Before you rent a home, you should read this infuriating and cautionary tale!
EAST MONTGOMERY COUNTY, TX– An old saying goes something like “Some people should come with a warning label” and that could easily be applied to a woman who has been handled by many of the law enforcement agencies in southeast Texas and is now sought by Splendora Police.
Qourtnee DeCandys Davis-Pace, 34, is what some in law enforcement may refer to as a “frequent flyer” because she’s been in custody so many times. As of Monday, however, she remains free thanks to quick thinking, a little luck, and failing to legally update her address on her Texas Driver’s License.
A developer contacted Splendora Police regarding someone having locks changed on one of their unoccupied homes. SPD responded, and Lt. Troy Teller says they arrived at the home to find it was occupied. A woman, with three small children, answered the door. What’s more, she seemed genuinely confused about why the police were there. The mother explained how she found the home for rent on Facebook Marketplace and had paid someone claiming to be the owner through a cash app.
The story was neither implausible nor unfamiliar to the officers, because similar incidents had been reported to neighboring law enforcement agencies over the past couple of years. The rental scam had successfully taken money from several unsuspecting people who were desperate to find a good deal and too trusting of people claiming to be renting homes. The officers went inside, and Lt. Troy Teller says there was no furniture, but there was food in the kitchen. The lack of furniture items was a red flag. However, a woman with three small children and a plausible story of being scammed made a convincing victim. Nevertheless, the officers asked for her identification, and she provided it.
This is where the “luck” came in. When officers attempted to check her identification through the Spillman system, used by law enforcement throughout Montgomery County, the system was down – as in, not working at all right then. Considering the woman may have already been victimized and had children to feed, they took the narrative she provided. The following day, her ID was checked and was a valid ID, and she had no open warrants, reinforcing the assumption that her convincing story of being victimized.
No other victims materialized, nor did any new leads. That is, until the developer contacted SPD again because a couple of brand new, Large, appliances had been delivered to the house for the “victim” at some point, and she had not attempted to retrieve them. A “victim” in the form of a mother with three small children and no furniture didn’t seem like someone who could simply abandon a couple of big-ticket items. This raised another red flag, and Lt. Teller said they began to take a closer look at their “victim”.
Turns out, Qourtnee Davis-Pace knew the Facebook Marketplace rental scam so well because she had allegedly been the one perpetrating that scam on unsuspecting renters and was already handled by at least two other law enforcement agencies in Montgomery County alone!
According to Lt. Teller, it was Davis-Pace who gained access to the home on the backside and then called a locksmith. She allegedly had fake documents showing she had the right to be there and an explanation as to why she needed the locks changed. It’s unclear whether she planned to stay a while or get some unsuspecting person to believe there was a good reason to cash app a deposit to her.
SPD obtained a warrant for Davis-Pace for Criminal Trespass. However, when they attempted to locate her at the New Caney address on her Texas Driver’s License, she didn’t live there. She was not found at any of the addresses she had used during her various brushes with law enforcement and visits to county jails. The warrant remains active, and if the past is any indication, Davis-Pace will find herself in metal bracelets sooner rather than later.
According to public records, Davis-Pace has been charged with multiple crimes including Aggravated Assault of a Family Member and Harassment of a Public Servant. She was given deferred adjudication for the harassment charge and could later have had it expunged… if she behaved. However, her deferred adjudication was terminated after she was arrested while still on probation. There are multiple charges, arrests, and civil lawsuits against Davis-Pace.
There are a multitude of articles online regarding avoiding rental scams. It is interesting to note that none we found described the way Davis-Pace allegedly handled those transactions. One of the incidents for which she is known in East Montgomery County happened next door to SPD’s jurisdiction, in the City of Roman Forest, which lies between Splendora and New Caney.
Roman Forest Police Chief Stephen Carlisle found the incidents very concerning.
“Having many rental properties myself, I can’t stand knowing there are criminals like this out there but there are many, unfortunately,” Chief Carlisle said. “And I will do everything in my power to make sure they get locked up.”
He also had advice for those in the market for short or long-term rentals.
“When looking for a rental, be careful of cash being the only form of payment. Consider a form of payment that has a paper, or electronic trail,” Chief Carlisle said. “Also, verify the leasing agent really works for a legitimate management company or independent owner. Don’t always trust the information they give you to verify. Use an online search to find the company contact information instead.”
Chief Carlisle added the one tip common to almost every expert list of ways to avoid being defrauded – If it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn’t.
Anyone who believes they were a victim of Qourtnee Davis-Pace should contact whatever law enforcement agency has jurisdiction where the fraud occurred. Anyone who knows the location of Ms. Davis-Pace should contact the Splendora Police Department. She is believed to have lived in Montgomery, Harris and Liberty Counties in recent years, and has family throughout southeast Texas.
(Scroll down for more photos of the suspect)
Below are some links to help those interested in renting a property avoiding becoming a fraud victim:
5 Warning Signs That A Craigslist Rental Listing Is Probably A Scam (consumerreports.org)
BBB Scam Alert: How to spot a credit check scam when apartment shopping
6 Common Rental Scams and Tips for Avoiding Them | ApartmentGuide.com
Is It A Rental Scam? 8 Red Flags to Watch Out For (usnews.com)
Rental Listing Scams | Consumer Advice (ftc.gov)
