There has been a growing trend in recent years with regard to Captive Insurance Companies. As is so often true, that which seems too good to be true is, in fact, too good to be true. While Captive Insurance Companies can be a perfectly legal and legitimate planning tool for business owners, some IRC 831(b)…
Crown Victoria Pacheco-Bustamante was driving. Courtesy Miami-Dade Police It’s not often that justice is served immediately, but that’s what happened last week in Miami. Marcos Pacheco-Bustamante was impersonating a cop when he activated a blue siren on his Ford Crown Victoria and pulled over an SUV on Interstate 95. Incredibly, the man he pulled over…
A Houston couple faces multiple years in prison after stealing 50,000 identities, and using them to obtain debit cards and tax refunds. The crimes occurred between January 2014 and May 2015. The couple first used the stolen identities to apply for and obtain 230 debit cards. They then used the same identities to apply for…
While we’re probably more concerned with our allergies at the moment, spring has sprung in Texas. And with the warmer temperatures, drowning deaths will unfortunately start to rise. Did you know Texas has the most pool drowning deaths in the United States? Nationally, drowning is the second leading cause of accidental death amongst children. According…
Last week, Eric Christopher Conn, a Kentucky disability attorney, pleaded guilty for his role in a scheme to defraud the Social Security Administration (SSA) of $550 million. The scheme included Conn, a former SSA administrative law judge, and multiple doctors. Conn was apparently paying bribes to everyone connected to the scheme. From 2004 through 2011,…
Last month, James E. VanBlaricum pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud stemming from an oil and gas fraud scheme, perpetrated from 2007 through 2016, from several locations in the Mid-Cities. The Colleyville businessman operated Signal Oil and Gas Company, and Texas Energy Management, which later became Texas Energy Mutual, “… for the purpose…
Have you ever helped a friend or relative by wiring money? The next time you’re asked to wire money, be very careful and make sure the request is legitimate. Last month, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that Western Union had agreed to pay $586 million after numerous customers were deceived into sending money to…
After one of the biggest recalls in U.S. automotive history, the Takata Corporation pleaded guilty to fraud, and agreed to pay $1B in penalties. Takata not only pleaded guilty, but admitted they hid evidence that their air bag inflators could explode with too much force. The defective air bags have been blamed for 11 deaths…
Lawyers are expensive. No doubt about it. If you get a DUI, it will cost thousands of dollars — and the penalties can be stiff. Going through a divorce? Depletion of the marital assets can be significant. Now that I’ve thoroughly depressed you, how can you economically pursue your rights? One way is through a…
The Harris Firm Attorneys and Staff We hear you. Anyone who works in the legal profession knows they’re the punch line (or punching bag) of many a joke. So why should you hire an attorney? All jokes aside, most people are intimidated by the law. There are confusing rules, statutes, and laws out there –…