A Houston man has been sentenced to prison for wire fraud, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Brett Michael Detamore, aged 40, pleaded guilty on August 23, 2024.
U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks sentenced Detamore to 51 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release. He is also required to pay $2.3 million in restitution to over ten victims. During the hearing, victims provided testimony about the financial harm and breach of trust they experienced due to Detamore's actions.
Detamore operated under Detamore Development LLC as a custom home builder and misappropriated at least $1.5 million intended for constructing private residences for personal use.
The fraudulent activities involved submitting false invoices to banks holding construction loans for single-family homes he was contracted to build. These false invoices led banks to transfer funds into accounts controlled by Detamore, which he then used personally.
Detamore remains on bond and will voluntarily surrender to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility soon.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI with help from the West University Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen Lansden and Suzanne Elmilady prosecuted the case.