Forty-two year old rapper William James “Willie D” Dennis pleaded guilty today in federal court to wire fraud charges stemming from his purported sales of Apple iPhones through his company known as Texas One Wireless, according to U. S. Attorney Tim Johnson and FBI Special Agent in Charge Richard C. Powers. Willie D is best known for being one of the members of Houston based rap group, The Geto Boys, a group that put Houston on the map of rap artists and began a trend in Southern Rap music that includes legends UGK, Lil Keke and DJ Screw. Willie D wrote and produced many of The Geto Boys’ countless hits, and he provided writing and production services to numerous other rap artists. He is also the founder of Relentless Music Ventures which signed NayNay and Huntzville. He is considered by many to be a pioneer in the industry.
Willie D appeared before U. S. District Court Judge Gray Miller this morning. He admitted to posing as an electronic salesman who used eBay to establish his credibility with international buyers. His eBay site peddled popular electronic items, such as in demand cell phone models. Once a buyer showed interest, he would direct them outside of eBay to conduct the sales transactions via e-mail.
Numerous foreign individuals placed orders with Dennis for the popular iPhone and other electronics. He would require payment to be electronically transferred to his personal bank account. Once the transaction was confirmed, he would send tracking numbers for packages that were never shipped. When buyers complained about his failure to deliver their products, Dennis would claim that he filed a complaint with the carrier that was supposed to have shipped the products. He would then tell the buyers that their payments could not be refunded until the shipping companies located the missing products. Over time, Dennis would cut off communication with the buyers. Twenty-nine individuals were defrauded of a reported $132,303.00 between September of 2008 and April of 2009.
In a statement released by Special Agent in Charge Powers, he stated, “Financial frauds, whether committed in person or via the Internet, victimize individuals, communities and the economy at large. Those who feel these crimes can be committed with impunity will learn that the Houston Area Cyber Crimes Task Force (HACCTF) will continue to provide investigative and analytic resources to combat and discourage Internet fraud.”
Dennis was arrested by FBI agents on May 13, 2009 after his return from a trip overseas. He was indicted on June 9, 2009. He faces up to twenty years in federal prison, a $250,000.00 fine and five years supervised probation upon release. As part of his agreement with the government, Dennis will make full restitution at or before sentencing. Judge Miller has set sentencing for April 23, 2010, at 10:00 a.m. He will remain on bond pending sentencing.
The HACCTF is comprised of personnel from the FBI, Houston Police Department and Harris County Sheriff's Office. Investigative assistance was provided by the U. S. Postal Inspection Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherri L. Zack.
To read about Willie D’s indictment, please visit http://www.examiner.com/x-2552-New-Orleans-Crime-Examiner~y2009m6d9-Willie-D-indicted-on-federal-wire-fraud-charges.
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