The Pasadena Police Department is looking for answers after someone killed a pedestrian by hitting him with a truck and fled the scene.
The collision took place at 100 Southmore in Pasadena at around 6:09 a.m. on August 8.
Nearby surveillance footage captured a lifted, dark-colored pickup truck involved in the crash. The truck struck the man who was riding on a motorized cart as he was using the crosswalk.
The suspect did not stop and render aid after hitting the man, leaving the scene immediately in their truck. The victim was transported to a nearby hospital by ambulance, but he later succumbed to his injuries.
The former Uvalde school police chief, who was part of the slow law enforcement response to the 2022 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School, discussed the charges filed against him.
The news conference was held at the law office of Looney, Smith & Conrad, where they will talk about the issues with the Uvalde school shooting at Robb Elementary that resulted in criminal charges filed against Arredondo.
Pete Arredondo, along with other officers, reportedly waited 77 minutes after being first alerted to confront the gunman.
Arredondo was indicted June 28 on 10 state jail felony counts of abandoning or endangering a child in the May 24, 2022, attack that killed 19 children and two teachers.
The indictment lists Arredondo as the incident commander of an incident involving an active shooter on a school campus that was under his control.
More specifically, under each count, the charge said that Arredondo, by act and omission intentionally, knowingly, recklessly, and with criminal negligence, placed a child younger than 15 years of age in imminent danger of bodily injury, death, physical impairment, and mental impairment.
Some of the failures listed are failing to identify the incident as an active shooter incident, delaying response by law enforcement officers to an active shooter situation, failing to enforce an active shooter response plan developed by Uvalde Consolidated ISD, deciding to negotiate while the gunman was engaged in an active shooter incident and failing to timely provide keys and breaching tools to enter classrooms 111 and 112.
Arredondo was fired months after the massacre.
Since then, Arredondo has been a central figure in the scrutiny and outrage surrounding the police response to the incident.
Copyright 2024 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.
While there is still some time left until kids are back in class, new policies implemented over the summer are already causing a stir-up among HISD families.
In July, HISD announced major changes to their transportation system in an effort to save money and reduce ride times. As a result, the district slashed 85 bus routes, bringing the number of available routes from 508 to just 423 routes.
A huge change coming for Katy students in grades 3 through 12. They can no longer bring cell phones to school. The district used to have a BYOD policy — bring your own device — for students, but found teachers were spending a lot of time troubleshooting different issues on different devices. This school year, everyone in grades 3-12 gets a Chromebook from the district and that’s the only device or personal computing system they’ll be allowed to bring to school.
Back in August of 2023, Katy ISD implemented its controversial gender identity policy, which requires teachers and staff to notify parents if their student comes out as transgender, or asks to use different pronouns. Nearly ten months later, the United States Department of Education launched an investigation into the policy after a Title IX complaint was filed by civil rights activists.
Katy ISD parents will also be able to track their kids’ bus routes to school this year. The district replaced the SMART Tag web-based Parent Portal with the SMART Tag app, which will send push notifications to registered mobile devices and tablets, providing parents with instant updates about delays, route alterations, or emergencies.
In Montgomery County, students can bring their cell phones to school but they have to put them away for the day and if parents want to get a message to their kids, they are not supposed to call them on their cell phones, but instead reach out to the school’s administrators.
Cy-Fair students are also facing big busing changes this year. For elementary students, you need to live at least a mile away from your school now to be eligible for busing. Middle and high schoolers must live at least two miles away. The district was also losing half of its librarians due to a budget deficit of $38 million.
Students in the Klein Independent School District should walk back into a more protective environment this school year. Changes in staff training and communication were implemented late last year after a series of high-profile cases including a teacher accused in a sex trafficking case with her son.
Over in Crosby ISD, 2023-2024 marked the district’s first full year operating on a four-day school week, becoming the first district in Harris County to do so.
These policies are just the latest in a string of changes to school districts across Southeast Texas.
Copyright 2024 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.
A man who killed a jogger in Houston 27 years ago is scheduled to be executed in Huntsville on Wednesday.
Arthur Lee Burton, 54, will be executed by lethal injection at 6 p.m., pending any last-second appeals.
On July 27, 1997, Burton confronted Nancy Adleman, a 48-year-old jogger, and forced her into a nearby wooded area. He attempted to sexually assault her but was alerted to a witness approaching during the attack. She screamed, and he strangled her with her own shoelaces and fled on foot.
WACO – It was a tough loss for the Richmond-based Lamar Little League team in Waco Monday.
They faced Louisiana’s Greater New Orleans Little League team in the Southwest Region Tournament.
The winner would have been one step closer to the Little League World Series, and it was Lamar’s first trip to the regional round since 2008.
Louisiana got an early lead, but Lamar made a valiant comeback effort, and even cut a five-run deficit to one over the final two innings. But Louisiana ended up on top in a 6-5 victory.
There’s still hope for a Texas team in the big show! The Texas West champions out of Boerne will face Louisiana in the Southwest Region championship game Tuesday. The winner of the game will advance to the Little League World Series in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
Boerne could become the third consecutive Texas team to advance to the LLWS out of the Southwest Region. Needville’s Little Leaguers made it all the way to the U.S. championship game last year, and Pearland represented Texas at the Little League World Series in 2022.
Let’s go Boerne!
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Copyright 2024 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.
CHAMBERS COUNTY, Texas – A Chambers County man now faces a manslaughter charge after running over a bicyclist while driving recklessly earlier this year.
The accident happened in the early afternoon on April 14 at FM 1405, South of McKinney Road. Adrian Combs was riding his bicycle on FM 1405 when he was struck by the vehicle.
Upon arrival, officials with the Chambers County Sheriff’s Office discovered that Combs’ injuries were fatal.
Authorities say the driver of the vehicle that hit Combs, Douglas Smith, was driving recklessly and actively on his phone at the time of the collision. He was booked in Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office Jail and charged with manslaughter on Friday.
Chambers County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest on Facebook:
Copyright 2024 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.
Detamore has been summoned to appear in federal court Aug. 12 at 2 p.m., when a decision is expected to be made about whether he’ll be kept in custody or released with conditions, records show.
“It doesn’t do anything to make them whole. They’re still out millions of dollars. But this is a day they’ve been waiting for that they all long suspected would ultimately be the result,” said Butch Boyd, a civil attorney who represents five families who claim Detamore stole millions.
According to court records, Detamore operated as a custom home builder under the name Detamore Development LLC. He’s accused of fraudulently obtaining at least $1.5 million for his personal use by misusing funds intended to construct clients’ dream homes.
BREAKING: Brett Detamore, former West University developer who allegedly faked his disappearance last summer, is now federally charged with wire fraud, according to records obtained by @KPRC2. He’s expected to appear in federal court Aug. 12. BACKGROUND: https://t.co/ouPfVrf9R5
Detamore was reported missing June 21, 2023, before being found safe days later at a bus stop in San Antonio, law enforcement said at the time. His Ram TRX truck, estimated to be valued at $100,000, was found burned out in Bear Creek Park during the exhaustive search for him.
The search included a big law enforcement response and volunteers from Texas EquuSearch.
“Early on, our guys were able to develop evidence that show that that he probably left on his own,” West U Police Chief Ken Walker said at a press conference on June 27, 2023.
Law enforcement had suspicions and soon civil lawsuits stacked up.
According to some of the lawsuits, Detamore faked his disappearance and is accused of defrauding investors and home buyers, instead using money to fund his personal “lavish lifestyle” of jet-setting and luxury that included big time sporting events, concerts, and exotic vacations.
Back in November, West U Police told KPRC 2 the FBI had taken over the investigation.
According to the federal charging document, Detamore’s scheme to defraud ran from Oct. 2022 until June 2023.
He is accused of entering into a construction contract with a victim to build a single-family home. The victim got a construction loan from Prosperity Bank, and Detamore then submitted false invoices to the bank not for the construction of the home, but rather his personal benefit.
In one instance, Detamore allegedly submitted a fraudulent cabinet invoice for an entirely different construction property, records state, even though the cabinet company never bid on the property and had never done any work for Detamore Development LLC.
The victim ended up having to pay an extra $85,513 to vendors to perform real work on the home that never was paid for by Detamore, according to records.
The federal wire fraud charge was filed by information as opposed to a grand jury indictment.
“It’s not very common at all. This is not the norm in federal court,” said Joe Vinas, president of the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association.
He’s not connected to the case but said the charge coming by information as opposed to indictment could speed up the next steps.
“It indicates that they’ve already gone through some negotiation processes, and there’s a likelihood, in my opinion, that a plea deal has probably already been struck or is very close to [being struck],” Vinas said.
While the feds right now only allege Detamore fraudulently obtained $1.5 million, Boyd said his clients’ losses are estimated to be around $5 million.
“It should potentially increase his sentence based on not just the loss he’s charged with, but actual loss or even the intended loss of any schemes he pleads guilty to,” Vinas said, noting it’s not yet clear how Detamore will plea. “What this actual loss and intended loss would do would ratchet up the punishment.”
Tate Williams, an attorney for Detamore in the federal criminal case, declined to comment. KPRC 2 knocked at an address listed for Detamore in court records, but no one answered the door.
Detamore and/or his development company have been sued six times since his disappearance last June, according to Harris County court records.
He’s facing a maximum of 20 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $250,000, according to records.
Copyright 2024 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.
Larry Allen struggles to push open the door to his northeast Harris County shed. The large shed shifted after Hurricane Beryl when his neighbor’s large tree fell on it.
Since then, he’s been unable to use it.
“It’s got even worse, cause all of that rain last week [it’s] been moving around,” Allen said. “It shifts the right way; it may push roll this whole thing off over here.”
The 75-year-old used the shed as his mancave, workshop, and family meeting spot.
Allen is a father of five. Grandfather to 14. Great-granddad to 12 and a great-great-grandpop to two.
“Oh, meant a lot. Everything. Cause we had, like, we had family reunions here. We had Super Bowl parties here. We had Halloween parties here for the kids. I mean, we had all kinds of parties,” Allen said.
Larry Allen shows the inside of his shed. A large tree fell on it during Hurricane Beryl. He and his family have been unable to use it. Allen believes the insurance is taking too long to process his claim. (KPRC)
Allen filed a claim with his insurance but fears they’re taking their time processing it.
“This is my first time to file a claim [for] something like this,” Allen said. “I said, well, I understand, but, you know, the longer y’all wait, the more damage is going to be.”
Allen has been thinking about time a lot recently. His wife died nearly two years ago.
He was recently diagnosed with stage four renal cancer.
“This is my second go around with cancer. I’ve been fighting it and everything,” he said. “I don’t know what else the good Lord wants from me. I mean, I’m doing everything I can do, you know? And it seems like every time I turn around, somebody, you know, want to slap me down.”
His insurance company, which he doesn’t want to know, told him they are processing several claims following Beryl.
A large tree fell on Larry Allen’s shed during Hurricane Beryl. He and his family have been unable to use it. Allen believes the insurance is taking too long to process his claim. (KPRC)
KPRC 2 reached out to several greater Houston-area organizations trying to find him immediate assistance.
Balogun was connected to the Texas Gulf Coast Regional Voluntary Organizations in Disaster’s Chair, Gary Flaharty, who is checking who operates in the area that can help.
KPRC 2 understands plenty of homeowners may be in similar situations. Several organizations recommend people reaching out to the United Way or calling 211 and request to be added to the Crisis Cleanup, a national tool that tells agencies where damage is. United Way/211 will know who is currently able to assist with trees down.
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Copyright 2024 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.
Nearly three weeks after Hurricane Beryl pummeled through Texas, many residents are now left in financial limbo as they wait for their FEMA checks to come in.
We sat down with Derrick Kinney, a financial expert with GetTheRaiseYouWant.com, and he shared how you can stay up to date with your bills while you wait for emergency funds.
Q: I covered my storm-related costs with a credit card. Without that FEMA check, I can’t pay the bill. What do I do?
A: Call the credit card company and let them know you were involved in a hurricane. Ask the company what support or help [they can] provide. This can come in the form of waived interest rates or even waived fees. The goal right now is to look at every possible aspect to basically buy yourself time, at least for the next couple of weeks.
Q: Do credit card companies have any hardship allowances?
A: It depends on the credit card. Most are willing to work with you, as long as you’re caught up on your payments already. If you’re behind, that’s a different story, but they may give you a cash advance, or they may give you a reduced interest rate. Other things to keep in mind: You could borrow against your 401k, or possibly a life insurance policy. But keep in mind, while these are not the best options right away, when you’re in a pinch, you want to find every possible option to make sure you cover your bills in the short term.
Q: I have a low credit score; will that affect how much money I get from credit card companies?
A: It could. The key is, it’s typically not based on what you borrow, it’s your inability to pay the money back. So, if you’re already at a low credit score, the likelihood of your credit card company letting you borrow money is pretty low. If you have a good credit score, this could be a good opportunity. Low score or not, it’s important to look at every possible way to make sure you make the rent. The goal is not to get ahead, but to stay current on your bills.
Q: How else can I bridge the money gap until I get my FEMA check?
A: The most important thing right now is to evaluate what your essential expenses are and what are your desired expenses. For example, rather than eating out at restaurants, try making food at home to help cut some costs. Don’t make a financial dilemma on top of a hurricane dilemma.
Q: How do I protect my credit score if I’m late on payments?
A: Call the credit card company immediately. You want to be proactive and let them know, “Look, I have been part of this hurricane situation. It has dramatically impacted my finances. I’m going to be using my credit card more often. I want to give you a heads up on that. And also, is it possible to waive any fees, reduce the interest rate?”
You want to give them a heads up, so that way they know if there were to be a late payment, it doesn’t penalize you because they want to get paid. In most cases these days, many credit cards companies not all of them, are willing to work with you once they hear from you.
Q: Should I keep a log of when I contact my credit card company?
A: Keep records, because if it’s not written down, it’s as though it never, ever happened. Whether it’s on the Notes app on your phone or a journal, you want to make sure you get the person’s name, their phone extension, the time, the date you talked to them. Typically, the credit card company keeps records as well, but this is you owning your own situation. No one’s going to give you a loan for this. You want to make sure that you’re doing everything you can to protect you and your money, and that begins with writing down every single detail.
Q: If I can’t pay all my bills, how do I prioritize?
A: Here’s what you can do: Make a list on a sheet of paper or in the Notes app on your phone of all of the bills you have, the amount, and when they’re due. Add a separate column of what will impact your credit score the most. You could call your landlord possibly and ask for an extra week. If it’s a credit card or annual bill, those things get reported to the credit score companies, and those would be what I would place as a higher priority. All of them are important, but right now you want to make sure that you’re making very deliberate steps to protect you and your money. And that begins with calling each person. If they hear from you personally, they’re more likely to want to work with you.
Q: Where can I get immediate financial assistance?
A: It’s going to vary based on each individual community and where you live. But in most cases, most people will not give you a loan for a hurricane unless you already have a good credit score. Again, everybody wants to get paid back. In the case of an emergency, borrowing money from family, from friends could be a backup solution if they know you are going to pay them back.
At the end of the day,it’s important to stay calm and continue to act like you are the CEO of your money. How would a CEO in a crisis handle their money? And that’s how you want to think, even on the lowest level of what can you do to make the next best financial decision today, so you work yourself out of what could be a really bad situation.
Start your day here, Houston!
Copyright 2024 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.
HOUSTON – Wednesday morning, the Houston Police Department presented a report before Houston City Council on the controversial code that suspended more than 260,000 cases.
“Suspended – Lack of Personnel (SL)” was the code used to designate cases as suspended in the HPD’s record management system.
HPD acting Police Chief Larry Satterwhite presented the 43-page report, titled “Use of the SL Code: A Report of Findings,” at around 9 a.m. Wednesday.
KPRC 2 Investigates has reported on the investigation since details first emerged in February. In March, Houston Mayor John Whitmire appointed an independent committee to investigate the suspended cases. In May then-Police Chief Troy Finner resigned.
Here are some key findings:
The origins of the code: HPD created the SL code back in 2016, with the purpose of organizing cases that were not being investigated due to inadequate personnel in the department. The department has called for additional staffing in past years, which included former Police Chief Charles A. McClelland, Jr. bringing a formal request before Houston City Council in 2014. HPD says its investigative staffing capacity has not changed significantly in the decade since that request.
The total number of cases with the SL label: In the nearly eight years between the SL code’s creation in 2016 and the discovery of its magnitude in 2024, it was used for 264,371 total incidents. More than 98% of these cases were associated with incidents occurring since January 1, 2018.
How structural failures within the department allowed the issue to snowball: Systemic failures within the HPD allowed the SL code to not only exist but become frequently implemented. Firstly, the department suffered significant turnover, including waves of retirements and personnel transfers. Secondly, there was a lack of oversight for the Record Management System—or RMS—which was used to assign cases with the SL label.
Divisions were trained “how” rather than “why”: All investigative divisions were trained on how to use the SL code through multiple hour-long training sessions in 2016, but each division was left to determine its own individual guidelines for when the code was acceptable to use, and there were no written parameters for the code’s applicability to various crimes. For example, there were no department-wide distinction between property crimes and crimes against persons under the SL umbrella.
A need for situational hierarchy: Due to the high amount of crime across Houston and the staff constraints HPD must work around, the department emphasized a need to prioritize certain investigations, with person-on-person crimes being named the highest priority.
Here is how the department reacted:
New quality control process: The department is still working to review the 264,371 cases while containing its regular duties. To tackle this massive project, HPD has implemented a quality assurance/quality control (QAQC) process. As of the release of the report, 2,540 cases have been reviewed, with sexual assault and family violence cases holding the highest priority. 62% of those cases required no additional follow-up.
Case management trainings: The commander of the HPD Investigative Standards Committee is finalizing a training on case management for all staff members working on investigations. The training hopes to ensure proper coding and prioritization of cases. The goal is to implement the training during the 2024-25 training cycle, with new personnel able to take the course within 90 days of assignment.
A new RMS: City Council has authorized the purchase of a newer, more current management system, which is slated to be active by March of 2025. With the implementation of the new program, the department wants leadership to have a “strong managerial awareness and oversight of the case management process.”
Staffing shortages: HPD acknowledged that the staffing shortages it faces may never be fully addressed. To combat this issue, leadership must regularly review staffing allocations to make sure resources are being used in the most efficient manner.
Read the full report here:
Copyright 2024 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.
HOUSTON – Houston police are investigating a vicious animal attack involving a young child in north Houston.
HPD has confirmed a 2-year-old girl was attacked by three Rottweiler dogs at a home located in the 2400 block of Milwaukee Street around 12:20 p.m. on Monday.
Paramedics with Houston Fire responded to the scene on Milwaukee Street near the North Loop.
The child was taken to Texas Children’s Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Witnesses told police the dogs attacked the girl while she was inside a babysitter’s house.
KPRC 2 reporter Corley Peel spoke with a neighbor with young children who says she would see the dogs chained up outside the home and they would always bark. She said she typically separates her kids from dogs they aren’t normally around to make sure they’re safe.
The dogs were seized by the city’s Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care (BARC) and signed over by their owners on Monday. The dogs were humanely euthanized. Their specimens have been sent off to the lab for rabies testing.
Police have not released the child’s name and say they are waiting on autopsy results to confirm her cause of death.
SEE ALSO:
Copyright 2024 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.
HOUSTON – The Harris County Public Health has identified a spike in cases of West Nile virus after several people were hospitalized after being infected following Hurricane Beryl’s impact.
The hurricane not only brought damaging winds and heaving rain but with the combination of Houston humidity and hot temperatures — made it a breeding ground for mosquitos to thrive.
Earlier in July, we reported an increase in mosquito population due to the storm’s aftermath.
HCPH officials held a virtual meeting Friday to urge residents to take precautions to protect themselves.
According to the dashboard, at least seven Harris County residents have been infected by the West Nile virus and two travel-related dengue cases have been reported.
HCPH also confirmed 520 positive mosquito samples across 168 of its 268 operational areas.
“We are seeing more West Nile virus-positive mosquito pools this year than in previous years,” said Maximea “Max” Vigilant, DrPH, MPH, Director of the Mosquito and Vector Control Division. “This is partly due to our implementation of a more sensitive testing method, qPCR, which allows us to test a larger number of mosquitoes, and hence detect any virus circulating in the populations.”
The Texas Department of State Health Services recommends practicing the “Four Ds” as precautionary measures:
Use insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus.
Dress in long sleeves and long pants when you are outside.
Stay indoors at dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active.
Drain standing water where mosquitoes breed. Common breeding sites include old tires, flowerpots and clogged rain gutters.
A toddler has died after being found unresponsive in a neighbor’s pool in what authorities believe was a tragic accident.
The incident occurred early Saturday evening on the 3400 block of Brackenfern Road in the Katy area. Harris County deputies determined that a male toddler was found unconscious in the pool of his family’s next-door neighbor.
There was a family gathering at the toddler’s family’s residence, and deputies believe the child found an opening in a fence to gain access to the neighbor’s pool. After being found unresponsive, the toddler was rushed to a hospital in critical condition.
Just over two hours after his initial report, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez confirmed that the child had died on X.
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Copyright 2024 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.
HOUSTON – People in the Almeda Plaza neighborhood say they don’t want to hear apologies and promises from CenterPoint Energy. They say actions speak louder than words.
Since 86-year-old Julius Gordon Jr. got his power back on the day after our original story with him aired following hurricane beryl, its already gone out twice again. Once three days after it was restored, and then again today.
“I thought, is this retaliation?” Gordon asked jokingly. “let’s cut off Gordon’s electricity because he’s got a big mouth. Hey, but we have to cut off the other people too. That’s alright cut theirs off too, cut all 700 of them off.”
He makes fun of the situation to keep spirits high, but he knows it’s really no laughing matter.
“Seriously, it’s not a joke anymore,” he said.
He’s already had to throw away medicine that requires constant refrigeration and sometimes when there’s an outage, he has to take a device to the hospital to reconfigure it with the implanted heart monitor it correlates with.
“They can do better. They got to do better,” Gordon said.
Doing better is what CenterPoint executives promised during a recent hearing in front of the Public Utility Commission where one of the promises was to ensure vegetation surrounding power lines is better maintained.
“We’ve begun to use aerial resources whether they are helicopter, drone,” CenterPoint CEO Jason Wells said.
CenterPoint officials also said other changes are on the way, including bettering customer service.
“Looking at ways for customers to report and send photos and damage so that we can prioritize lines down and other safety related items that come up,” Wells said.
Both Gordon and his daughter, Denise Furlough listened to CenterPoint’s apologies and commitments to build the most resilient costal grid anywhere in the country. Both of them are skeptical.
“I will believe it when I see it. This is Houston. We have had hurricanes my whole life and I won’t even mention my age. They knew this last year, the year before,” Furlough said.
“Talk is cheap, and when you don’t follow up on your talk, it’s expensive to the customers,” Gordon said.
Gordon says he still won’t walk around his house without his flashlight even though his lights are back on now. Meanwhile, CenterPoint saying they plan to streamline the changes starting this hurricane season and continue to improve on preparations for future seasons.
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Copyright 2024 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.
HOUSTON – A lawsuit has been filed against three popular north Houston-area restaurants that are accused of illegally spending a portion of employees’ tips for business expenses, including condiments and takeout packaging.
The lawsuit, filed by the U.S. Department of Labor, asks a federal court to require the owner and operator of the restaurants in Tomball and Spring to pay back wages and damages to the impacted workers.
The investigations, launched by the department’s Wage and Hour Division, found that Tejas Chocolate LLC and Tejas Dragon Companies LLC collected the employees’ tips to distribute among them; however, the employer diverted some of the tips for business purposes in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act.
By law, tips are the property of those who earn them and cannot be used to pay business expenses.
The suit is seeking back wages and an equal amount in liquidated damages for current and former employees of two locations of Tejas Chocolate & Barbecue, operated by Tejas Chocolate LLC, and Tejas Burger Joint, operated by Tejas Dragon Companies LLC, from May 2021 to May 2023 and beyond if the division finds the employer continued to use employees’ tips improperly, according to the release.
“When it comes to workers’ tips, the law is crystal clear: tips are the property of the workers who earn them,” said Regional Wage and Hour Administrator Betty Campbell in Dallas. “The owner and operator of Tejas Chocolate & Barbecue and Tejas Burger Joint willfully deprived employees of all their hard-earned tips and used their money to illegally benefit their businesses.”
The department filed its lawsuit on July 19, 2024, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division.
“The Department of Labor is determined to protect the rights of all workers when their employers shortchange them for any reason and will use all legal means necessary,” said Regional Solicitor of Labor John Rainwater in Dallas. “The operator of these businesses directly violated the law, denying employees all the tips left by their customers to recognize their good service.”
Tejas Chocolate LLC was founded in 2011 and services the north Houston area. The same employer also founded Tejas Dragon Companies LLC in Tomball in 2019.
Copyright 2024 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.
HOUSTON – Patrick Brown told KPRC 2 reporter Corley Peel he was asleep at his mother’s house when investigators showed up around 4:00 a.m. Wednesday.
In the surveillance video at the home, you can hear deputies asking Brown to walk out with his hands up before they took him into custody.
Brown is among 53 people indicted in connection to the bail bond scheme involving the Houston bonding company, AABLE Bonds. The company has been under investigation for years and is accused falsifying financial reports before submitting them to government and insurance agencies to get bonds for jailed defendants.
Sources say some of those defendants committed more crimes after bonding out. Many of those cases involve violent offenders, according to records.
After his federal court hearing on Thursday, Brown told Corley that he was not aware the bonding company was accused or involved in suspicious activity.
Brown’s mother, Yvette, said her son told her about AABLE Bonds while he was in jail roughly two years ago.
“He called and said, ‘We have a bail bond and guaranteed to get me out.’ His bond was so high. So, we called the people, and they guaranteed to get my son out. I was desperately trying to get my child out of jail,” Yvette said.
Brown was released from jail. He said had a payment plan with the bond company.
“I know how the bond people work,” Brown said. “If you bring them 19 or 20 thousand [dollars], you’ve got to pay the payment plan. So, that’s what I did. I got out, and I was two months out, paying payments to them.”
His brother, Michael Ford and his uncle, Cornelius Brown, were also arrested in this case. They are accused of wire fraud by falsifying paystubs that were sent electronically. Despite the investigation, Brown thinks high of AABLE bonds.
“I’m not downing that bonding company,” Brown said. “That’s a good bonding company because they help a bunch of people out. They should have handled their paperwork right.”
Majority of the people who were in court on Thursday were released, including Brown. They are expected to have a bond hearing on Tuesday.
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Copyright 2024 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.
HOUSTON – Local, state, and federal law enforcement officers arrested 37 people in Harris County Wednesday morning in a ‘massive operation’ after a two-year long ‘colossal’ bail bond fraud investigation, according to law enforcement personnel with direct knowledge of the case.
The scheme allowed violent criminals who normally wouldn’t have qualified for bonds to get back out on the streets with relative ease
The arrests came following the federal indictment of 53 individuals, law enforcement officials said. They’re accused of wire fraud and conspiracy after the investigation exposed alleged fraud within the bail bond industry involving Harris County suspects tied to several recent high-profile cases.
Pamela Yoder (Left), Tawana Jones (Center), and Amir Khan (Right) (U.S. Attorney’s Office)
Of those indicted, 50 are already in custody and three are wanted, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office: Tawana Jones, 44, of Houston; Pamela Yoder, 60, of Detroit, Michigan; and Amir Khan, 60, of Pakistan.
Those charged are described by law enforcement as employees of the bail company or individuals who obtained fraudulent bonds. The arrest operation started before sunrise across multiple locations and the suspects were later processed at NRG on Wednesday. Federal agents received help from the Houston Police Department, Harris County Sheriff’s deputies, U.S. Marshals, and Texas Department of Public Safety troopers. FBI tactical teams from New Orleans and San Antonio were also involved.
The alleged fraud scheme allowed individuals charged in state cases to falsify financial reports related to bail bonds and accused individuals qualified for bonds they normally wouldn’t have, which meant they got released back onto the streets, officials said..
The U.S. Attorney’s Office has confirmed the alleged scheme involved AABLE Bonds, where the FBI executed a search warrant in June 2022.
According to the indictment, employees of AABLE Bonds conspired with others to falsify and obtain falsified co-signer financial reports. This was allegedly done to qualify individuals charged with criminal offenses who would not otherwise qualify for what was necessary to meet the terms of their bond.
“This investigation exposing alleged fraud within the bail bond industry is the first of its kind and the result of a 24-month long FBI Houston-led operation into a colossal bail bond scheme operating out of Harris County,” said FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams in a statement. “By allegedly falsifying financial reports related to bail bonds, the accused individuals secured their release back onto the streets of our community through an illicit revolving door within the bond system.”
“Utilizing the bail bond system in a fraudulent manner to allow the release of criminals is unacceptable. We are proud to have joined with our local, state and federal partners in getting these individuals off the streets,” said Acting Houston Police Chief Larry J. Satterwhite in a statement.
“Our crime analysts proactively launched this investigation to target violent offenders and those that exploit our system. These actions undermine the legal process and pose a threat to public safety. We are committed to working diligently with our partners to root out corruption and ensure that those who engage in such fraudulent activities are held accountable,” said Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez in a statement. “Our priority remains the safety and security of Harris County residents, and we will continue to take action against those who seek to be involved in criminal activity.”
In 2022, the CEO Sheba Muharib was questioned about her business practices by the Harris County Bail Bond Board but ultimately her license was renewed. She is now one of the defendants indicted for allegedly affecting persons engaged in the business of insurance.
Investigators started with a focus on a group of violent criminals and an analysis of their jail phone calls, law enforcement officials said, but that uncovered “massive bail bond fraud going on” and the case kept getting bigger, which is when the Harris County Sheriff’s Office requested help from the FBI.
The indictment alleges 11 individuals of the 53 are charged in Harris County with criminal offenses who obtained bonds based on falsified documents.
How did the scheme operate?
According to officials, after an individual got arrested, they’d call an employee at the bonding company from jail and the employee would assess if the defendant could be trusted. The company would then provide them co-signers if they didn’t have any. If they did have co-signers, a lot of times those individuals didn’t have jobs, so the employee at the company would provide false financial documents to the co-signers.
Eventually, co-signers would come in to sign paperwork with false check stubs, officials said, then submit paperwork to the insurance company which backed the company’s surety bonds. Believing those documents to be true, the bonds would be approved, and the defendant would be let out of jail fraudulently on a bond they shouldn’t have obtained because the co-signers didn’t have proper income to back the bond, law enforcement officials said.
Employees of AABLE Bonds, including Mary Brown, 29, and Oscar Wattell, 34, both of Houston, allegedly recruited the straw co-signers.
Sheba Muharib, 58, Missouri City, is charged with allegedly affecting persons engaged in the business of insurance. Muharib allegedly knew Wattell had a criminal felony conviction involving dishonesty while engaging in the business of insurance.
If convicted, each face up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine for the wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud charges. Muharib could receive up to five years in prison and a $250,000 possible fine upon conviction.
KPRC 2 photojournalist Cesar Martinez captured one of the arrests related to the enforcement action in the 6700 block of Sands Point Drive.
The suspects
Below is a list of all those indicted in connection to the scheme.
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Michael Horton, Bryce Newberry, Christian Terry, Cesar Martinez
A woman has been detained after two people were shot at an apartment complex in southeast Houston.
The shooting occurred Friday afternoon at the Zollie Scales Manor Apartments near the South Lawn neighborhood. Authorities believe it was a drive-by shooting, and the victims were shot in two separate areas of the complex. It’s unclear if the victims knew the shooter.
One of the victims, a 16-year-old boy, died at the scene. The other, a 19-year-old male, was driven to a fire station in a private vehicle. From there, he was rushed to a nearby hospital. He is currently in surgery, but officials expect he will survive.
A woman has been detained by Houston police regarding the incident. Police are also looking for a light-colored sedan that may have been involved.
This is a developing story. We’ll provide updates when we have more information.
Copyright 2024 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.
