El Paso mayor’s brother pleads guilty to wire fraud in NBA preseason game promoter

UPDATE (3:35 p.m.) -- Mayor Renard Johnson sent out a statement on his brother's plea.

"I have been estranged from my brother Tim for many years and haven’t been in contact with him," the mayor said. "Recently, I learned that he pled guilty to multiple counts of wire fraud. My heart goes out to those who were impacted, and especially to my parents. It’s incredibly hard to watch them carry the weight of someone else’s actions. This is a personal matter, but I remain focused on my work and on serving the people of El Paso."

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- The brother of El Paso Mayor Renard Johnson pleaded guilty in federal court to seven counts of wire fraud as part of a Ponzi scheme on Friday, according to the Justice Department. Court documents said he falsely represented to use funds to promote NBA preseason games.

63-year-old Timothy France Johnson solicited investments from February 2009 to May 2020, according to court documents. Johnson falsely represented he would use the funds to obtain venues and fund marketing, the Justice Department reports. An FBI investigation revealed the investments actually paid earlier stage investors, were withdrawn as cash, or were spent on non-business-related expenses.

Johnson faces 20 years in federal prison on each charge.

According to court documents, one victim invested for five years and wired $15,000 to Johnson in 2014. At the end of the preseason, Johnson contacted the investor to "roll the money over" into the next season. Records show an investment of an additional $20,000 in 2018.

In 2019, the victim signed an agreement with Johnson's company, BOLO Sports & Entertainment LLC, to wire another $50,000. They sought to invest an additional $50,000 more than a week later, the Justice Department said.

Johnson told a second victim there would be a 33% return on their investment with "zero risk" due to insurance. He also claimed to organize NBA games since the late 1980s to early 1990s, according to officials. The victim invested $100,000 in 2019 and signed an agreement for a 100% return, plus any additional profit. After the first investment, Johnson offered a second investment for $60,000, which the victim agreed to and wired.

Johnson discussed with the victims for them to potentially acquire his business. He provided them with tickets to the preseason game they allegedly invested in, and were told they would meet with team executives. The Justice Department said the victims attended the game with Johnson, but did not meet any executives.

A third victim invested $75,000 with Johnson during the 2019 and 2020 preseasons, officials said. A financial analysis showed Johnson didn't use any of the invested funds to pay the NBA, NBA teams, venues, or promotion-related expenses.

Johnson was charged in April 2024 with seven counts of wire fraud and three counts of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity, the Justice Department said. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence.

The FBI is investigating the case.