In a dramatic turn of events, a former high-ranking employee has filed a whistleblower retaliation lawsuit against his previous employer, alleging severe violations of consumer financial protection laws. On February 19, 2026, Charles Dabelgott filed the complaint in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas against TexEx Energy Operating LLC. The case highlights significant accusations of fraudulent practices within the company and retaliatory actions taken against an employee who dared to speak out.
The lawsuit centers around allegations that TexEx Energy Operating LLC engaged in illegal activities by violating consumer financial protection laws. According to the complaint, Dabelgott, who served as Vice President of Insurance Operations since October 22, 2022, was tasked with developing an insurance product under the name NuSureCo. During his tenure, he discovered that TexEx and its affiliates were involved in deceptive practices such as marketing loans disguised as commercial loans but actually intended for personal use. Furthermore, these entities allegedly required consumers to purchase an unlicensed insurance product called “FlipShield” as a condition for obtaining mortgage loans.
Dabelgott claims that upon reporting these illegal activities to senior management at TexEx, including President Michael Tsang and CEO William Keith Maxwell, he faced retaliation. His position was posted twice without his knowledge, and he received warnings from Human Resources Director Bobbie Pennington about potential termination. Despite reassurances from Tsang regarding job security after launching NuSureCo on September 1, 2024, Dabelgott was terminated on November 26, 2024. The stated reason for his dismissal was allegedly pretextual and false.
In June 2025, further validation of Dabelgott’s claims emerged when Maureen Zuniga signed a Florida Office of Insurance Regulation Consent Order admitting unauthorized insurance activities related to FlipShield. This admission supported Dabelgott’s assertion that he acted in good faith when reporting violations under the Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA).
Dabelgott is seeking various forms of relief from the court including back pay, front pay, compensatory damages for emotional distress and lost wages/benefits both past and future due to wrongful termination; punitive damages; reinstatement; attorney fees; court costs; expert witness fees; pre-judgment interest along with post-judgment interest as permitted by law.
Representing Charles Dabelgott are attorneys Todd Slobin and Dorian Vandenberg-Rodes from Shellist Lazarz Slobin LLP based in Houston Texas while presiding over this case will be judges assigned by Southern District Court Texas jurisdiction under Case ID: 4:26-cv-01338.
Source: 426cv01338_Charles_Dabelgott_v_Texex_Energy_Complaint_Southern_District_of_Texas.pdf
