Ben Wissink Convicted of Securities Fraud

Four executives at a Texas real estate investment trust have been found guilty of fraud by a Texas jury, according to the Department of Justice. Hollis Greenlaw, Partnership President Benjamin Wissink, CFO Cara Obert and Asset Management Director Jeffrey Brandon Jester are each facing 10 counts including wire fraud affecting financial institutions and conspiracy to commit securities fraud.

Early Life and Education

Phillip Vance Smith first met Craig Wissink in 2004, at the start of their respective life sentences for separate murders. At first glance he remembered him as an amenable prisoner who loved reading and making people laugh; unfortunately they lost touch after 10 years due to incarceration transfers; when they met up again at Nash Correctional Institution Smith saw Wissink was charged in relation to the fatal stabbing death of a corrections officer.

Achievement and Honors

In 2009, he earned a place on the Dean’s List of full-time students with a grade point average of 3.65 or above during that semester. Later that same year, he was honored to join NABC Honor Court; an organization dedicated to honoring student-athletes who excel both on and off the playing field while maintaining good academic standing.

In that same year, he was honored with being honored on both teams: Great Lakes Valley Conference All-Defensive Team as a senior guard and winning his team’s James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Award for demonstrating good sportsmanship and ethical behavior.

Personal Life

Ben Wissink is currently unmarried but has several siblings and cousins as well as being associated with multiple aliases in his past.

In January, Wissink was found guilty of securities fraud and conspiracy. Along with CEO of United Development Funding Cara Delin Obert and asset management director Jeffrey Brandon Jester from United Development Funding he defrauded investors and banks by falsifying sources of funds used to pay them; Greenlaw received seven year imprisonment sentences while Wissink five. All were ordered to pay fines totalling $50,000 each; upon his release from prison Wissink intended on investing real estate further as well as starting his own company soon after his release.