Chron: District Judge in Harris County Suspended After Federal Indictment
Judge Alexandra Smoots-Thomas has been removed from her bench without pay after she was indicted on federal wire fraud charges for allegedly misspending campaign donations.
Chron: Feds Charge Harris Co. Judge with Misuse of Campaign Funds
A Harris County judge is facing federal charges that accuse her of using campaign donations for personal expenses, including for mortgage payments, private school tuition and travel.
Houston Chronicle: SEC Subpoenas Crown Castle for Docs
Houston-based cell tower company Crown Castle has received a subpoena from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission requesting certain documents from 2015 through the present, primarily related to accounting policies
SEC Director David Peavler: More Crypto-Fraud, Less Oil & Gas Schemes
The new head of the SEC’s Fort Worth Regional Office says there are changes upon us. Cryptocurrency fraud is all the rage, oil and gas offering fraud is blase. SEC enforcement lawyers are getting more aggressive with witnesses and targets earlier in cases. Whistleblowers with evidence of corporate fraud are being more warmly welcomed. And a new, but not nearly as funny, Twitter feed is in the works.
Legal Experts: Environmental & Safety Incidents Facing Increased Scrutiny
Companies that experience major environmental and workplace incidents are facing increasing scrutiny, including criminal investigations, according to lawyers who represent corporations involved in crisis situations. Baker Botts partners Greg Dillard and Scott Elliott say that public repercussions for businesses experiencing serious environmental, health and safety issues has expanded significantly, especially those involving workplace deaths.
DBJ: FTC Levies $150M Penalty against Plano Firm
Plano-based AdvoCare International and its former chief executive officer will pay $150 million to settle charges that the company operated as an illegal pyramid scheme, the Federal Trade Commission announced
Convicted Forest Park Doctors Suspended by State
Four physicians convicted earlier this year in the Forest Park Medical Center bribery and kickback trial have been suspended by the Texas Medical Board. The suspensions are not final, but they are mandatory while the convictions are being appealed. Bruce Tomaso has the details.
Houston Jury: Lawyer Pursley Guilty of Federal Tax Evasion – Updated
HOUSTON - Nine men and three women found Houston attorney Jack Stephen Pursley guilty of three counts of tax evasion and one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States late Friday. He faces up to 20 years in prison.
Judge Boots Bird-Flipping, Profanity-Spewing Juror as Pursley Tax Trial Winds Down
HOUSTON - Closing arguments concluded Friday afternoon in the Jack Stephen Pursley federal tax evasion trial, but the case will proceed without a juror who the judge has dismissed because the juror apparently flashed a middle finger to others in the courtroom and used the F-word in response to testimony.
DBJ: SEC Settles with Dallas Digital Firm After Allegedly Defrauding Investors
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has settled with a Dallas digital company for millions of dollars. The agency said it made the deal with Bitqyck Inc. and its founders, who allegedly