Harris County Attorney Abbie Kamin announced two civil lawsuits against nine people accused of stealing at least 10 homes through forged deeds and fabricated identities.
Kamin made the announcement Wednesday, Sept. 9, saying the defendants allegedly forged signatures, faked notarizations and passed fraudulent deeds among themselves before trying to sell homes they never owned. Click2Houston first reported that rightful owners have lost access to about seven of the properties, each valued between $100,000 and $250,000.
The fraud targeted homes across Harris County, and Kamin urged all county homeowners to check their records. Galveston County, which covers Clear Lake Shores and parts of the Clear Lake area, already offers a free fraud-alert service for property owners.
"It is hard to believe someone could be brazen enough to literally steal a person's home … But we are seeing it happen right here in Harris County to people who did nothing wrong except own property that someone else decided to take," Kamin said.
One victim, Keata Wade, said her grandmother's home on Teton Street was taken while Wade was grieving the deaths of both parents. Scammers allegedly forged her deceased grandmother's signature and transferred the title to a fictional person, then to someone connected to a larger fraud network. As of Sept. 9, strangers were living in the home.
In some cases, according to Click2Houston, scammers had unrelated documents notarized, then removed the notarized acknowledgment page and attached it to a fraudulent deed before filing it with the county clerk. Investigators also found cases in which a deceased homeowner's identity was allegedly used to transfer property before heirs knew what had happened.
The Houston Chronicle reported that the first lawsuit was filed Aug. 11 and accuses one group of defendants of being "prolific perpetrators of deed fraud," with civil suits over deed theft dating to 2019. The second lawsuit accuses another group of an "organized and broad scheme" involving forged signatures of dead property owners, with prior civil suits dating to 2017. Defendant Juan Guevara has been previously convicted of felony theft, including counts of theft of real estate.
No criminal charges have been filed in these cases. The Harris County Attorney's Office said it is coordinating with the Harris County District Attorney's Office and law enforcement. Only one defendant, Francisca Rodriguez, had obtained an attorney as of Sept. 9, Houston Public Media reported. Rodriguez's attorney did not respond to Houston Public Media's request for comment.
The lawsuits seek to return the properties to their rightful owners and civil penalties where appropriate.
Two new Texas laws targeting deed theft took effect in 2025 and 2026. Senate Bill 647 lets county clerks seek additional documentation when they suspect a filing is fraudulent. Senate Bill 16 created two new felony offenses, real property theft and real property fraud, and requires photo ID when filing a real property document at a county clerk's office.
How to check your property records
Kamin recommends checking property records at least once a year. Harris County homeowners can search the Harris County Appraisal District's website for a property's legal description, then check the Harris County Clerk's website for unfamiliar names, transfers or filings.
Galveston County offers a free Property Fraud Alert service that notifies owners when a document is recorded under their name. Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth is preparing a similar "Property Alert System," though no launch date had been announced as of Aug. 26, ABC13 reported.
Kamin also urged homeowners to keep wills updated, file them with probate court and make sure relatives understand the property owner's intentions. Homeowners who suspect deed fraud can report it on the Harris County Attorney's Office website under the "Stay Scam Free" tab.
