Pair accused of selling home that didn’t belong to them
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Two people are charged with theft, accused of taking money for a house that didn’t belong to them. Eyewitness News has learned it may be part of a bigger scam.
Joshua Fowler, 42, and Cynthia Marie Galvan, 52, are charged with felony theft from the elderly because the victim is older than 65 years old.
According to court records and the victim, the victim was in contact with Fowler about buying a two-story home in Fort Bend County on the cheap so he could flip it and make some money.
Early last December, the victim met with Fowler and Galvan at an office on T.C. Jester, records show. The office houses a legitimate title company called Exodus Title. Exodus confirms Galvan still works there.
The victim, who declined an on-camera interview, says he gave the two $35,000 in cash in return for a “Special Warranty Deed for the property.” The problem is, the house wasn’t on the market and it wasn’t Fowler’s to sell. Fort Bend County Appraisal District records show the house with a market value of more than $70,000.
Authorities believe Galvan used her legitimate position at Exodus Title to further the scheme. Her attorney, Russell Neumann, confirms she could face more charges, but, right now, “she refutes all the charges against her.”
Her boss at Exodus Title, Greg Nix, tells Eyewitness News “she was as much the victim as the people who got ripped off.”
The Harris County District Attorney’s office is investigating more than a dozen complaints against Fowler, according to sources. Fowler’s attorney, Billy Skinner, declined to comment. Fowler and Galvan are out of jail on bond.
