Five people, including a Katy couple and their teenage son, face organized crime charges in an alleged $3 million luxury vehicle theft ring.
KPRC 2 first reported Oct. 15 that the five suspects are Dheyaa Thabit Abd, 41; his wife, Iman Ouda Al Saedi, 35; their teenage son, whose name was not released; Matthew Gonzalez, 29; and Saifuldeen Al Gburi, 30. All are charged with engaging in organized criminal activity.
The couple lives in an unincorporated area of Fort Bend County near Roesner Road and Spring Green Boulevard, according to Covering Katy, which reported on the case Oct. 12. Criminal complaints filed Oct. 9 in Harris County accuse Abd and Al Saedi of participating in organized criminal activity involving theft of property valued at $300,000 or more, Covering Katy reported.
Prosecutors allege the criminal activity occurred between Aug. 1, 2025, and Sept. 15, 2026.
Sgt. Ben LeBlanc of the Houston Police Department's (HPD) Auto Theft Division told KPRC 2 the group allegedly targeted luxury brands including Mercedes, Cadillac Escalades, Range Rovers, Lamborghinis, Rolls-Royces and Bentleys. "Pretty much anything that had a very high price point, well over $100,000," he said.
The ring allegedly operated for years. Police said the investigation accounted for about 15 vehicles over a three-month period, totaling more than $3 million, according to KPRC 2.
The suspects allegedly posed as vehicle owners or transport companies to intercept cars from shipping drivers, police said. In some cases, they allegedly won shipping jobs, gathered vehicle information and rerouted cars to Houston. The stolen vehicles were then left in commercial parking lots around the city for what LeBlanc called a "cool down period" after their tracking devices were disabled.
Some vehicles were recovered at the Port of New York and New Jersey, already packed in shipping containers and marked as "rebar," LeBlanc told KPRC 2. HPD coordinated with the New York Police Department and New Jersey State Police on those recoveries.
The three family members allegedly worked together to pick up vehicles and conduct counter-surveillance, according to police. Abd and Al Saedi operated a mechanics business in a southwest Houston shopping strip, and LeBlanc said some people from the shop were paid to pick up vehicles. Houston police searched the shop near Fondren Road and Richmond Avenue on Oct. 7, Covering Katy reported.
Court records show Abd and Al Saedi each posted $100,000 bonds. Gonzalez posted a $50,000 bond. All three have been released from the Harris County jail. Al Gburi was arrested Oct. 14 in Collin County and remained in custody there as of Oct. 15, according to KPRC 2.
LeBlanc said the case is the first in which HPD's Auto Theft Division has arrested and charged suspects in this type of scheme. He urged anyone shipping a vehicle to vet transport companies, review invoices and confirm destinations directly with customers.
All five defendants are presumed innocent. Police have said the investigation is continuing and additional arrests are expected, Covering Katy reported, citing ABC13.
