Victoria contractor imprisoned for defrauding investors of millions in material scheme

HOUSTON – A 62-year-old man has been sentenced for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Michael Wayne Galvan pleaded guilty Sept. 26, 2024.

U.S. District Judge Charles Eskridge has now ordered Galvan to serve 27 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay nearly $3 million in restitution. At the hearing, the court considered victim statements regarding the seriousness of Galvan’s offense, including the lasting impact of his crimes and the negative consequences they continue to suffer. 

Galvan, operating as a high-end contractor under MWG Ventures LLC dba MGB Builders, fraudulently obtained over $2.8 million from at least six private investors. In some cases, Galvan found future victims when he volunteered as a vice president of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (HLSR).

From February 2016 to March 2018, Galvan used his position with HLSR to find victims, many of whom were likewise in volunteer leadership positions. To solicit short-term loans, he offered opportunities to earn 10 to 12 percent interest through his contracting business. Galvan falsely represented he would use the money to purchase materials such as exotic tiles and granite from China and other overseas countries for his construction business.

At the time of his plea, Galvan admitted he did not use the money for its intended purpose. The scheme unraveled when he ran out of victims and money. In total, he defrauded multiple victims of $2,878,661.30 and was ordered to pay restitution in that amount.

He was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

The FBI conducted the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christian Latham and Thomas Carter prosecuted the case.