Enforcement Actions Criminal Civil

Susan Gay Pruitt, who sold interests in non-existent oil and gas exploration projects in Texas and three other states, was sentenced to 22 years in prison on Nov. 8 in Collin County State District Court. Pruitt pleaded guilty to theft and money laundering. Judge Benjamin N. Smith sentenced her to 22...

Cammie R. Booth of Plano was indicted Sept. 22 in Collin County State District Court on one count of securing execution of document by deception and six counts of making false statements to obtain property or credit. The indictment alleges that Booth made false statements to automobile dealerships...

Michael Anthony Collins pleaded guilty to charges of securities fraud, theft, and money laundering and was sentenced to 15 years on each count on Aug. 11 in Jim Wells County State District Court. The sentences will run concurrently. Collins was also ordered to pay restitution of $3 million. From...

Nicholas Baratoff Jr. was indicted on May 26 in Nueces County State District Court on two counts of misapplication of fiduciary property and one count of theft. Baratoff operated an investment fraud in Nueces County from 2008 to 2015, according to the indictment. He allegedly sold investments tied...

Allan George Cooper of Houston was arrested May 24 and charged with wire fraud and mail fraud in a $5 million investment fraud involving at least 50 victims. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas, a federal grand jury returned the indictment of Cooper under seal...

Richard Leal Ferguson of Harlingen, a two-time convicted felon, was indicted May 11 in Cameron County on charges of securities fraud and theft for allegedly stealing more than $100,000 from investors for a small-business loan program. Ferguson sold investments in "fast track loan programs,"according...

Ronald Erik Lewis of New Braunfels was indicted May 11 by a grand jury in Comal County State District Court for theft of property, money laundering, and fraudulent sale of securities in connection with the sale of investments in a "Stealth Wealth Program." From 2008 to 2013, Lewis, directly and...

William Allen Risinger of Round Rock was sentenced to 160 months in federal prison on May 6 for stealing money from investors in oil, gas, and mineral venture schemes. Risinger raised an estimated $4.5 million from investors in the energy ventures. A money judgment was entered against Risinger that...

The office of U.S. Attorney John M. Bales of the Eastern District of Texas on April 19 announced that Robert Hahn , a former insurance agent in Tyler, was sentenced to three years in federal prison for wire fraud and money laundering. Hahn collected $5.4 million from investors who were promised...

Patrick Lee Downing of Mesquite, who allegedly sold working interests in an oil and gas joint venture, was indicted April 14 in Dallas County Criminal District Court on charges of securities fraud and theft. Downing sold working interests in a project named the Stocker #1 Joint Venture to five...