The State Bar of Texas reported its actions regarding lawyer discipline finalized and reported during September.
SEC: Houston Bizman Defrauds Investors in Kenyan Clean Water Project
The SEC’s Fort Worth Regional Office filed charges Tuesday claiming that Houston businessman Verley Lee Sembritzky, Jr. and two of his companies – Bounty of the Ocean and Ocean Harvest – violated federal securities laws by operating a fraudulent investment scheme involving a purported Kenyan desalination plant investment project.
A Former Justice Pursues Her Continued Passion: Access To Justice
As a justice on the Texas Supreme Court Deborah Hankinson helped create the Texas Access to Justice Foundation. Although no longer on the court, she is now board chair of the foundation she helped create.
Pharma Marketer Indicted in $60M Kickback Scheme
Vinson Woodlee, 68 was charged in the Northern District of Texas with four counts under the federal anti-kickback statute. If convicted on all counts, he could be sentenced to 35 years inprison.
D.C. Circuit Limits FERC from Automatically Extending its Rehearing Process
The federal court of appeals ruled that the Natural Gas Act does not allow FERC to issue “tolling orders” solely for preventing its 30-day deadline for rehearing requests from expiring. The decision will have broad impacts across the natural gas and power sectors and it is already impacting rehearing requests under the FPA.
Doctor Sentenced to 66 Months in Forest Park Med Center Fraud
Richard Toussaint, a co-founder of Forest Park Medical Center, is already serving time in federal prison for a different fraud. Bruce Tomaso reports.
Houston Lawyer Sentenced to Two Years for Tax Evasion
A federal judge has ended the federal tax evasion case of Jack Stephen Pursley with a two-year sentence. He also ordered Pursley to pay nearly $2 million in restitution — an amount close to the current-day value of the Vail, Colo. vacation home the government said Pursley bought with repatriated funds during a trial last year. Natalie Posgate has the details of the sentencing and links to previous courtroom coverage.