A 39-year-old Houston man has pled guilty to wire fraud, according to U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Brett Michael Detamore, a bespoke house builder under the name Detamore Development LLC, unlawfully gained at least $1.5 million for personal use by abusing money meant for the building of private dwellings.
Detamore sent bogus and fraudulent invoices to banks that held construction loans for single-family homes he had been contracted to build. The phony invoices prompted banks to transfer monies to Detamore-controlled bank accounts, which he subsequently utilized for personal gain.
As part of his plea deal, Detamore agreed to forfeit at least $1.5 million that he fraudulently obtained. On November 5, US District Judge George C. Hanks will issue a sentence. At the time, Detamore faced up to 20 years in federal prison, a maximum punishment of $250,000, and full restitution to the victim homes.
The FBI conducted the investigation with the help of the West University Police Department. Karen Lansden and Suzanne Elmilady, both Assistant United States Attorneys, are prosecuting the case.