DALLAS (AP) — Prosecutors say a Dallas businessman who dubbed himself the “Frack Master” and went on TV to discuss oil and gas has pleaded guilty to fraud and tax evasion charges in an $80 million scam.
Forty-one-year-old Christopher A. Faulkner
entered his plea Tuesday
in Dallas after reaching a deal. He faces up to 12 years in federal prison and possible repayment of investors.
Prosecutors say that between 2011 and 2016, Faulkner raised about $71 million from working interest investors, plus millions more related to potential royalties, then diverted $23 million for himself.
He
was arrested in June
at Los Angeles International Airport.
A Securities and Exchange Commission lawsuit against Faulkner was settled Tuesday. He must repay nearly $24 million.
