ANAHUAC — Chambers County Sheriff Brian Hawthorne says the fraud investigation tied to Texas Gatorfest has grown significantly, with investigators now looking at a much larger amount of potentially misused money than first believed.
Hawthorne told KFDM in an interview 18 days ago that investigators were working on a criminal case involving possible failure of fiduciary responsibility issues with the Anahuac Chamber of Commerce.
“At this point, we do have a criminal case, actively working on some possible failure of fiduciary responsibility issues, with the Anahuac Chamber of Commerce,” Hawthorne said.
In an April 30 interview, Hawthorne said the suspected misuse or theft appeared to involve more than $20,000, though he cautioned that figure could change.
“We don’t know the exact amount, but from what I’ve been briefed on, it’s well over $20,000,” Hawthorne said at the time. “That could…
This involves defrauding the state or using government systems to steal from individuals.
- Tax Identity Theft: A criminal uses your ID and income details to file a tax return in your name and claim a refund before you do.
- Grant/Benefit Fraud: Falsely claiming unemployment, disability, or social grants that the perpetrator is not entitled to.