A Houston man has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, as announced by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Daniel Rodriguez-Martinez, aged 51, orchestrated a scheme involving a fictitious company to conceal the proceeds of electricity theft.
Between March 2021 and May 2024, Rodriguez-Martinez and associates operated a fake utility company. They used stolen identities, including Social Security numbers, to open electricity accounts with legitimate providers, linking these identities to real service addresses. Customers received continuous power while the billing responsibility fell to unaware victims.
When providers disconnected service for unpaid bills, the group reopened accounts under different fake identities. For uninterrupted electricity, customers paid the fraudulent company a flat fee of $80 monthly. This operation enabled customers to evade legitimate charges while the organizers profited.
Rodriguez-Martinez acknowledged the creation of the fake electricity company for the purpose of the theft scheme. He received payments through peer-to-peer apps like CashApp and Zelle, transferring funds into a business account to obscure their origin. He accrued at least $1.4 million from the scheme.
Under his plea agreement, Rodriguez-Martinez will forfeit $456,859.76 in U.S. currency and his interest in multiple properties. Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane accepted the plea, scheduling sentencing for July 15. Rodriguez-Martinez could face up to 20 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. He remains in custody awaiting sentencing.
The FBI investigated the case, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose A. Garcia prosecuting.