HOUSTON — Fifty-three people are indicted following an investigation into a bail bond scam, the U.S. Attorney’s Office Southern District of Texas reported.

What You Need To Know

  • An investigation into a bail bond scam in Houston has resulted in 53 people being charged

  • Of the 53 people indicted, 50 are currently in custody

  • The three outstanding suspects are considered fugitives 

  • Nearly all of the suspects are facing wire fraud charges. They could be sentenced to 20 years in prison

Of the 53, 50 are in custody. Some of them were scheduled to make initial court appearances Thursday.

The three remaining suspects are considered fugitives. They are Tawana Jones, 44, of Houston; Pamela Yoder, 60, of Detroit, Michigan; and Amir Khan, 60, of Pakistan.

According to investigators, employees of Houston’s AABLE Bonds conspired with others to falsify and obtain co-signer financial reports in order to qualify people charged criminally for bail bonds they shouldn’t have.

“This investigation exposing alleged fraud within the bail bond industry is the first of its kind and the result of a 24-month long FBI Houston-led operation into a colossal bail bond scheme operating out of Harris County,” said FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams. “By allegedly falsifying financial reports related to bail bonds, the accused individuals secured their release back onto the streets of our community through an illicit revolving door within the bond system.”

Fifty-two of the 53 suspects face charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

If convicted, they face up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

The investigation involved the FBI, the Houston Police Department, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety and the U.S. Marshals Service.