Harris Dempsey “Butch” Ballow Extradited to the United States for Sentencing on Money Laundering Conviction

HOUSTON—Convicted money launderer Harris Dempsey “Butch” Ballow, 68, formerly of Galveston County, Texas, has been extradited from Mexico to the United States today to face sentencing, United States Attorney José Angel Moreno announced today along with FBI Special Agent in Charge Richard C. Powers and acting United States Marshal Elizabeth Saenz. Mexican authorities arrested Ballow on July 13, 2010, in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico, on a provisional warrant requested by the Southern District of Texas.

Ballow has been a fugitive from justice for more than six years. He was indicted in federal court in Houston in 2003 for fraud and money laundering which centered on misrepresentations made in connection with the purchase and sale of stock. Ballow pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge David Hittner to money laundering in November 2003 and faced a maximum of 10 years’ imprisonment. At the time, Ballow, who had been in custody without bond for approximately a year, agreed to cooperate with a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) investigation and was released on a $100,000 bond pending sentencing on Dec. 16, 2004. However, Ballow fled the country. A warrant for Ballow’s arrest was issued the following day, Dec. 17, 2004.

Ballow arrived at Houston’s Bush Intercontinental Airport late this morning in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service aboard a flight from Mexico. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge George Hanks at 2:00 p.m. today and has been ordered to remain in custody without bond pending further criminal proceedings before U.S. District Judge David HIttner on dates to be set by the court.

Five co-defendants charged in a separate but related indictment (4:10-cr-258-S) with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and harboring and concealing Ballow from arrest are set for trial on Aug. 22, 2011, before U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal. Similar charges (4:10-494-S) are also pending in a second related case against Ballow’s wife, Robin Harless Ballow, 56, formerly of Galveston County, Texas, and Ruben Garza Perez, 50, Kelly Lyn Boothe, 45, and Jeffrey Janssen Anuth, 52, all formerly of Houston, who are fugitives.

The investigation leading to the 2003 charges against Ballow was conducted by the FBI Houston Division. The search for and subsequent charges against others filed in 2010 is the result of an investigation conducted by the Houston and San Antonio Division FBI offices and the United States Marshals Service with the substantial assistance of the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney John R. Lewis is prosecuting the cases.