HOUSTON COUNTY, Ala. (WDHN) — A Houston County Grand Jury has indicted the office assistant of a homebuilder under investigation for mortgage fraud, according to court documents.

On Thursday, August 17, Shelley Brown was indicted on 39 counts of Residential Fraud and 33 counts of Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree.

Brown and her boss, Ryan Kriser, were arrested in March 2023 after a year-long fraud investigation by the Houston County Sheriff’s Office.

Kriser was indicted on 29 counts of Mortgage Fraud.

After their arrests, Houston County Corporal Brandon Barnes revealed that, throughout the investigation, officials found fraudulent and forged documents, including certificates of occupancy, building permits, sewage inspections, and termite bond records.

CPL Barnes said the investigation started when a homeowner went to Dothan Utilities to get her lights turned on and presented a certificate of occupancy from Houston County. The county does not issue certificates of occupancy.

Brown’s jury trial is set to start on Monday, November 13 of this year. Kriser’s trial is set to start on Monday, December 4.

Neither Brown’s or Kriser’s indictments have been made public.