David Randall Hughes, Dave Hughes, David R. Hughes, Vande Hugh Mining, Hig Investment Group defrauded buyer of gold Port Neches Texas

On August 3, 2017, David Randall Hughes (aka Dave Hughes, David Hughes and David R. Hughes) executed a contract for the sale of gold doré bars from his wholly -owned company Vande Hugh Mining.  He never delivered any consignments, despite receiving what we thought was a collateralized advance from Vermilion LLC of $548,500 to cover export duties and transportation from Ghana to Dallas, Texas.  Hughes, originally from Plainfield, IL and a US passport holder, defrauded Vermilion.  He operates his businesses from his residence at 925 MacArthur Dr., Port Neches, TX  77651, where he lives with Shery Boyle Hughes and 4 children.

1.       At the time he entered into the sales agreement, he signed representation and warranties what he knew he was not in compliance with.  According to the Ghana Police Department, he did not have a company registered to do business in Ghana.  He did not have a mining permit.  He did not have a gold trading license.  He did not have a gold export license, among other things. 

2.       His Vande Hugh Mining had allowed its registration with the Texas Secretary of State to lapse.

3.       In exchange for the advance of $548,500 to his company, he pledged assets, being mining equipment, he did not own, false inducing us to enter into the advance.

4.       He offered, what we subsequently discovered to be, a fake document listing equipment he had purchased but had also forged the signature of the purported president of the company.

5.       To perfect the lien in the sales and purchase agreement, we took the precaution of filing a UCC‑1.  The funds were transferred to Chase Bank at 2150 Highway 365, Nederland, Texas  77627.

As of today, he has failed to deliver anything and continues to provide excuses for not returning our advance.  Moreover, he has admitted on the phone to using the funds we advanced for other family expenses here in the US rather than paying the export duties in Ghana.