Terrence John “TJ” Cox, a former Democratic congressman from Fresno, pleaded guilty Monday to one count of wire fraud and one count of wire fraud affecting a financial institution, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith said.

Cox is scheduled for sentencing on June 2.

According to court documents, Cox perpetrated fraud schemes targeting companies with which he was affiliated. Cox, a longtime investor and businessman before becoming a politician, created unauthorized off-the-books bank accounts and diverted client and company money into those accounts through false representations, pretenses, and promises.

From 2013 to 2018, across two different fraud schemes, Cox illicitly obtained client payments and company loans and investments that he solicited and then stole.

In addition, he fraudulently obtained a $1.5 million construction loan to develop Granite Park, a city-owned sports complex leased to the Central Valley Community Sports Foundation nonprofit founded by Cox.

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How the Fraud Worked

Cox and his business partner’s nonprofit could not qualify for the construction loan without a financially viable party guaranteeing the loan. Cox falsely represented that one of his affiliated companies would guarantee the loan and submitted a fabricated board resolution that falsely stated that at a meeting on a given date, all company owners agreed to guarantee the Granite Park loan.

No meeting took place, and the other owners did not agree to back the loan, prosecutors said. The loan later went into default.

Cox narrowly defeated incumbent Republican David Valadao in 2018 to represent California’s 21st congressional district. However, he lost a rematch with Valadao in 2020.

Cox Had Vowed to Fight Charges

In August 2022, the FBI arrested Cox on 28 fraud counts. For a long time, Cox insisted he did nothing wrong and said he would fight the charges.

However, late last year, he agreed to a plea deal in which he would have to pay to make his victims whole, even as he and his wife work through bankruptcy court.

In addition, Cox would have to pay up to $3.5 million restitution, which is the amount investors lost from the crimes.

The plea deal, which was obtained by GV Wire, allowed Cox to ask for probation as his sentence hearing.

Additionally, the agreement allows Cox not to pay more than the $3.5 million restitution if he can prove he can’t afford any fines.

The FBI and the IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case against Cox. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Henry Z. Carbajal III and Jeffrey A. Spivak are the prosecutors.