Five Indicted in Combination Foreclosure Rescue/Drug Distribution Scheme

Subjects Used False Military Orders to Forestall Foreclosures Before Converting Home into Marijuana Grow Operation

PLANO, TX—Five individuals have been indicted have been indicted for their roles in a combination foreclosure rescue/drug distribution scheme in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney John M. Bales today.

Charles Williams, 37, of McKinney, Texas; Jarrod Williams, 33, of McKinney, Texas; Julius Williams, 41, of McKinney, Texas; Jemilat Williams, 33, of Missouri City, Texas; and Christopher Carter, 33, of Leicester, England, have been indicted by a federal grand jury on July 11, 2012 and charged with multiple violations.

According to counts one through 17 of the indictment, Charles Williams, Jarrod Williams, Julius Williams, and Jemilat Williams controlled and operated Applied Investment Strategies Inc., which marketed itself as a foreclosure rescue service that would assist homeowners who were at risk of foreclosure. However, once retained by their customers, AIS fraudulently used their customers’ personal identification information to prepare and send false military orders to lending institutions in order to claim relief from foreclosure efforts under the Servicemember’s Civil Relief Act. AIS then leased out the homes and collected the rental payments for its benefit. The scheme involved approximately 38 homes and also extended to efforts to forestall repossession of cars. According to count 18 of the indictment, after at least one of the fraudulently acquired properties was vacated, Charles Williams, Jarrod Williams, Julius Williams, and Christopher Carter turned it into a marijuana grow operation that housed in excess of 1,000 marijuana plants.

For each of counts one through 10 of the indictment, Charles Williams, Jarrod Williams, Julius Williams, and Jemilat Williams face up to 20 years in federal prison. For each of counts 11 through 17, Charles Williams and Jarrod Williams face a mandatory two years in federal prison to run consecutively to any other terms of imprisonment. For count 18 of the indictment, Charles Williams, Jarrod Williams, Julius Williams, and Christopher Carter each face from 10 years to life in federal prison.

This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shamoil T. Shipchandler.

A grand jury indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.