H
arris County Attorney Christian Menefee has filed a civil lawsuit against two men involved in a real estate scam that left a retired teacher homeless. The lawsuit is part of an effort to protect local residents from being swindled out of their hard-earned money.

    In 2023, ABC13 reported on the case of Wanda Jackson, who was evicted from her home after unwittingly signing over the deed to contractor Malcolm Pryor while recovering from COVID-19. Pryor then sold the house to an investor named James Mayer, who later sold it back to Pryor at a profit. The house was eventually foreclosed on, and Jackson was left without a home.

    Menefee's office launched an investigation after ABC13's reporting, which led to Pryor being charged with mortgage fraud. Menefee said his team noticed the scam after seeing Jackson's story and has been working to prevent similar cases from happening in Harris County.

    The lawsuit alleges that Pryor put a fake lien on Jackson's home and that Mayer made money off the fraudulent transactions. Menefee is also aiming to shut down Pryor and Mayer's businesses. He encourages residents who believe they are victims of questionable business practices to contact his office, which has launched a website called ScamFreeHC.com to make it easier for victims to report potential fraud.

    Jackson, who appeared at the event announcing the lawsuit, expressed hope that it would succeed in preventing future scams and allowing her to eventually get her home back.