HOUSTON — A Houston-area Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) employee, Carlisha Haywood, was arrested and charged in connection with an elaborate car title laundering scheme, officials announced Thursday.
Haywood faces charges of bribery and two counts of tampering with a government record, all second-degree felonies punishable by 2 to 20 years in prison and fines up to $10,000.
Her alleged co-conspirator, Xavier Goodwin Washington, was also charged with two counts of tampering with a government record. Court records reveal Washington was out on two separate fraud-related bonds at the time of his arrest.
Both are scheduled to appear in court Friday morning.
The arrests came as part of a joint investigation by the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Harris County District Attorney’s Public Integrity Unit.
Authorities uncovered a scheme where stolen vehicles were resold to unsuspecting buyers after the conspirators swapped the stolen cars’ Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) with “clean” VINs from vehicles of the same make and model.
Washington allegedly bribed Haywood to exploit her access as a DMV employee, allowing her to print certified copies of official car titles. These falsified titles were then used to facilitate the illegal sales.
Officials emphasize that the ongoing investigation seeks to dismantle such fraudulent operations to protect consumers and uphold public trust.
