Three Guilty in Transnational East Texas Call Center Fraud Scheme
Aug 26, 2021 · Sourced to the U.S. Department of Justice
TYLER, Texas – Three former Texans now living in Louisiana have pleaded guilty to federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei today.
Defendants
- Ronnie Duane Booth — age 38 · Forney, Texas · pleaded guilty
- Mary Elizabeth Beaman Booth — age 40 · Forney, Texas · pleaded guilty
- Tracey Brookshier — age 52 · Kingsville, Texas · pleaded guilty
Charges
Aiding and abetting an unlicensed money transmitting business
Max: five years in prisonRonnie Duane Booth· pleaded guilty
Aiding and abetting an unlicensed money transmitting business
Max: five years in prisonMary Elizabeth Beaman Booth· pleaded guilty
Aiding and abetting an unlicensed money transmitting business
Max: five years in prisonTracey Brookshier· pleaded guilty
Conspiracy to commit money laundering
Jeremy Christopher Jones· pleaded guilty
Financial actions
- seizure: $126,000 — Victim proceeds collected and deposited by defendant
- seizure: $155,000 — Victim proceeds picked up and deposited by defendant
- seizure: $91,000 — Victim proceeds picked up and deposited by defendant
- seizure: $3.2 million — Overall scheme involved approximately $3.2 million in victims' payments and almost 2000 victims
From the announcement
“Defrauding elder persons of their life savings deprives them of a secure future and causes significant emotional distress to both the victim and their families. EDTX is committed to holding accountable those who unconscionably prey on our senior citizens and other vulnerable populations.”
“These developments demonstrate the commitment of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration to investigate and bring to justice those that victimize the American taxpayer. The defendants engaged in multiple scams, often targeting the most vulnerable members of society. The success of this investigation is the result of a collaborative effort between multiple Federal law enforcement agencies and the dedicated staff at the United States Attorney's Office.”
Investigating agencies
Case details
- Prosecuting office
- Eastern District of Texas
- Judge
- John D. Love, U.S. Magistrate Judge
Primary source
Every fact above is drawn from the Department of Justice's own announcement — a public-domain government record.
Read the original DOJ release →This is a research and reference page compiled from public DOJ announcements, not legal advice. Details reflect the government's statements as of its release date and may not capture later developments such as appeals, dismissals, or overturned convictions. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.