Texas home developer misappropriated client funds for personal gain

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Inset: Brett Detamore (West University Place Police Department). Background: Dodge Ram TRX Detamore allegedly burned (Lawsuit).

A Texas developer who admitted to taking millions from customers in order to fund trips to the Super Bowl and World Series — and then allegedly faked his own disappearance in order to avoid responsibility — will spend the next few years behind bars.

Brett Michael Detamore, 40, pleaded guilty last year to wire fraud and on Wednesday was sentenced to 51 months — four years and three months — in prison. He also must pay $2.3 million in restitution to more than 10 victims, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas.

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Prosecutors said Detamore, owner of Detamore Development LLC, fraudulently obtained at least $1.5 million for his personal use that was intended for housing projects. He submitted false invoices to banks for construction loans for single-family residences he was contracted to build. He then used the funds for his personal benefit, prosecutors said.

According to the indictment, Detamore in October 2022 entered into a contract with a client to build a single-family home on Nottingham Street in Houston. But Detamore never built the home and instead pocketed the funds.

Several of the victims spoke about the financial ruin Detamore caused them. According to a courtroom report by local NBC affiliate KPRC, victim Lori Williamson told the court how she was hesitant about Detamore building her dream home because they were friends.

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Detamore responded to her concern: “Who better to trust than your good friends,” Williamson reportedly testified.

KPRC also spoke with another victim after the hearing who worked for, and was friends with, Detamore.

“I mean, we had to figure out how to financially come out of the hole that he left us,” Sergio Moreno told the TV station. “Even though we were given a small amount back … it’s still not making up what we lost.”

As Law&Crime previously reported, Detamore’s wife reported him missing in June 2023. According to the West University Place Police Department, Detamore’s yellow Dodge Ram TRX was found burned at Bear Creek Pioneers Park hours after the then-missing person left his home.

Six days after the reported disappearance, Detamore was found at a bus stop in San Antonio, leading cops to announce he had been “reunited with his family.”

Authorities later addressed the bizarre circumstances and lingering questions from the public about what took place. As part of efforts to turn up “valuable clues” and solve the “puzzle” of Detamore’s sudden vanishing, police said that they subpoenaed financial and phone records, and also interviewed a witness who claimed to see a man walking away from Detamore’s burned pickup truck.

Investigators came to the conclusion that it “appear[ed] that Brett’s disappearance was pre-planned.”

“While we understand the community’s desire for more information, we must exercise caution due to the presence of potential suspects, the person who left, or potential co-conspirators who might be monitoring our updates,” cops said at the time. “Our priority is to protect the integrity of the investigation and ensure that no potential evidence or leads are compromised.”

A $1 million lawsuit filed by Zaffer Syed on Oct. 4, 2023, in Harris County seeks to fill in some of the gaps.

Syed alleges in the breach of contract, fraud, unjust enrichment, theft, and negligent misrepresentation lawsuit against Detamore and Detamore Development, LLC, that the defendant used investment money meant to fund home constructions to fund his own “lavish lifestyle,” including tickets to “major sporting events” like the Super Bowl and World Series.

“Brett Detamore’s lavish lifestyle included attending major sporting events, including the Super Bowl, World Series games, meet and greets with athletes, and other high-dollar events,” the suit alleged. “Brett Detamore jet-setted around and stayed in luxurious hotels and resorts. Additionally, he bought and drove an expensive Dodge Ram TRX truck, Cadillac Escalade, and had a second home in Galveston worth over million dollars.”

The plaintiff said Detamore even had the vanity plate “HIDEIT” on his Cadillac Escalade, which the suit interpreted as the defendant flaunting “his ability to defraud innocent victims.”

Syed asserted that the “disappearance” and the intentional truck fire was a last-ditch effort by Detamore to abandon his “responsibility for constructing the Homes.”

“In reality, Defendant misappropriated and stole much of the cash that was supposed to be used to complete the construction of the Homes,” the suit said. “Defendants carried out the scheme by falsifying and creating fake invoices and pictures that were submitted to the financing bank to support interim draws.”

The lawsuit remains ongoing and has a trial date set for October, some two years after it was filed. He’s also facing other lawsuits that are ongoing.