On April 11, 2024, both KVIA and KTSM reported that Timothy Johnson was accused by federal authorities of running a multi-million-dollar Ponzi scheme in El Paso. It was KVIA that reported that Timothy Johnson is the “estranged brother” of Renard Johnson, who is running for mayor. In response to the KVIA report that the accused was Renard Johnson’s brother, Renard Johnson issued a statement where he wrote that he “learned recently that my estranged brother has been indicted.” Johnson’s statement added that he has “not seen or spoken to him in many years.”
Johnson was not clear about what “many years” meant in his statement.
We reached out to the Renard Johnson Campaign yesterday afternoon to ask for clarification as to how long it has been since the brothers were estranged from each other. We had uncovered information during our investigation into the alleged Ponzi scheme that show a close working relationship between the brothers. We have not heard back from Johnson as of the time of publication. Should we hear back from him we will update this article.
The Indictment
El Paso News reviewed the indictment filed against Timothy Johnson. According to the indictment filed on March 20, Timothy Frances Johnson is accused of running “an investment fraud” through a Ponzi scheme through three companies: Shoot No2 Sports, LLC, BOLO Entertainment, LLC and BOLO Sports LLC. The first company to be formed in 2009 was Shoot No2 Sports. The last company to be formed was BOLO Sports LLC. All three companies operated out of El Paso.
All three companies have forfeited their business licenses.
Tim Johnson collected “over $3 million in investor funds,” states the indictment. Another company named in the indictment uses a pseudonym.
“Company M”
The indictment names a fourth company labeled as “Company M.” The indictment says that Tim Johnson “was employed” by the unnamed company “during all times relevant to this indictment.” The indictment goes on to state that the alleged Ponzi scheme started around February 9, 2009 and continued through around May 14, 2020.
The alleged fraud, according to the indictment, alleges that Tim Johnson “held himself out as a third-party promoter of NBA pre-season games,” selling investments for NBA game sponsorships. As with any Ponzi scheme, Tim Johnson is accused of recycling the investments back as profits to the investors instead of investing the money as promised.
The indictment goes on to state that Tim Johnson would meet potential investors “at his office within Company M, a legitimate business in El Paso, Texas.” The office, according to the indictment, “contained assorted sports memorabilia.”
Although “Company M” is not named in the indictment, a review of company records suggest that “Company M” is Renard Johnson’s company, Management and Engineering Technologies International, Inc. (METI).
Over 45 Years Working Together
Renard Johnson and Tim Johnson not only formed METI together, but both have a history of working together for over 45 years. METI was formed in February 1994 while Renard worked at his parent’s company, Management Assistance Corporation of America (MACA). In 1999, Renard and Tim Johnson started working full-time at METI after MACA was purchased by Materials Communications and Computers, Inc. and the company was moved to Virginia.
MACA had been formed in 1979 by Alvin and Louise Johnson, the parents of Renard and Tim. According to a 1990 El Paso Herald Post article, Renard and Tim worked at MACA in “key positions.”
A 2005 “Corporate Department Listing” provided to the United States Department of the Interior Forest and Rangelands lists Renard as the president and CEO and Tim Johnson as the Vice President/Security Officer. The directory lists a corporate email at METI for Tim Johnson.
El Paso News sent a request for comment to the corporate email this morning and as of the time of publishing this article we have not received a response. However, we also did not receive a bounce back to the email suggesting that Tim Johnson’s email account at METI remains open and active.
According to the corporate filings for METI, Tim Johnson was listed as a vice-president from 1994 through 2021. The corporate filings show that Tim Johnson was removed as vice-president around May 2021.
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SBAC And The Socorro School District
An El Paso Times article from 2004 quotes Renard Johnson as stating that one of the examples of giving back to the community was “sponsoring local sporting events including pre-season NBA games that senior vice president for administration, and Renard’s older brother, Tim F. Johnson promotes.”
The indictment against Tim Johnson alleges that the fraud he is charged with began around 2009. Additionally, Renard Johnson, according to a 1997 El Paso Herald Post article, was working as “an agent” for SBAC Entertainment Group to bring outside entertainment to the Socorro School District’s Student Activities Complex.
SBAC Entertainment Group of El Paso leased the Socorro facility in 1998 in a five-year deal to bring events to the Socorro venue. SBAC was formed as the Small Business Assistance Corporation on March 10, 1989 and operated as SBAC Entertainment Group starting around 1998, according to corporate records. SBAC forfeited its operating license on August 30, 2002. Its last officers before the forfeiture were Alvin Johnson, Renard Johnson and Tim Johnson. Alvin Johnson is Renard’s father, who is also a key member of METI, according to the company’s Corporate Biographies. SBAC promoted the use of the Socorro facility for the Patriots Pro Soccer team before its forfeiture.
Although Renard Johnson has issued a statement stating that he has been estranged from his brother, Tim, for “many years,” he has not been specific about the number of years since he last spoke to his brother. Corporate and news accounts show that Tim and Renard, along with their father, have worked closely together for several years, including in sports-related businesses. Although Tim Johnson is not listed on METI’s corporate website, he has been absent from the website for several years. However, an email sent to his METI account suggests that his corporate email account at METI remains active. Tim Johnson also worked at METI from the day it opened and before with Renard at MACA.
In an upcoming article, El Paso News will reveal more details about METI, its business operations and how business transactions with the City of El Paso may create a conflict for Renard Johnson should he be elected mayor in November.