After a realtor called KPRC 2 in April after realizing his client’s home had been rented using a stolen identity, the tenant has been charged and is wanted on three felony charges.
Christina Antonette Dias, 28, is charged with tampering with a government record, fraudulent use or possession of identifying information, and false statements to obtain property or credit.
Dias rented the home on Vander Rock Drive in the Everett Point neighborhood in late March, according to court records, for $2,500 per month.
But just days into her lease, the realtor called KPRC 2 and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office because he realized the home had been rented using the stolen identity of a California woman.
“Credit came clean, background came clean, eviction came clean, the criminal record came clean. Everything was clean,” the realtor, who asked to remain anonymous, said.
Dias and a male tenant fled the home that day when deputies arrived, leaving the front door open and unlocked. That’s when the realtor and owner’s family invited KPRC 2′s cameras inside.
We captured stacks of designer-brand boxes and piles of documents, including bank, insurance, and passport cards with various names scattered in the house. There were also tens of thousands of dollars of checks, including some IRS checks, in other names and a printer with blank check paper on it.
“I was shocked,” the realtor said.
Investigators executed a search warrant at the home on April 16 and recovered the printer and an iPad, records show.
Other items in the home were shared with the sheriff’s office as evidence. Among the items was a Massachusetts ID with Dias’ real name, photo, and birth date on it, according to records.
“It’s just like putting together a puzzle,” HCSO Financial Crimes Unit Deputy Investigator Francisco Montes said.
The California woman told investigators she had been getting alerts about new credit checks and a new lease credit check, but she hadn’t lived in Texas for a decade, according to court records.
Her name was used on a Texas ID with Dias’ photo in the rental application, according to court records.
“[Dias] does move around a lot, different states, and she’s not there for a long time,” Montes said.
His investigation also revealed that Dias goes by a different name on social media, seen on a Facebook profile as “Anna Delvey.”
That’s the alias for convicted scammer Anna Sorokin, who went to prison for defrauding hotels and banks out of hundreds of thousands of dollars while posing as a German heiress, inspiring the Netflix series “Inventing Anna.”
Someone who previously knew Dias said it was a sign that this accused fraudster was hiding in plain sight.
“We never know what they’re thinking, but to have a social media name with that person, I mean, it’s made it interesting,” Montes said.
Dias did not respond to KPRC 2′s request for comment through her Anna Delvey Facebook page.
The address listed in her court records is not her home and never has been, but KPRC 2 has learned it belongs to a previous acquaintance.
HCSO said this type of identity theft is not uncommon and urged realtors to use online tools to conduct thorough background checks.
Montes said everyone should regularly monitor or freeze their credit.
“These victims don’t know that they’re being a victim until afterward,” he said.
Investigators said Dias may be involved with more types of fraud, but she isn’t currently facing additional charges.
Any information on her whereabouts should be reported to HCSO or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.