A Texas Division of Motor Autos worker within the Houston space and an alleged co-conspirator have been accused of being a part of a automotive title laundering scheme.
The DMV employee, Carlisha Haywood, 41, has been charged with one rely of bribery and two counts of tampering with a authorities document. Xavier Goodwin Washington, 28, additionally has been charged with two counts of tampering with a authorities document.
Based on the Harris County District Lawyer’s Workplace, Haywood and Goodwin Washington had been concerned in an alleged scheme that will swap the VIN numbers of stolen automobiles with the numbers of automobiles of the identical make and mannequin. With the “clear” VIN numbers, the stolen automobiles may then be offered with out being recognized as stolen, the DA’s workplace stated.
The DA’s workplace accuses Haywood of accepting bribes from Goodwin Washington in trade for fraudulent automotive titles.
Based on court docket paperwork, Goodwin Washington was arrested on June 24 in Harris County after he was allegedly discovered to be in possession of a fraudulent car title, which is taken into account a authorities document in Texas. Haywood was arrested on the identical day below the identical allegation.
Haywood’s legal professional, James McKenney, instructed Houston Public Media on Friday that he seems ahead to telling his shopper’s aspect of the story.
“We simply bought to listen to the state’s aspect of the story — their possible trigger and accusation towards her,” he stated. “However that’s not her aspect of the story. … As the method performs out, there’ll be extra we’ll must say.”
A protection legal professional for Goodwin Washington was not listed in on-line court docket information as of Friday.
Bribery and tampering with a authorities document are each second-degree felonies. Every crime is punishable by as much as 20 years in jail and a most nice of $10,000.
The DA’s workplace stated the investigation into the alleged scheme is ongoing.
