HOUSTON, Texas – The Harris County District Attorney’s Office has filed five felony charges against a local Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) employee and another person in connection with a car title laundering scheme.
On Wednesday, July 9, DMV employee Carlisha Haywood was charged with bribery and two counts of tampering with a government record. Her co-conspirator, Xavier Goodwin Washington, was also charged with two counts of tampering with a government record.
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According to the DA’s office, an auto theft operation was uncovered, in which people would steal vehicles and then sell the stolen vehicles to a good-faith purchaser. Before making the sale, the thieves would swap the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) of the stolen vehicle with a “clean” VIN from a different vehicle of the same make and model.
Investigators said Goodwin Washington would then bribe Haywood and exploit her ability to access and print official records as a DMV employee to obtain certified copies of car titles in order to commit the fraudulent sale.
“The people of Harris County deserve to trust that their public institutions serve them—and not criminal organizations that prey on innocent people,” said Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare. “Too many Houstonians have been victimized by car theft and fraud. I’m deeply grateful to the law enforcement officers who led this investigation and operation. They have our full support as we continue to root out public corruption with integrity, determination and urgency.”