4 accused in $1M franchise scheme
A federal grand jury in San Antonio has indicted a Mexican businessman, his wife and two others in a scheme to defraud business investors out of $1 million in franchising deals, U.S. Attorney Ashley Hoff said Tuesday.
San Antonio residents Juan Enrique Kramer, 45, his wife, Adriana Pastor, 46, and two associates — Noel Olguin, 41, of Victoria and Karina Hernandez, 41, of Mexico, are accused of bilking Mexican investors to contribute money toward a chain of Mexican restaurants called “Las Quesadillas.”
The indictment alleges that from December 2015 to January 2019, the defendants conspired to promote the restaurants throughout Texas.
Olguin and Hernandez marketed the operation to potential buyers and were paid between $20,000 and $25,000 for each contract they secured, the indictment alleges.
Kramer and Pastor charged buyers a set fee ranging from $105,000 to $250,000, and promised to perform all tasks necessary for establishing a fully functional restaurant, the indictment said. That included finding and renting a suitable location, obtaining all permits, assistance in obtaining visas for buyers, completing construction, training employees and handling all legal fees and incorporation issues.
Instead, the defendants used the funds for personal gain or to provide partial payments to previous customers who demanded their money back, prosecutors allege. Besides offering partial refunds, Kramer would also offer stakes in other businesses as an alternative, the indictment said.
If buyers refused, the indictment alleges that Kramer and Pastor would threaten to sue them for breach of contract. Prosecutors said the defendants scammed at least eight victims, for a total of $1 million.
Jay Hulings, a lawyer for Kramer and Pastor, declined comment. An attorney for Olguin could not be reached for comment.
Hernandez’s lawyer, Mike Mccrum, said his client intends to plead not guilty at her arraignment next week.
“She trusted (Kramer and Pastor) too, and feels betrayed,” Mccrum said.