Dallas, TX - Two Sentenced in Stolen Identity Theft and Money Laundering Scheme

Latonya Lanette Carson, 43, of Dallas, Texas and Smith Olsola Akin, 34, of Plano, Texas were sentenced on August 17, 2017 for their role in a scheme to steal personal identifying information, use it to fraudulently obtain income tax refunds, and then launder those funds.

Following a four-day trial in ... More...   $0 (08-17-2017 - TX)

Dallas, TX - Federal Jury Convicts Dallas Man of Child Pornography Charges - Defendant was previously convicted of transporting child pornography

Following a three-day trial before U.S. District Judge David C. Godbey, a federal jury has convicted Hugh Michael Glenn, 47, of Dallas, Texas, of two child pornography offenses. The announcement was made today by U.S. Attorney John Parker of the... More...   $0 (08-17-2017 - TX)

Appellees Gwendolyn Gene Layton (Gwen) and Troylynn Ann Layton, husband and wife, sued appellants Ledford E. White and Ledford E. White, P.C. (White P.C.) (collectively the White Appellants) and appellant M&M Joint Venture
1See Tex. R. App. P. 47.4.
2
when they were not repaid funds they had provided, at White’s suggestion, to White’s friends. After a jury trial, the trial court render... More...   $0 (08-10-2017 - TX)

After 40 years of employment at Memorial Hermann hospital, Dr. Samia Khalil sued Memorial Hermann Health System for defamation, tortious interference with an existing contract, conspiracy, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Khalil, age 77, also sued for age discrimination. Memorial Hermann sought to dismiss several of her claims under summary dismissal procedures found in the Texas ... More...   $0 (08-08-2017 - TX)

Appellant, Lover Compton, challenges the trial court’s rendition of summary judgment in favor of appellees, Lance Jue, D.D.S. and Lance Jue, D.D.S. doing
2
business as A Beautiful Smile at Lake Pointe1 (collectively, “Dr. Jue”), in her suit against Dr. Jue for dental malpractice, negligence, breach of warranty, lack of informed consent, medical battery, promissory estoppel, fraud, and viol... More...   $0 (08-08-2017 - TX)

Levco Construction, Inc. (“Levco”) sued Cleveland Construction, Inc. (“CCI”) and Whole Foods Market Rocky Mountain/Southwest L.P. (“Whole Foods”) for claims arising out of its role as a subcontractor on a construction project to build a Whole Foods store in Houston, Texas (“the Project”). CCI and Whole Foods also asserted claims against each other and Levco. Following a bench trial, the trial cour... More...   $0 (08-10-2017 - TX)

Plano, TX - Collin County Man Guilty in Conspiracy to Illegally Export Radiation Hardened Integrated Circuits to Russia and China

A 62-year-old Plano, Texas man has pleaded guilty to federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas.

Peter Zuccarelli pleaded guilty to conspiring to smuggle and illegally export from the U.S., radiation hardened integrated circuits (RHICs) for us... More...   $0 (08-13-2017 - TX)

Midland, TX - Jury Finds Former Midland Bookkeeper Guilty of Embezzlement and Tax Evasion Scheme

A federal jury convicted a former bookkeeper on federal charges in connection with a scheme to steal over $2 Million from a local businessman.

Jurors found 52–year-old Kimberley Dale Boyce of Midland guilty of three counts of mail fraud; three counts of wire fraud; three counts of eng... More...   $0 (08-13-2017 - TX)

San Antonio, TX - Former Presidio Title C.F.O. Sentenced to Federal Prison for Stealing over $367K from Company

United States District Judge Xavier Rodriguez sentenced Joseph P. Karpowicz, 48-year-old former Chief Financial Officer for Presidio Title (Presidio), to 30 months in federal prison for stealing over $367,000 from the San Antonio real estate title company.

In addition... More...   $0 (08-13-2017 - TX)

Dallas, TX - Federal Jury Convicts Dallas Man of Firearm and Drug Offenses Involving Heroin

Following a three-day trial before U.S. District Judge Sam A. Lindsay, on August 7, 2017 a federal jury convicted Laroy Damont Johnson, 37, of Dallas, of drug and firearm offenses.

Specifically, Johnson was convicted of one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substan... More...   $0 (08-07-2017 - TX)

Dallas, TX - Dallas Doctor Sentenced on Health Care Fraud Conviction

A 60-year-old doctor from Rockwall, Texas, Jacques Roy, who was convicted in April 2016 of various health care fraud charges following a six-week-long trial, was sentenced on August 9, 2017 by U.S. District Judge Sam A. Lindsay to 420 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $268,147,699.15 in restitution, joint and s... More...   $0 (08-11-2017 - TX)

Ramon A. Chavez (appellant) was convicted of continuous family violence and sentenced to three years’ imprisonment. See TEX. PENAL CODE ANN. § 25.11 (West 2011). His sole point on appeal involves whether the trial court abused its discretion by admitting testimony of an investigating officer who conversed with appellant in Spanish
2
and later testified about that unrecorded conversation. A... More...   $0 (08-01-2017 - TX)

When she checked on her two young children, two-year-old David and one-year-old Mary,1 several hours after returning home from work, Frances Lucas found David cold and not breathing. Lucas and her boyfriend, Clifford James Gayton, Jr., made several attempts to revive David and finally called 9-1-1. Both police and emergency personnel responding to the emergency dispatch also attempted to revive Da... More...   $0 (08-04-2017 - TX)

When police and emergency personnel responded to a 9-1-1 call seeking assistance at the apartment of Frances Lucas, they found her two-year-old son, David,1 cold and not breathing. While emergency personnel were unsuccessfully attempting to revive David, two of the police officers learned from Lucas’ boyfriend, Clifford James Gayton, Jr., that Lucas’ one-year-old daughter, Mary, was in a bedroom. ... More...   $0 (08-04-2017 - TX)

This is an interlocutory appeal of the trial court’s denial of appellants Apple Tree Café Touring, Inc. and Erica Wright’s motion to dismiss appellee Paul Levatino’s defamation claim under the Texas Citizens Participation Act (TCPA), an Anti-SLAPP statute. See TEX. CIV. PRAC. & REM. CODE ANN. §§ 27.001–27.011 (West 2015). We reverse, in part, that portion of the trial court’s order awarding Levati... More...   $0 (08-03-2017 - TX)

This appeal is brought under section 51.014(a)(12) of the Texas Civil Practice and
Remedies Code, which allows an appeal from an interlocutory order denying a motion to dismiss
under the Texas Citizens Participation Act (TCPA). See TEX. CIV. PRAC. & REM. CODE ANN.
§ 51.014(a)(12) (West Supp. 2016). The appellant, Tom Retzlaff, argues the trial court erred in
denying his mo... More...   $0 (08-02-2017 - TX)

Plano, TX - Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Illegally Export Radiation Hardened Integrated Circuits to Russia and China

Peter Zuccarelli, 62, of Plano, Texas pleaded guilty August 4, 2017 to conspiring to smuggle and illegally export from the U.S., radiation hardened integrated circuits (RHICs) for use in the space programs of China and Russia, in violation of the International E... More...   $0 (08-04-2017 - TX)

Dallas, TX - Garland Couple Who Stole/Unlawfully Obtained Patient Identification Information Sentenced to Federal Prison Terms - Husband is a Former Parkland Hospital Employee and Wife is a Former Nurse at Baylor Medical Center in Dallas - Used Info toSolicit Patients for Their Home Health Agency

A former employee at Parkland Health and Hospital System in Dallas (Parkland), Viju Mathew, a... More...   $0 (08-03-2017 - TX)

Victor Anthony Cruz, appellant, appeals the trial court’s judgment by which he was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon and sentenced to twenty-five years’ imprisonment. On appeal, he contends that he was entitled to a jury instruction on the use of deadly force in defense of self. He maintains the trial court erred by refusing to include such an instruction in its charge to the jury. We affi... More...   $0 (07-31-2017 - TX)

Ramon A. Chavez (appellant) was convicted of continuous family violence and sentenced to three years’ imprisonment. See TEX. PENAL CODE ANN. § 25.11 (West 2011). His sole point on appeal involves whether the trial court abused its discretion by admitting testimony of an investigating officer who conversed with appellant in Spanish
2
and later testified about that unrecorded conversation. A... More...   $0 (07-31-2017 - TX)

Dallas, TX - Former Postal Employee Convicted at Trial in Scheme to Defraud Worker’s Compensation Program Sentenced to 21 Months in Federal Prison

Tonya Evans, 52, a former U.S. Postal Service employee, was sentenced July 27, 2017 by U.S. District Judge Sam A. Lindsay to 21 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $98,888.73 in restitution for participating in a scheme to defraud the D... More...   $0 (07-28-2017 - TX)

X.M. was six years old at the time of his death. X.M.’s biological mother is N.M.
Child Protective Services removed X.M. and his siblings from N.M.’s care for a time before
returning them to her. During that time period, N.M. began a relationship with Villarreal,
who bears no familial relationship to any of N.M.’s children.
In November of 2014, N.M. and Villarreal were indic... More...   $0 (07-22-2017 - TX)

In 2015, Nueces County grand juries indicted Cantu for two separate, yet related,
offenses: (1) aggravated assault with a deadly weapon; and (2) DWI, third or more.
Both indictments further alleged previous convictions to be used to enhance Cantu’s
punishments under section 12.42 of the penal code. See id.
Briefly, the aggravated assault charge stems from an incident at “M... More...   $0 (07-22-2017 - TX)

Appellant was charged by indictment with possession of between four and two hundred grams of methamphetamine with intent to deliver. He also was charged by separate indictment with possession of between four and two hundred grams of oxycodone with intent to deliver. Appellant pleaded “guilty,” to each of the charges, and the matter proceeded to a sentencing hearing before the court. In each cau... More...   $0 (07-22-2017 - TX)

Appellant was charged by indictment with aggravated robbery. Pursuant to a plea bargain agreement with the State, Appellant pleaded “guilty” to the offense, and the trial court deferred a finding of guilt and placed him on community supervision for a term of ten years. Subsequently, the State filed an application to proceed to final adjudication. Appellant pleaded “true” to one allegation and “n... More...   $0 (07-22-2017 - TX)

Appellant was indicted for burglary of a habitation alleged to have occurred on or about September 15, 2015 in Angelina County, Texas. The indictment accused Appellant of entering William Agnew’s home without his consent and with the intent to commit theft. Appellant entered a plea of “not guilty” and the matter proceeded to a jury trial. The evidence at trial showed that Officer Marcus Perki... More...   $0 (07-22-2017 - TX)

On October 31, 2013, Lufkin Police Department Corporal Kevin Jackson was dispatched to investigate a reported stabbing. When he arrived at the scene, he found the victim, Shirley Taylor, lying on the floor of her residence in a pool of blood. Taylor had multiple stab wounds. Jackson used articles of clothing to apply pressure to one of the wounds while he attempted to keep Taylor conscious by s... More...   $0 (07-22-2017 - TX)

On October 31, 2013, Lufkin Police Department Corporal Kevin Jackson was dispatched to investigate a reported stabbing. When he arrived at the scene, he found the victim, Shirley Taylor, lying on the floor of her residence in a pool of blood. Taylor had multiple stab wounds. Jackson used articles of clothing to apply pressure to one of the wounds while he attempted to keep Taylor conscious by s... More...   $0 (07-22-2017 - TX)

Houston, TX - Indian Man Convicted For Using Fake Identity To Obtain Citizenship

An Indian man who was ordered deported from the United States has been convicted for using a fake identity to obtain citizenship.

Balbir Singh aka Ranjit Singh, 50, who resided in Houston, had previously attempted to obtain asylum under false pretenses. When that attempt failed, an immigration judge... More...   $0 (07-21-2017 - TX)

By a January 2012 indictment, appellant was charged with four counts of
aggravated sexual assault of a child and six counts of indecency with a child by contact.
The indictment alleged B.B. was the victim of all ten offenses, and alleged they occurred
on or about dates in May 2005. Appellant pleaded not guilty. The State abandoned two
of the counts alleging indecency with a ... More...   $0 (07-21-2017 - TX)

Appellant returned to his abode late from a party after ingesting alcoholic
beverages. There he encountered Amalia Guasoson, the woman he was living with at
the time. A fight ensued between the two about his desire to drive to Galveston and
over his car keys. When Guasoson refused to relinquish them, he grabbed her by the
arm and pushed her to the floor hard enough for her ... More...   $0 (07-21-2017 - TX)

Appellant Matthew Ulysses Thompson was convicted of delivery of a controlled
substance in a drug-free zone, sentenced to two years imprisonment, and assessed a
$1,000 fine. Appellant’s retained counsel filed a notice of appeal from the judgment.
The appellate record was due on June 16, 2017. The court reporter’s record was
filed by this deadline. However, the trial court cl... More...   $0 (07-21-2017 - TX)

Dallas, TX - McKinney Man Admits His Role in a $6.4 Million Diamond Investment Fraud Scheme

Craig Allen Otteson, 65, of McKinney, appeared July 18, 2017 before U.S. Magistrate Paul D. Stickney and pleaded guilty to his role in a diamond investment scheme that the indictment alleged ran from approximately March 2011 to November 2013.

Specifically, Otteson pleaded guilty to one cou... More...   $0 (07-21-2017 - TX)

Fort Worth, TX - Fort Worth Woman Pleads Guilty in Child Sex Trafficking Case

Shatara Armstrong, 31, of Fort Worth, Texas, pleaded guilty July 18, 2017 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul D. Stickney, to one count of use of a facility of interstate commerce in aid of a racketeering enterprise.

Armstrong faces a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. Armstro... More...   $0 (07-21-2017 - TX)

Appellant, Jason Lee Schaefer, appeals his convictions for aggravated assault
against a public servant and deadly conduct by discharging a firearm. Appellant waived
his right to a jury trial and pleaded no contest to the charges without an agreement on
punishment. After the State presented its evidence, the trial court found him guilty of
the offenses. Upon completion of the ... More...   $0 (07-21-2017 - TX)

Dallas, TX - Last Two Defendants Sentenced in Pill Mill Operation

Jason Edgecombe, 40, and Cy Viator, 34, both of Houston, Texas, were sentenced on July 21, 2017 for their involvement in a “pill mill” operation.

Viator pleaded guilty in May 2016 to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and one count of unlawful use of a communication facility. U.S. District... More...   $0 (07-21-2017 - TX)

Early in the afternoon of December 18, 2014, the body of Annie Sims was discovered on
the back porch of her Powderly, Texas, home with a bullet in her head. Missing were Annie’s
live-in grandson, Christian Vernon Sims (Sims), his girlfriend, Ashley Morrison, Annie’s vehicle,
and Annie’s purse, its contents including credit cards and at least one handgun. Officers suspected
th... More...   $0 (07-21-2017 - TX)

Timothy Leon Lueck’s verbal confrontation with Rodolfo (Rudy) Esquivel escalated into
a physical altercation in which Lueck cut Rudy’s foot with a knife. A Fannin County jury found
Lueck guilty of aggravated assault1 and found that he had used a deadly weapon in the commission
of the offense. After finding the State’s enhancement allegations to be true, the jury assessed
puni... More...   $0 (07-21-2017 - TX)

A jury convicted Roy Brown of continuous sexual abuse of a child and assessed a sentence
of fifty years’ imprisonment. The same jury also convicted Brown of sexual assault of a child and
assessed a sentence of twenty years’ imprisonment. On appeal, Brown argues that (1) there was a
fatal variance between the indictment and the proof at trial, (2) the trial court erred in denying h... More...   $0 (07-21-2017 - TX)

A Gregg County jury found Isaiah Christopher Roberts guilty of capital murder for the
shooting deaths of Kimberly Rayson and Chanda Martin. Roberts was sentenced to the mandatory
punishment of life imprisonment without parole.1
On appeal, Roberts argues that (1) the jury’s verdict of guilt is not supported by legally
sufficient evidence, (2) the trial court erred in denying ... More...   $0 (07-20-2017 - TX)