Houston man accused of orchestrating social media scheme to steal $1 million worth of Jeeps and other vehicles for cartel

A Houston man is accused of using social media to orchestrate a scheme that resulted in the theft of vehicles worth more than $1 million.

According to reports, Kenneth Dwayne Westbrook, 29, lured individuals through Instagram by promising to pay them money to rent vehicles from him through Turo.

Turo is a car sharing marketplace where vehicle owners can list and rent their vehicles online.

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Westbrook is accused of collecting the vehicles, driving them to Mexico and ignoring calls from tenants to return the vehicles. According to court documents, Westbrook would promise to pay between $2,500 and $5,000 to renters who reserved vehicles for him to use.

From September 2022 to April 2024, authorities estimate Westbrook confiscated more than 25 vehicles worth more than $1 million.

According to court documents, Westbrook posted public records on Instagram from his “bossmann_boosie” profile, including one titled “Trips,money&hos.” Court documents include screenshots of Westbrook’s Instagram, including stories in Mexico.

According to the criminal complaint, when the Turo reservation was about to expire, some renters attempted to convince Westbrook to return the Turo vehicle. However, according to witness statements, Westbrook frequently delayed returning Turo vehicles to renters and/or owners in order to buy time crossing the border. As a result, Westbrook sometimes provided renters with a fabricated story about how the vehicle was stolen from their possession in order to convince Turo, the vehicle owner, and law enforcement that the vehicle was stolen.

The GPS of several Turo vehicles tracked stolen Turo vehicles nearby, across or at the Mexican border. Several Turo vehicles connected to Westbrook were reported stolen and then recovered in Mexico, according to Turo.

If convicted, Westbrook faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 for each count.

The FBI led the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Tyler White and Michael Chu are prosecuting the case.