Baton Rouge – A year-long investigation initiated by the Louisiana State Police Insurance Fraud and Auto Theft Unit in January 2022, looking into irregularities in transactions at several Public Tag Agencies (PTA) and Auto Title Companies (ATC) across the state, has led to the arrest of 16 individuals. Detectives have identified 34 culprits in total who have collectively processed 180 vehicles through doctored or deceitful paperwork.
The accused have used these fake or altered documents to underrepresent the true worth of the vehicles, enabling them to evade taxes. Certain vehicles previously flagged as stolen were discovered within the civilian market, their identifying features modified or hidden. The estimated value of vehicles implicated in this case exceeds $9.8 million, with tax fraud surpassing $300,000.
As the inquiry progressed, detectives discovered that the suspects were part of an organized crime network, working both independently and as a group to conduct fraudulent activities and theft across Louisiana for profit. The Louisiana State Police has secured arrest warrants, valid across all states, for the 18 suspects still at large (See attached graphic for further details). The 16 individuals apprehended so far have been charged with forgery, filing fraudulent public records, and felony theft. The arrested include:
- Errean Centeno, 35, of Covington, LA
- Willie Tolbert, 30, of Cleveland, TX
- Tashia Hubbard, 35, of Willis, TX
- Kenneth Redding, 46, of Houston, TX
- Leigha Garner, 33, of Conroe, TX
- Alaric Cowart, 31, of Houston, TX
- Raynaldo Hernandez III, 56, of Houston, TX
- Samuel Thompson, 34, of Conroe, TX
- Angel Gamino, 20, of Houston, TX
- Maria Cantu, 40, of Houston, TX
- Shawn Carden, 26, of Humble, TX
- Amber Archer, 31, of Belleview, FL
- Tabatha McMullan, 39, of Houston, TX
- Joshua Gipson, 27, of Humble, TX
- Jacquez Evans, 34, of Corpus Christi, TX
- Jacob Hurtado, 25, of Humble, TX
Investigations of this magnitude demand a coordinated effort over an extended period. The Louisiana State Police extends its gratitude to the following agencies for their assistance throughout this investigation: Louisiana Attorney General’s Office, Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles, Louisiana Department of Revenue, National Insurance Crime Bureau, Houston Police Department (TX), Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office (TX), and various other local law enforcement agencies.
The Louisiana State Police – Insurance Fraud and Auto Theft Unit (Breaux Bridge Field Office) urges anyone with information relevant to this investigation to contact them at (337) 332-8080 or via email at LSP.Insurance.Fraud.Unit@la.gov. As this investigation is still ongoing, there may be additional charges brought against all involved parties.