Honolulu, HI — The previous CEO of a shipbuilding firm based in Hawaii has received a 13-year federal prison sentence for masterminding a large-scale investment fraud operation that lasted over a decade, deceiving investors out of nearly $29 million. His ex-wife, who also served as the company president, was sentenced to two years for her involvement in the scheme.
Curtiss E. Jackson, 72, from Honolulu, and Jamey Denise Jackson, 62, currently living in Colchester, Connecticut, were the leading figures at Semisub Inc., a company that promised investors an innovative underwater sightseeing craft known as “Semisub One.” Prosecutors stated that the couple consistently misled investors with false assurances that the vessel was only weeks or months away from commencing operations.
Court documents and trial evidence indicated that the Jacksons falsely asserted they had formed partnerships with government entities and private investment firms to mass-produce and market fleets of Semisub vessels, forecasting tens of millions of dollars in future earnings. In truth, no such agreements were in place.
Instead, prosecutors uncovered that the couple misappropriated investor funds to support a lavish lifestyle, which included opulent homes in Hawaii and California, a Mercedes-Benz, extravagant vacations, payments to psychics, and marijuana purchases.
During the investigation, Curtiss Jackson exacerbated the situation by sending a menacing death threat to Jamey Denise, associating her with an online video titled “Death of FBI Informants” that featured graphic scenes from ‘The Sopranos.’ He also attempted to obstruct justice by fleeing U.S. territorial waters aboard the Semisub One — a vessel subject to forfeiture — just a day before a scheduled bond revocation hearing.
Curtiss Jackson was found guilty in May 2024 on several charges, including securities fraud, conspiracy, mail and wire fraud, witness tampering, and obstruction of an official proceeding while on pretrial release. Jamey Denise Jackson admitted guilt in January 2023 to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.
