On June 2, 2010, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office Auto Theft Task Force executed felony arrest warrants and search warrants at four businesses in northern Harris County. These warrants were the result of an eight month long investigation into criminal violations conducted by these businesses at the Montgomery County Tax Assessor’s Office.
The Task Force has been investigating the creation and use of fraudulent identification and fraudulent transactions by vehicle titling companies also known as “multi-service agencies” for individuals who cannot legally obtain these documents.
El Pantano #1 located at 409 W Mt. Houston Rd.,
El Pantano # 2 located at 9802 Airline Dr.
Amerika #1 located at 12713 W. Hardy Rd., and
Amerika #2 located at 939 Aldine Mail Rt. Rd.
These companies have been conducting fraudulent vehicle registrations, title transfers, and mechanic’s liens with the Tax Office in Montgomery County for some time. This investigation led to felony arrest warrants and search warrants obtained by the Montgomery County Auto Theft Task Force and the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office.
The felony arrest warrants were for “Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity,” “Tampering with Government Records,” and “ False Information on Applications or Vehicle Title” were issued for the owners of each company and several employees known as “runners.”
A total of 19 felony warrants were issued against seven individuals. The Task Force executed the search warrants simultaneously on Wednesday morning with the assistance of numerous law enforcement agencies including the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department, Harris County Sheriff’s Department, Houston Police Department, U.S. Marshal’s Office, U.S. Postal Inspector’s Office, and Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office.
