Residents of Snyder, Texas learned July 1st that indictments were issued against two men who they had thought only a few months ago would boost their town’s economy by providing much needed housing for those working in oil and gas fields.
WTCA am1050 ran a story on July 1st stating that arrest warrants had been issued for the former president and CEO of the former Stone Creek Homes in Plymouth, David Ferguson, along with his CFO and business partner Alan Donohue. Both Ferguson and Donohue were involved in housing projects in Snyder, TX. Offices for the projects are now closed.
Marshall County Prosecuting Attorney, David Holmes, issued a press release on July 1 stating that a Grand Jury panel had convened on January 28 and again on February 20 and, after deliberation, handed down indictments against the two. Court papers show 14 charges against Ferguson and 11 charges against Donohue.
The Stone Creek plant was abruptly shut down in May, 2012 leaving 45 employees with no jobs, long lists of suppliers who had not been paid, and investors with nothing to show for their money. With no notice or forwarding information, Ferguson left town after clearing out his personal items and company computers from the facility on Markley Drive, emptying a home he was leasing on Pretty Lake, turning off cell phones and not returning email messages.
Donohue was operating their plant in Central City, NE and closed the plant at the same time as Stone Creek was shut down. The Nebraska closing left 25-30 employees unemployed.
WTCA reporters located Ferguson from photographs posted on the Snyder, TX Chamber of Commerce website in August, 2013. The photos show Ferguson at the Grand Opening of Custom Touch Village. It is believed that both Ferguson and Donohue were also involved in other housing projects including Turn Key Solution, LLC.
Communication between WTCA and the Snyder Daily News continues.
On July 1, The Snyder Daily News said, “Ferguson, who was the CEO and public spokesman for Turn Key Solutions, and Donohue, Turn Key’s former CFO, are no longer working at the company’s Snyder location.”
The Snyder, TX community welcomed the developers after experiencing housing shortages for workers in the Cline Shale projects in Sweetwater and Snyder, TX. Community leaders in Snyder expect the population to go from 11,000 to near 60,000 within three years.
Custom Touch Homes builds prefabricated units, similar to those built in the former Stone Creek facility, in their plant in Madison, SD and promises were made to the Snyder community to place them on sites in Custom Touch Village in Snyder; however, it remains unclear as to who is taking responsibility for the 150 unit project now.
In January of 2014, Donohue filed an affidavit claiming a lien in Surry County, TX against the listed Custom Touch Village owner, Scott Larson. In the affidavit, Donohue claims that he is owed $377, 569 for labor and materials he supplied for the project.
Marshall County Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, Nelson Chipman, said the whereabouts of Ferguson and Donohue are not known, but that he has been in contact with an attorney representing them.
Carol Anders Correspondent
