A former Houston-area attorney accused by numerous previous clients of taking their personal injury settlement checks was arrested in Galveston County last month on out-of-state charges.
The Bayou Vista Police Department arrested David Lee Pettus on January 12.
He was taken to the Galveston County Jail and freed two days later.
According to documents, Pettus had been wanted for years in Clark County, Nevada, for failing to pay a nearly $100,000 gambling credit to a luxury resort and casino in Las Vegas.
He was brought to the Galveston County Jail and freed two days later.
Following his arrest in Texas, Pettus reached an arrangement with Clark County prosecutors that will require him to make regular payments against the debt, according to a Clark County District Attorney’s Office spokesperson. If he continues to make the payments, he will not have to return to Las Vegas.
The Galveston County Jail confirmed that the warrant was recalled on January 14 and Pettus was released.
According to Bayou Vista Police Department Cpl. J. Proffitt, a malfunctioning headlamp prompted the automobile check, and an officer confirmed Pettus’ active extraditable warrant for fraud out of Nevada. Police say he was transported to jail without incident.
KPRC 2 News first reported on Pettus in January 2024, when his personal injury law firm clients alleged he ghosted them after being hired and then misappropriated tens of thousands of dollars they expected to get in insurance settlements after vehicle accidents. At least five victims have gone public.
The Texas Supreme Court accepted Pettus’ retirement “in the best interest of the public and the profession” in September 2024, barring him from practicing law in the state. At the time, data showed that the State Bar of Texas was conducting at least 24 active investigations into professional misconduct.
Court records reveal that he has been found accountable in multiple civil cases filed by former clients who attempted to recover stolen funds after he failed to appear or react in court.
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