A Houston custom home builder is facing wire fraud charges after allegedly funneling at least $1.5 million of construction funds into his personal bank accounts, detailed in a criminal information filed by U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Brett Detamore, 39, who operates under Detamore Development LLC, is scheduled for his first court appearance on August 12 according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas.
The allegations contend that Detamore submitted fraudulent invoices to banks which were responsible for financing the construction of single-family homes and that these deceptive acts were intended to direct funds to his control, which were subsequently used for private expenses, and the charges specify this misuse of funds as wire fraud, with the FBI and the West University Police Department teaming up in a joint investigation that brought these activities to light, unfolding a tale of financial deceit within the housing industry.
If found guilty, the potential consequences are stark; Detamore could be sentenced to up to 20 years in a federal prison, be subjected to a $250,000 fine, and be obligated to offer full restitution to the victims—the homeowner clients whose dreams of custom-built homes were bargained against their builder's luxurious whims.
