Harris County Deputies Arrest Man Accused of Selling Authentic Texas Disabled Parking Placards Online

A 28-year-old Houston-area man faces a third-degree felony charge after authorities arrested him for allegedly selling authentic, state-issued disabled parking placards on social media. David T. Brown was arrested on Monday by detectives with the Harris County Constable Precinct 1 Criminal Investigations and Tax Office Investigations Unit and charged with tampering with a government record.

Investigators allege that Brown sold the permanent-disability placards on Facebook Marketplace and OfferUp for $150 each. According to Harris County Constable Alan Rosen, the scheme involved writing buyers' actual driver's license numbers onto the placards to make them appear legitimately issued during checks by parking enforcement. Undercover deputies discovered the online listings and set up a sting operation, arresting Brown with 18 authentic placards in his possession.

The arrest has triggered an investigation into how Brown obtained the official documents, which are typically issued at no cost by the State of Texas. Court records and serial numbers indicate the seized placards did not originate from the Harris County Tax Office, leading investigators to believe they were leaked or illicitly obtained from another county tax assessor-collector's office in Texas. Detectives are currently tracing the serial numbers to identify the source.

Brown appeared in court Monday evening and posted a $10,000 bond. He is scheduled to return to court Wednesday morning. If convicted, he faces two to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. Constable Rosen warned that deputies are actively searching for the altered tags, noting that anyone caught using an illegally purchased placard faces misdemeanor charges and potential arrest.