Austin real estate developer Nate Paul began serving a 10-day jail sentence for contempt of court Thursday night in connection with a civil lawsuit that is unrelated to his criminal indictment accusing him of financial crimes.
According to records, Paul was booked in the Travis County Jail at 10:14 p.m., just hours before his court-ordered appearance time.
State District Judge Jan Soifer instructed Paul to begin serving the sentence not later than Friday related to the contempt finding she first handed him last year, saying he “continuously refused” to comply with a court order in a civil case in which he is accused of defrauding a nonprofit.
Austin-based Roy F. and Joann Cole Mitte Foundation has sued Paul and accused him of fraud. Paul has denied wrongdoing.
Separately, Paul is facing an eight-count indictment for federal financial crimes handed up in June 2023 accusing him of committing wire fraud by misleading financial institutions as well as a follow-up four-count indictment announced in November . His lawyers have contended in court documents and in a hearing last month that federal prosecutors improperly obtained evidence that they plan to use against him at trial, and also came into possession of documents that should be protected as attorney-client privilege.