Couple seen in viral road rage video in Houston now faces real estate fraud charges

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — Four people are accused of a sophisticated stolen identity rental fraud scheme that targeted more than a dozen properties in Harris County.

Two of the suspects, Benjamin and Nazly Greene, went viral in 2022 when a road rage shooting was caught on camera and made national headlines. The couple is now accused of involvement in organized crime.

Alleged ringleader Harold Doyle and his co-conspirator Teresa Zuluaga were also charged with engaging in organized crime following an extensive and partially undercover investigation by the Houston Police Department's Major Crimes Unit.

According to court documents, the group allegedly rented properties using a Harris County woman's stolen identity and then, in at least one case, listed the property on Facebook Marketplace and rented it to someone else.

Many of the properties are in the Katy area.

The identity theft victim, who did not wish to speak publicly, told KPRC 2's Bryce Newberry over the phone that she had no idea her name or information was being used to allocate the homes for leases totaling more than $330,000 rent, according to court documents.

Doyle was formerly a real estate agent, but his license was revoked in 2021, according to the Texas Real Estate Commission. He worked in an office on the North Beltway, where a sign outside listed the company as a tax company.

Doyle took over the identity theft victim's tax returns for years, she said.

Records show police arrested Doyle at that office in mid-September using a fake ID in her name and the driver's license number of a San Antonio man. According to the documents, Doyle also had “extensive fraudulent real estate applications.”

Police first became aware of the potentially fraudulent rental agreements when they were contacted by a real estate agent who told them that a rental applicant had provided pay stubs that showed an income of over $350,000 a year, according to records. They tried to get a cheap rent and move the same day.

Records show that at least 13 properties were rented under the identity theft victim's name, and in at least one case, a tenant told investigators he found Benjamin Greene's listing on Facebook Marketplace.

“We don’t use Marketplace or Facebook to post them, we don’t use Craigslist,” said Troy Cothran, a board member of the Houston Association of Realtors who has been a licensed real estate agent for decades.

He warned that Houston is a hot market for rental scams.

“It is time for people to realize that they can be the victim. And what they need to do is stay away from websites that aren't really proven to be accurate,” he said.

The tenant, who found the listing on Facebook Marketplace, also told investigators that he made a $300 deposit to the group through Zelle and sent money orders of $4,465 to the North office Beltway sent.

The tenant later learned from the landlord that his security deposit and first month's rent had not been paid and that the rental agreement he had received was fraudulent, according to the documents.

“We cannot accept that funds come into our account for even a short period of time. If we do that, it will be a license violation,” Cothran said, urging caution when paying using this method.

During the investigation, police found 62 properties that the accused fraudsters had discussed in a WhatsApp group chat called “Officina,” according to charging documents.

In one of the cars belonging to Nazly Greene, investigators found a clipboard with “dozens of other real estate clients/leads.”

Zuluaga told police she would receive 40 percent of any transaction for properties to which she successfully obtained keys, and the rest of the money was split between Doyle and Benjamin Greene at Doyle's direction, according to court documents.

All suspects have now been released from prison on bail.

Greene's reckless speeding case was also resolved in court: A grand jury indicted him on a charge of aggravated assault with deadly force while pleading guilty to misdemeanor charges, records show.