Former Dallas “We Buy Ugly Houses” franchise owner Charles Carrier was sentenced to 188 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud. From 2018 to 2024, he defrauded investors of more than $39 million and was ordered to pay $24,416,911.16 in restitution.
Carrier told investors their money would buy, renovate and resell properties under the HomeVestors “We Buy Ugly Houses” brand, but used it for personal expenses and payments to earlier investors. ProPublica’s investigation found he forged deeds and sold properties without telling investors; in some cases, he took as many as five loans on one property at once.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas said Carrier targeted wealthy investors across Texas and retirees. In 2025, a Dallas district court entered a $10.5 million default judgment for investor Jeffrey Daly. Carrier told ProPublica in 2025 that the scheme ended after he decided to come clean.
