United States Attorney
Northern District of Texas

1100 Commerce St., 3rd Fl.
Dallas, Texas 75242-1699

Telephone (214) 659-8600
Fax (214) 767-0978

Amarillo Home Builder Pleads Guilty in Federal Court to Structuring Bank Deposits

Paul David Gillette, a home builder in the Amarillo, Texas, area, pled guilty this afternoon in federal court in Amarillo to one count of structuring transactions to avoid reporting requirements, announced U.S. Attorney Richard B. Roper of the Northern District of Texas. Gillette, 44, faces a maximum statutory sentence of ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Mary Lou Robinson after a presentence report is prepared.

According to documents filed in Court, Falcon Club was a home development in rural Randall County that Gillette had planned. Individuals who wished to build homes at Falcon Club would contract with Gillette and make financial arrangements for their homes to be built.

Juan and Aida Rios contracted with Gillette to build a home and large building at Falcon Club. Juan and Aida Rios partially paid for the property in cash and delivered to Gillette, or his agents, large amounts of cash. During 2005, the Rioses paid Gillette or his agents more than $650,000 in cash. Between June 2005 and November 2005, Gillette made or caused to be made, more than 30 deposits totaling more than $200,000 in cash to his various domestic financial institution bank accounts at Amarillo National Bank and Western National Bank. Gillette broke up the cash deposits to fall just under the reporting requirement amount of more than $10,000, knowing that the bank was required to file a report if the deposit was in excess of $10,000. He did so for the purpose of avoiding the reporting requirement.

U.S. Attorney Roper praised the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Drake of the Amarillo U.S. Attorney’s Office.

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