Federal white-collar reference for Houston: the district court that hears federal fraud cases, the statutes that apply, and primary-source links — as part of the research archive.
U.S. District Court — Southern District of Texas
515 Rusk Street, Houston, TX 77002
Federal fraud offenses arising in Houston are prosecuted in the Southern District of Texas (S.D. Tex.). Jurisdiction is statutory: “The district courts of the United States shall have original jurisdiction, exclusive of the courts of the States, of all offenses against the laws of the United States.” (18 U.S.C. § 3231).
The district structure is set by 28 U.S.C. § 124 (law.cornell.edu): “Court for the Houston Division shall be held at Houston.” The Fifth Circuit hears appeals from the Southern District of Texas, and the S.D. Tex. court website publishes local rules and case-location information.
Circuit assignment under 28 U.S.C. § 41: “Fifth District of the Canal Zone, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas.”
Federal white-collar prosecutions in Houston are filed in the Southern District of Texas and heard on appeal by the Fifth Circuit. This page indexes the courts, statutes, and case-law resources that apply in Houston, as part of the research archive.
Schemes to defraud carried out through the mails or interstate wires. 18 U.S.C. §§ 1341, 1343 — statutory text at law.cornell.edu.
Schemes to defraud financial institutions or obtain their property by false pretenses. 18 U.S.C. § 1344.
Misstatements, insider trading, and market manipulation prosecuted through SEC civil actions and parallel DOJ criminal cases.
Financial transactions involving proceeds of specified unlawful activity, and racketeering prosecutions. 18 U.S.C. §§ 1956, 1962.
Federal fraud and other white-collar offenses arising in Houston are prosecuted in the Southern District of Texas (S.D. Tex.), established under 28 U.S.C. § 124. The statute provides: “Court for the Houston Division shall be held at Houston.” The Fifth Circuit hears appeals from the Southern District of Texas.
The principal federal fraud statutes apply in every district, including the Southern District of Texas: mail fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1341), wire fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1343), and bank fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1344). Bank fraud carries a statutory maximum of 30 years: “shall be fined not more than $1,000,000 or imprisoned not more than 30 years, or both.” (18 U.S.C. § 1344).
18 U.S.C. § 3282 provides the general five-year rule: “Except as otherwise expressly provided by law, no person shall be prosecuted, tried, or punished for any offense, not capital, unless the indictment is found or the information is instituted within five years next after such offense shall have been committed.” For financial institution offenses, 18 U.S.C. § 3293 extends the period: “No person shall be prosecuted, tried, or punished for a violation of, or a conspiracy to violate— (1) section 215, 656, 657, 1005, 1006, 1007, 1014, 1033, or 1344; (2) section 1341 or 1343, if the offense affects a financial institution; or (3) section 1963, to the extent that the racketeering activity involves a violation of section 1344; unless the indictment is returned or the information is filed within 10 years after the commission of the offense.”
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