Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office Arrests Alba Zuyapa Martinez in $20K Property Fraud Scheme Involving Forged Deeds

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, TX -- The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office announces the arrest of Alba Zuyapa Martinez, who was booked into the Montgomery County Jail on October 2, 2025, in connection with a sophisticated property fraud investigation. Martinez faces multiple felony charges, including forgery, theft, and fraud, following an investigation that began in early 2025.

The investigation was initiated after the Montgomery County Clerk’s Office conducted a proactive review of its records. This review was prompted by a news story on February 11, 2025, regarding a similar case of property fraud in Harris County. The Clerk's Office identified a potentially fraudulent transaction involving a property in Porter, Texas, and notified the citizen owner. The property owner subsequently filed a report with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office on February 21, 2025.

Investigators with the Montgomery County Criminal Investigation Division uncovered two fraudulent deeds that had been filed with the County Clerk’s office. The deeds allegedly utilized the identities of deceased individuals as both the sellers and buyers of the property. The documents were also notarized by an individual for whom the Texas Office of the Secretary of State has no record of a notary commission.

The investigation further revealed that Alba Martinez allegedly sold the property to a victim for $20,000, claiming she had the legal right to do so. This transaction resulted in the victim unknowingly filing a fraudulent deed on the property.

As a result of the investigation, Martinez was arrested on two counts of Forgery Financial Instrument >=$30K<$150K (Third-Degree Felony), one count of Theft of Property >=$150K<$300K (Second-Degree Felony) and one count of Fraud Securing Document Execution >=$30K<$150K (Third-Degree Felony). Martinez was also arrested on an active warrant issued by the Houston Police Department for Theft Aggregate >$300k, a First-Degree Felony.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the Texas Office of the Secretary of State and the Montgomery County Clerk’s Office for their invaluable assistance in this investigation. Gratitude is also extended to the Houston Police Department, the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, and the U.S. Customs and Enforcement Agency for their assistance in effecting the arrest.