Local radio talk show host remains in jail

McKinney Courier-Gazette staff reports

Real estate and investment guru and radio talk show host Cliff Robertson, who said he could sell "ice to Eskimoes" remains in jail.

Robertson drew clients and investors by hosting a local radio real estate investment talk show on weekends on WBAP 820-AM, KSKY 660-AM, daily on CNN Radio 1190-AM and for a short time on weekends on KRLD 1080-AM.

Robertson has been jailed since the U.S. District Attorney's Office of Plano filed an indictment against him on charges of fraud and theft.

"I can sell ice to Eskimoes," Robertson said in an interview before his arrest.

And, investors and investigators say the indictment is only the tip of an iceberg of real estate transactions.

The 43-year-old Robertson promised financial freedom and independence in a "world where all of your bills are paid for each month by your investments" at in-person "Financial Freedom" seminars and on the radio for years, according to investors and tapes of the shows.

U.S. District Attorney John M. Bales of Plano filed a two-felony count indictment against Clifford W. Robertson earlier this month for defrauding Bank of America by attempting to secure a loan using a false identity, according to records filed in the U.S. Eastern District Court of Texas.

The indictment included a warrant for his arrest. Police executed the warrant two Fridays ago and delivered him to the Collin County Detention Center for processing.

BACKGROUND

Robertson, who resides in Murphy, Texas, served as the founder and chief executive officer of CHMM Services LLC, working out of Plano as the "Champions Group." The Champions Group had Better Business Bureau stickers on its office door, and Robertson displayed a trophy as businessman of the year for 2006.

The Champions Group and Champions Investor Development "coached" real estate investors, who paid a fee for the coaching by the radio show host. At his seminars held around the area in Dallas, Fort Worth, Frisco, Grapevine, Plano, Richardson and near D/FW airport, Robertson coached new investors to start buying his rental properties.

CID was a separate LLC for big investors, and several starting investing a minimum of $100,000 in CID projects based on Robertson being on the local radio stations.

Robertson's coaching service teamed investors with representatives from companies for mortgages, insurance, property management, hard-money lending, home repair and rehab, along with CPAs and attorneys.

After closing the Champions Group, he also bought and owned DFWREIN, a real estate investing network on Stemmons Freeway just north of LBJ 635 that had a thriving membership under different ownership before he took the reins.

Robertson operated the Homes of Versailles and Horseshoe Run Partners LLP in Sherman, Texas, and sold lots to investors on the Northern Challenge Golf Course off Hwy. 82 just west of Preston Road expansion and Hwy. 75. Several of those golf course lots on the Horseshoe are now in foreclosure and being sold by the banks through local real estate agents.

He also owned Champions Construction LLC and Move Today Realty, a property management firm, out of his offices on 15th Street in Plano.

Robertson, a real estate investor who said he started in real estate in the mortgage industry, sold rental properties, including duplexes, four-plexes and rehab homes across the Dallas and Fort Worth area. His construction company did the rehab work for investors, and Move Today Realty managed the properties for investors.

Investors said that although Robertson coached them to find and buy properties below the market price, they were sold properties at prices well above the local market value based on price comparisons and appraisals provided by their coaches from the Champions Group. Champions investors received help finding properties below market value as part of their coaching contracts.

At his seminars, Robertson said, "In real estate deals, the first one to flinch loses."

Robertson also sold land, homes in new developments in what he called model home lease back homes and joint venture builder spec homes to investors, who then rented the home back to the builder. Investors said several of the model home lease back and spec homes are now owned by the banks.

At his seminars, Robertson said investors would receive a rebate at closing on the model and spec homes and the lots on the golf course. Investors and former staff members interviewed said he did not rebate money, or he gave them checks from Wachovia bank that bounced. Both investors and former Champions staff members said Robertson often ran out the back door of his office when investors asked for their money back.

He also sold commercial property such as an executive office building that was never built. He did not refund the investor his money.

Robertson also owned the Champions Group of Louisiana, which he started after Hurricane Katrina.

THE INDICTMENT

Robertson submitted a loan application to Bank of America for $150,000 in the name of a person only identified in the indictment as "W.H." in care of the Champions Group. The application included "W.H.'s" social security number that was used "without W.H.'s knowledge or consent on the loan application," the indictment read.

The application identified "W.H." as the company's business manager and provided a fraudulent personal financial statement to the bank that showed that "W.H." was the "100 percent owner of the Champions Group and had owned the business for five years." The application also instructed the bank to only contact Robertson with any questions about the application.

Robertson instructed Bank of America to wire more than $98,000 of the loan to a Wachovia account number that he controlled. The bank transferred the money on Jan. 25, 2008, according to the indictment.

The grand jury returned two indictments against Robertson on Sept. 10 on charges of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. Police executed the warrant and booked him into the Collin County jail on a federal detainer agreement, according to court records.

The court also ordered a forfeiture notice of approximately $100,000 in Robertson's name.

If Robertson is convicted of the charges, he could receive a federal prison sentence of up to 30 years and a fine not to exceed $1 million on the bank fraud charge and an additional two-year prison sentence and a $250,000 fine for the identity theft charges.

Both terms would run consecutively, the indictment read.

Other investors with information can take documents to the Fort Worth office of the FBI. Many of the properties, including duplexes, four-plexes and six-plexes, are in Fort Worth. Others were in Oak Point, Craig Ranch in McKinney and at Lake Tawakoni.

FBI agent contact numbers: Kathy Lumley 1-817-988-8463 or Trish Ortiz at 1-817-988-8336.

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