▁crisis ▁ ▁In ▁March ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁a ▁grand ▁j ury ▁returned ▁a ▁six - count ▁ind ict ment ▁against ▁R eli ant ▁Energy ▁Services , ▁Inc . ▁and ▁four ▁of ▁its ▁officers — Jack ie ▁Thomas , ▁a ▁former ▁vice ▁president ▁of ▁R eli ant ' s ▁Power ▁Tr ading ▁Division ; ▁Reg gie ▁Howard , ▁a ▁former ▁director ▁of ▁R eli ant ' s ▁West ▁Power ▁Tr ading ▁Division ; ▁Lisa ▁Flow ers , ▁a ▁term ▁tr ader ▁for ▁R eli ant ' s ▁West ▁Power ▁Tr ading ▁Division ; ▁and ▁Kevin ▁Fran ken y , ▁R eli ant ' s ▁manager ▁of ▁western ▁operations — for ▁their ▁alleg ed ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁California ▁electric ity ▁crisis . ▁All ▁of ▁the ▁defend ants ▁are ▁residents ▁of ▁Texas . ▁ ▁The ▁defend ants ▁were ▁charged ▁with ▁consp i racy ▁to ▁commit ▁wire ▁fra ud ▁and ▁comm od ities ▁manip ulation ▁and ▁wire ▁fra ud , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁manip ulation ▁and ▁attempted ▁manip ulation ▁of ▁the ▁price ▁of ▁a ▁comm od ity ▁in ▁inter state ▁commerce . ▁The ▁ind ict ments ▁were ▁file d ▁on ▁April ▁ 8 , ▁ 2 0 0 4 . ▁On ▁August ▁ 1 5 , ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁R eli ant ▁announced ▁that ▁it ▁had ▁reached ▁a ▁$ 4 4 5 ▁million ▁settlement ▁with ▁the ▁states ▁of ▁California , ▁Oregon ▁and ▁Washington , ▁resol ving ▁civil ▁lit ig ation ▁claims ▁against ▁the ▁company ▁related ▁to ▁the ▁sale ▁of ▁electric ity