Overview
- Two former Harris County Tax Office employees and two business owners each face two counts of engaging in organized criminal activity, a first-degree felony punishable by up to 99 years or life in prison and fines up to $10,000.
- Authorities say three defendants have been arrested, while Oswaldo “Oz” Perez remains a fugitive and investigators are asking the public for tips to locate him.
- Investigators allege the scheme operated from at least November 2023 to April 2024, centered at the Scarsdale branch, with the two employees terminated in April 2024 following an internal review.
- Court records describe tens of thousands of dollars in bribes to bypass insurance verification, emissions inspections and residency checks, with payments tracked via Zelle, Apple Pay and Cash App and some transactions priced at about $300.
- Evidence cited by investigators includes social media ads by Bella’s Multiservices, altered owner addresses to Harris County, deleted texts, concealed paperwork in a personal binder, and document handoffs in a nearby parking lot.