In September 2014, the Athens Fire Department was alerted to an airplane on fire at the airport. Reports show that Carroll Dyson, owner of Dyson Aviation, noticed the Cessna 500s cockpit on fire when he arrived. Athens Fire Marshal Ronnie Denton and Henderson County Fire Marshal Shane Renberg investigated the case. The plane had been at the airport for about two weeks.
Denton said part of the investigation was to determine why the plane was in Athens.
According to information presented in court, Theodore Robert Wright III led a multi-jurisdictional fraud and arson scheme that spanned from Hawaii to the Gulf of Mexico and involved the destruction of various assets, including vehicles, aircraft and vessels. Wright and his co-conspirators, Shane Gordon, 45, of Houston, Raymond Fosdick, 41, of Houston, and Edward Delima, 41, of Honolulu, acquired assets and obtained insurance coverage in amounts exceeding their purchase prices. Wright and his co-conspirators then devised and carried out schemes to destroy the assets and defraud insurance companies.
The assets destroyed in the scheme included a 1966 Beechcraft Baron, a 2008 Lamborghini Gallardo, a 1971 Cessna 500 and a 1998 Hunter Passage. The Beechcraft Baron made an emergency landing in the Gulf of Mexico, sank in deep water and was not recovered. The Lamborghini Gallardo crashed into a ditch full of water, causing the vehicle to flood. The Cessna 500 was completely destroyed when Fosdick set it on fire at Wright’s direction at the Athens airport. The Hunter Passage sank in a marina in Hawaii.
Fraudulent insurance claims were filed in each of these incidents. Wright and his co-defendants also filed a fraudulent $1 million personal-injury lawsuit in the crash in the Gulf of Mexico. The suit was settled for $100,000.
On May 17, Wright, Gordon, Fosdick and Delima were charged with various offenses related to their conduct in the scheme in the Eastern District of Texas. Wright’s co-conspirators have pleaded guilty. On Sept. 26, Delima pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud. On Oct. 12, Fosdick pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud and conspiring to commit arson. On Oct. 25, Gordon pleaded guilty to making false statements to a federal agent.
At sentencing, Delima faces up to 20 years in federal prison. Fosdick faces up to 20 years in federal prison for wire fraud conspiracy and five to 20 years in federal prison on the arson conspiracy count. Gordon faces up to five years in federal prison. Sentencing dates have not been determined.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathaniel C. Kummerfeld and L. Frank Coan, Jr.
Wright entered his plea pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge K. Nicole Mitchell.
Original article can be found here ➤ http://www.athensreview.com
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. THEODORE ROBERT WRIGHT III (6:17-cr-00040)
District Court, E.D. Texas
https://www.courtlistener.com
EAST TEXAS (KLTV) - An East Texas pilot has pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud and arson charges.
According to U.S. Attorney John M. Bales, Theodore Robert Wright III, 32, formerly of Kemah, Texas pleaded guilty before a judge to conspiring to commit wire fraud and conspiring to commit arson.
Wright was indicted in May 2017 along with three other men on charges of using fire to commit a felony and aiding and abetting, arson of property used in interstate or foreign commerce or used in an activity affecting interstate or foreign commerce, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and wire fraud.
All are accused of destroying vehicles, an aircraft and vessels to profit off insurance companies. The men are accused of damaging a Lamborghini Gallardo, a yacht in Hawaii, an airplane in the depths of the Gulf of Mexico, and a burned out plane in an Athens hangar.
Wright, 32, a well-known pilot in the aviation world, was arrested June 28 in Las Vegas and is being held in the Gregg County Jail along with Fosdick, 31, who was arrested in South Carolina on July 19.
Wright was forced to surrender his pilot’s license and passport to authorities, records show.
At sentencing, Wright faces up to 20 years in federal prison on the wire fraud conspiracy count and 5 to 20 years in federal prison on the arson conspiracy count.
According to U.S. Attorney Bales, Wright and his co-conspirators, Shane Gordon, 45, of Houston, Texas, Raymond Fosdick, 41, of Houston, Texas, and Edward Delima, 41, of Honolulu, Hawaii, acquired assets and obtained insurance coverage in amounts exceeding their purchase prices. Wright and his co-conspirators then devised and carried out schemes to destroy the assets and defraud insurance companies.
The assets destroyed in the scheme included a 1966 Beechcraft Baron, a 2008 Lamborghini Gallardo, a 1971 Cessna 500, and a 1998 Hunter Passage. The Beechcraft Baron made an emergency landing in the Gulf of Mexico, sank in deep water, and was not recovered. The Lamborghini Gallardo crashed into a ditch full of water, causing the vehicle to flood. The Cessna 500 was completely destroyed when Fosdick set it on fire at Wright’s direction at an airport in Athens, Texas. The Hunter Passage sank in a marina in Hawaii. Fraudulent insurance claims were filed in relation to each of these incidents. Wright and his co-defendants also filed a fraudulent $1 million personal injury lawsuit related to the crash in the Gulf of Mexico. The suit was settled for $100,000.
Wright’s co-conspirators have all pleaded guilty. In Sept. 2017, Delima pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud. In Oct. 12 Fosdick pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud and conspiring to commit arson. In Oct. 2017, Gordon pleaded guilty to making false statements to a federal agent.
At sentencing, Delima faces up to 20 years in federal prison. Fosdick faces up to 20 years in federal prison on the wire fraud conspiracy count and 5 to 20 years in federal prison on the arson conspiracy count. Gordon faces up to 5 years in federal prison. Sentencing dates have not been determined.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathaniel C. Kummerfeld and L. Frank Coan, Jr.
Story and photo ➤ http://www.kltv.com
EAST TEXAS (KLTV) - What do a flooded Lamborghini Gallardo, a sunken yacht in Hawaii, an airplane in the depths of the Gulf of Mexico, and a burned out plane in an Athens hangar have in common?
Each is named in a federal indictment as having been destroyed by four men whom investigators say intentionally destroyed vehicles, aircraft and vessels to profit off insurance companies.
Theodore Robert Wright III, Shane William Gordon, Raymond Fosdick, and Edward Delima were indicted May 17 on charges of using fire to commit a felony and aiding and abetting, arson of property used in interstate or foreign commerce or used in an activity affecting interstate or foreign commerce, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and wire fraud.
A criminal forfeiture notice filed in the case seeks $938,554.80, a Gates Learjet and associated logbooks, flight logs and keys.
Wright, 32, a well-known pilot in the aviation world, was arrested June 28 in Las Vegas and is being held in the Gregg County Jail along with Fosdick, 31, who was arrested in South Carolina on July 19.
Wright was forced to surrender his pilot’s license and passport to authorities, records show.
Delima was arrested in Hawaii on July 24 and was arraigned in Tyler on August 2. Delima entered a not guilty plea to a charge of wire fraud and was released on bond.
Gordon, an attorney with offices in Houston, was arrested July 21, and is being held in the Smith County Jail.
The indictment describes four incidents in which the men are accused of conspiring:
1971 Cessna 500 N18FM
Purchased in March 2014 for $190,000, the aircraft was insured for $440,000, according to the indictment. It was found smoldering inside a hangar at Athens Municipal Airport in September of that year. Text messages between Wright and Fosdick allegedly discussing the arson of the plane were obtained by investigators and listed in the indictment.
“T.R. Wright: Car is at 18150 McKay Blvd, Humble, TX 77338 Sleep inn. Black Altima key in cup holder. Taxi there. Then you can leave it at Conroe when finished
T.R. Wright: Do not get made in that car or it will sink us. I would really like if you can have some switcheroos
Raymond Fosdick: It’s done”
An insurance check for $440,000 endorsed by Gordon was deposited in an account out of which a wire transfer of $50,000 was made to another account in Wright’s name, according to the indictment.
A phone call made by Wright to the Athens Fire Marshal is listed among evidence for the indictments.
Purchased in March 2012 for $46,000, the plane is now resting at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico near Baytown. The indictment claims Wright collected $85,000 from the insurance company after he and passenger Fosdick wound up in the Gulf after an alleged mechanical failure “caused smoke and flames in the cabin.”
The crash received publicity after Wright recorded video of himself and Fosdick floating in the Gulf awaiting rescue, and the video was picked up by news outlets and used in a commercial.
2008 Lambhorghini Gallardo
Purchased in November 2013 with a salvage title for $76,000, Wright is accused of intentionally driving the car “into a ditch full of water, causing the vehicle to flood.” In May 2014, Gordon deposited an insurance check for $169,554.83 payable to Wright and Cassius, LLC.
1998 Hunter Passage
Purchased in October 2014 for $50,150, the vessel was paid for by two wire transfers from an account held in Wright’s name and insured by Delima for $195,000. On February 20, 2016, investigators say “the vessel was extensively damaged due to partially sinking in a marina in Ko Olina, Hawaii.”
Facebook messages between accounts for Wright and Delima were found by investigators and included in the indictment.
“T.R. Wright: I think you and I should be on the phone together for the claim call, I pretend to be you and give them all the info, then you will hear everything so you know what to say later, and we will be on messenger if we need to communicate while we are on the phone with them. Thoughts?
Edward Delima: Sounds good”
The indictment states that this was not the only occasion that Wright, “used, directed and/or assumed the identity of Edward Delima in communications with the insurance company.”
An insurance check in the amount of $180,023.80 was deposited into a bank account held in Wright’s name in July 2015, and four days later investigators allege Wright transferred $180,000 by wire into an account he shared with Gordon.
Count 1, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and Counts 2 through 4, wire fraud, each carry a penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000, according to the indictment.
Count 5, conspiracy to violate 18 U.S.C. 844(i) carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine; Count 6, related to the alleged arson, is publishable by up to $250,000 in fines and 5 years in prison; and Count 7, use of fire to commit a felony and aiding and abetting, carries a 10-year prison sentence and a fine up to $250,000.
Story, photos and video ➤ http://www.kltv.com
Aviation Accident Final Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf
Investigation Docket - - National Transportation Safety Board: https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms
Location: Gulf of Mexico, GM
Accident Number: CEN12LA652
Date & Time: 09/20/2012, 1545 CDT
Registration: N265Q
Aircraft: BEECH 95-C55
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Fire/smoke (non-impact)
Injuries: 2 Minor
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal
Analysis
While on a cross-country flight, the pilot detected smoke in the cockpit. He attempted to identify the source of the smoke but was not successful. When the pilot saw flames behind the cockpit panel, he descended and ditched the airplane in the water. The pilot and passengers got out of the airplane and the airplane sank. Due to the depth of the water at the accident location, the airplane was not recovered. Without recovery of the airplane’s wreckage, further examination was not possible, and the source of the fire could not be determined.
Probable Cause and Findings
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
An in-flight fire, which resulted in the airplane’s forced landing in water. The source of the fire could not be determined because the airplane wreckage was not recovered.
Findings
Aircraft
Aircraft systems - Not specified (Cause)
Not determined
Not determined - Unknown/Not determined (Cause)
Factual Information
On September 20, 2012, about 1545 central daylight time, a Beech 95-C55 airplane, N265Q, ditched into the Gulf of Mexico waters. The commercial pilot and one passenger sustained minor injuries. The airplane sank in deep water and was not recovered. The airplane was registered to and operated by Government Auctions Online LLC, Henderson, Nevada, under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which operated on an instrument flight rules flight plan. The flight originated from the Baytown Airport (KHPY), Baytown, Texas, about 1400, and was destined to the Sarasota/Bradenton International Airport (KSRQ), Sarasota, Florida.
According to the pilot's statement provided to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), while the pilot was en route to his destination, when he detected smoke in the cockpit. In an attempt to troubleshoot the smoke, the pilot turned off the master switch. Due to reduced visibility, the pilot vented the smoke by opening the cabin door and pilot’s storm window. The pilot and passenger saw flames through a gap between the cockpit panel and glare shield. The pilot activated the emergency locator beacon as he descended to ditch the airplane in the water. After ditching the airplane, the pilot and passenger exited the airplane, donned personal floatation devices, and were rescued by the United States Coast Guard.
Due to the accident location, the airplane was not recovered for an examination. Despite multiple attempts, the pilot did not complete an NTSB Form 6120. Information was not available to determine if previous maintenance issues were present. A review of the FAA Service Difficulty Reporting database did not reveal any entries for the accident airplane. Without recovery of the airplane's wreckage, an examination was not possible and the source of the fire could not be determined.
History of Flight
Enroute-cruise
Fire/smoke (non-impact) (Defining event)
Emergency descent
Ditching
Pilot Information
Certificate: Commercial
Age: 27, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Multi-engine Land; Single-engine Land; Single-engine Sea
Seat Occupied: Left
Other Aircraft Rating(s):
Restraint Used:
Instrument Rating(s): Airplane
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 2 With Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 05/17/2012
Occupational Pilot:
Last Flight Review or Equivalent:
Flight Time: (Estimated) 850 hours (Total, all aircraft)
Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information
Aircraft Manufacturer: BEECH
Registration: N265Q
Model/Series: 95-C55
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture:
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal
Serial Number: TE-106
Landing Gear Type: Retractable - Tricycle
Seats: 6
Date/Type of Last Inspection: Unknown
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 4900 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection:
Engines: 2 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time:
Engine Manufacturer: CONT MOTOR
ELT: C126 installed, activated, did not aid in locating accident
Engine Model/Series: IO-520-CB
Registered Owner: GOVERNMENT AUCTIONS ONLINE LLC
Rated Power: 285 hp
Operator: GOVERNMENT AUCTIONS ONLINE LLC
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
Meteorological Information and Flight Plan
Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: KBVE
Observation Time: 1551 CDT
Distance from Accident Site: 48 Nautical Miles
Direction from Accident Site: 310°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Temperature/Dew Point: 27°C / 20°C
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility: 10 Miles
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 7 knots, 60°
Visibility (RVR):
Altimeter Setting: 30.01 inches Hg
Visibility (RVV):
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: Baytown, TX (KHPY)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: IFR
Destination: Sarasota, FL (KSRQ)
Type of Clearance: IFR
Departure Time: 1500 CDT
Type of Airspace:
Airport Information
Airport:
Runway Surface Type:
Airport Elevation:
Runway Surface Condition:
Runway Used:
IFR Approach:
Runway Length/Width:
VFR Approach/Landing:
Wreckage and Impact Information
Crew Injuries: 1 Minor
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 1 Minor
Aircraft Fire: In-Flight
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 2 Minor
Latitude, Longitude:
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