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Dallas's Leading Local News: Weather, Traffic, Sports and more | Dallas, Texas | WFAA.com
Investigates
Broken Trust | The scandalous story behind one tiny Texas town's surprising number of planes
Onalaska
Broken Trust: The Onalaska Drug Plane Scandal
The scandalous story behind one tiny Texas town's surprising number of planes, and how an investigation into their history and use led to a drop in drug trafficking.
Crime
The owner of an aircraft trust company took the stand to claim she never knowingly registered airplanes on behalf of drug smugglers
But prosecutors contend she deliberately ignored warnings about fake passports and incomplete background checks.
Crime
'Secret ledger' shows $75 million flowed to alleged accomplice accused of a Ponzi scheme involving fake airplane sales
Defense attorneys contend the alleged accomplice duped the owner of an Oklahoma City title company on trial in Sherman.
Crime
Aircraft title company owner pocketed nearly $5 million in escrow fees, alleged Onalaska Ponzi scheme prosecutors say
Prosecutors have alleged the planes involved in the Ponzi scheme either didn’t exist or weren’t for sale.
Onalaska
Foreign ownership of thousands of U.S. aircraft cloaked in secrecy
Why does a small East Texas town called Onalaska have more than 1,000 registered aircraft -- and no airport?
Investigates
WFAA Investigates: A fugitive, a $350M fraud case, a lot of airplanes and one tiny Texas town
Prosecutors say a WFAA investigation led to criminal indictments, which resulted in a reduction in Central American drug trafficking flights.
Investigates
WFAA Investigates: A fugitive, a $350M fraud case, a lot of airplanes and one tiny Texas town (Full)
Prosecutors say a WFAA investigation led to criminal indictments, which resulted in a reduction in Central American drug trafficking flights.
Crime
In landmark case, trust company owner convicted of drug trafficking, putting U.S. registered planes in hands of cartels
A federal jury also convicted her for money laundering and wire fraud in connection with a Ponzi scheme.
Local News
Jury deliberating in trial of aircraft trust company owner accused of registering planes used for drug smuggling
Jurors deliberated for about five hours Monday and will return Tuesday to continue deliberating.
Crime
Jury deliberating verdict for alleged Texas Ponzi scheme
Over 1,000 planes were registered in the Texas town of Onalaska. Prosecutors say they're tied to a $350 million scheme.
Local News
Closing arguments happening in the Onalaska trial
Investigators say Debra Mercer-Erwin's company registered a thousand planes in Onalaska, Texas, which is a small town that doesn't even have a runway.
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