Palm Bay Man Joshua Thomas Jackson Gets 51 Months in $3 Million Real Estate Investment Scheme

Published Oct. 20, 2026. Case status is current as of that date.

Real estate feels safe to many investors. It's land and buildings, things you can see and touch. According to federal prosecutors in Texas, a Florida man used that sense of security to raise more than $3 million for property deals, telling investors their money was secure and would be repaid on schedule. More than $2.8 million was lost.

On Oct. 15, 2026, Joshua Thomas Jackson, 41, of Palm Bay, Florida, was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Sean D. Jordan after pleading guilty to money laundering, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Texas announced. He was ordered to pay $2.8 million in restitution [1].

Status: Pleaded guilty and sentenced. The federal court docket in USA v. Jackson, No. 4:25-cr-00189 (E.D. Tex.), shows an Oct. 3, 2025, order adopting a magistrate judge's recommendation and finding Jackson guilty on his plea [2].

How the scheme worked

According to information presented in court, as described by prosecutors [1]:

1. The companies. Jackson created business entities and marketed opportunities to invest in real estate development, real estate purchases and rehabilitation projects.
2. The promise about the money. He falsely represented that investors' funds would be used to buy real property or distressed residential properties.
3. The promise about safety. He falsely told investors their funds were secure and would be repaid within a defined period of time.
4. The promise about success. He falsely represented that his business activities and the investments were secure and profitable.

During the scheme, Jackson received more than $3 million from investors and caused losses exceeding $2.8 million, prosecutors said [1]. The release does not say how many investors there were, where they lived, or what happened to the money beyond the losses.

"Investor fraud is a destructive crime and causes significant losses across our nation," said U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. "Together, with our partners at the FBI, we will continue to investigate and prosecute this type of fraud in the Eastern District of Texas, bring justice to these perpetrators, and seek restitution for victims" [1].

The person sentenced

Joshua Thomas Jackson, 41, of Palm Bay, Fla. He pleaded guilty to money laundering and was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison [1]. The case was handled in the Sherman division of the Eastern District of Texas, according to court records [2], and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the Plano office. The FBI investigated [1].

The release does not name the business entities Jackson used, and we have not identified them from the records we reviewed.

Why real estate pitches work

Private real estate deals, such as house flips, rehab projects, small developments and "distressed property" buys, are often sold through personal networks, seminars and social media rather than through regulated brokerages. They tend to come with simple, reassuring language: your money is backed by property, you'll be repaid by a certain date, and the returns are steady.

Those are exactly the kinds of promises prosecutors said Jackson made. The SEC warns investors to be "highly suspicious of any 'guaranteed' investment opportunity," and notes that schemes often involve investments "not registered with the SEC or with state regulators" and sellers who are not licensed [3]. Even a legitimate rehab project carries real risk: construction delays, cost overruns and slow sales.

Red flags

• "Your money is secure" or "guaranteed" repayment on a fixed date, for an investment that depends on construction and resale.
• You can't see the property records. No deed, mortgage or lien in your favor, and no address you can look up in county records.
• Money goes to a new or unfamiliar LLC controlled by the promoter, with little independent financial information.
• Steady, high returns regardless of the housing market. The SEC flags "overly consistent returns" as a warning sign [3].
• Pressure to reinvest or roll your money into the next deal instead of being paid out.

What to do

1. Ask exactly which property your money will buy, and verify ownership and any recorded lien yourself through the county recorder.
2. Get the deal in writing and have an independent real estate attorney review it before you invest.
3. Check the promoter's background and licensing with your state securities regulator and the SEC's free search tool at Investor.gov [4].
4. Be wary of investments you can't easily verify or exit. The SEC says to avoid investments if you "can't get complete information about them" [3].
5. If you think you've been defrauded, report it to your state securities regulator, the SEC at sec.gov/tcr, and the FBI at tips.fbi.gov.

Case status (as of Oct. 20, 2026)

Defendant	Court	Status as of Oct. 20, 2026	Source
Joshua Thomas Jackson, 41, Palm Bay, Fla.	Federal, E.D. Tex. (4:25-cr-00189)	Found guilty on guilty plea (order Oct. 3, 2025); pleaded guilty to money laundering; sentenced Oct. 15, 2026, to 51 months and ordered to pay $2.8 million restitution	[1], [2]

Statuses can change.

Sources

1. U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Texas, "Floridian sentenced to federal prison, ordered to pay $2.8M in restitution for money laundering scheme in the Eastern District of Texas," Oct. 16, 2026. https://www.justice.gov/usao-edtx/pr/floridian-sentenced-federal-prison-ordered-pay-28m-restitution-money-laundering-scheme
2. GovInfo, U.S. Courts Opinions, "25-189 - USA v. Jackson" (E.D. Tex.), order filed Oct. 3, 2025 (accessed Oct. 20, 2026). https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCOURTS-txed-4_25-cr-00189/USCOURTS-txed-4_25-cr-00189-0
3. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Investor.gov, "Ponzi Scheme" (accessed Oct. 20, 2026). https://www.investor.gov/protect-your-investments/fraud/types-fraud/ponzi-scheme
4. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Investor.gov, "Check Out Your Investment Professional" (accessed Oct. 20, 2026). https://www.investor.gov/introduction-investing/getting-started/working-investment-professional/check-out-your-investment-professional

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