Beste allegedly participated in the sale of fraudulent...

Twin brothers Rodney Wagner and Roger Wagner were each sentenced on March 8 to four years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in a foreign currency trading operation. The Wagners were also ordered to pay $1.9 million in restitution to 91 investors in the fraud...

Dean Lester Springer of Palm Desert, Calif., was sentenced on Feb. 24 to one year and one day in federal prison for helping to defraud investors who bought interests in shipping containers. Springer, who had earlier pleaded guilty to one count of securities fraud, was sentenced in the U.S. District...

Patrick Lee Downing of Mesquite pleaded guilty to securities fraud and theft in Dallas County State District Court on Feb. 27 for defrauding investors in and oil and gas drilling venture. Downing was sentenced to 10 years probation and ordered to a total of $162,500 in restitution. Downing sold...

Ronald Terry Dunn of Haltom City was indicted Jan. 30 in Tarrant County for theft of property of between $100,000 and $200,000. The victims named in the indictment are 65 years of age or older, which under state law makes the charge a first-degree felony. Dunn is a former registered securities agent...

John Patrick Acord was sentenced to five years in federal prison on Dec. 20 and ordered to pay $8.2 million in restitution after pleading guilty to securities fraud in U.S. District Court for the Southern District in Houston. Acord was the chief financial officer of Intermodal Wealth Inc. , a...

Everett Craig Williams of Round Rock was indicted by a Nueces County Grand Jury on Dec. 15 on one charge of securities fraud for allegedly selling investment agreements issued by Favor Ministries Inc. without telling investors he owes more than $5 million in civil judgments and tax liens. Williams...

Reynaldo Peralez of San Antonio was indicted Dec. 5 by a Bexar County grand jury for securing the execution of a document by deception to perpetrate an investment fraud. According to the indictment, from 2009 to 2010 Peralez raised $39,000 from one investor in five separate transactions. Peralez...

Timothy Lloyd Booth of Plano was indicted for securities fraud and other charges in connection with raising $6.3 million from investors in StaMedia Inc. of Dallas, an internet advertising company, and spending some of the funds on luxury automobiles and other personal expenses. Booth allegedly did...