NRG Park Employees Accused of Stealing from 7,000 Customers
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Thousands of people who thought they were paying for official event parking at NRG Park were actually being scammed, according to Houston police. Last week, warrants were issued for two former NRG Park parking attendants, Taelor Miller and Vincent Ward, in connection with the alleged scheme. A third attendant, Reginald Smith, was arrested in March.
Investigators discovered that the attendants used personal Square payment devices, which they disguised with names like “NRG Parking,” to charge customers. Unknowingly, visitors were paying the employees directly, not the venue. Police estimate the trio is responsible for 7,162 fraudulent transactions, stealing over $211,000 from eventgoers between March 2024 and March 2025.
Reginald Smith, who has previous felony convictions, was caught in a sting operation on March 19 and reportedly led police to the other two suspects. Records show that Ward’s account racked up the largest total at $126,513, while Miller stole $58,523, and Smith took in $25,970.
The scam reportedly came to light as early as August 2024, when a Texans fan paid an attendant $50 to park but was then turned away by an official guard who stated the lot was pre-paid only. The fan’s complaint alerted NRG Park managers to the ongoing issue.
While NRG Park declined to comment on the specifics of the investigation, they provided advice to guests to prevent future scams: always confirm the posted price and scan the official QR code displayed on signage to ensure you receive a verified digital receipt.
