Mary G. Bond, out of jail and back in the saddle of swindling her neighbors according to a Southeast Texas victim reaching out to The Examiner, is now allegedly scamming disabled veterans who have served this country in the armed forces.
Bond was incarcerated for over a year following a laundry list of alleged criminal activities that included stealing a rental car, bilking funds from Jefferson County political candidates and supporters, misappropriating campaign funds from former State Representative Joe Deshotel and current State Representative Christian Manuel Hayes – and, while out of jail on bond for theft from Hayes, stole from him, again, by using a debit card of his that she linked to her own CashApp account to pay personal bills in 2022.
Bond’s alleged fraudulent activities recently surfaced in Vidor, where she worked as a contracted and commissionable sales representative for Secure Storage Sheds, located at 2185 West Freeway Blvd. South. It is reported that she conducted at least three fraudulent sales without delivering any products to the paying customers.
Jeremy Robinson, an Orange resident that filed a report of theft against Bond, recounted his experience with the notorious grifter, who goes by “Mary Gen” on Facebook. After taking a liking to a storage shed Bond posted on Facebook Marketplace, Robinson reached out to the sales rep on March 29 and selected his shed. According to screenshots of their conversation provided to The Examiner, on March 30, Robinson then inquired about purchasing a chicken coop and arranged to meet Bond later that day. Back and forth communication resulted in an agreed-upon cash deposit for a coop that was estimated to cost “about $1,200 – $1,500.” Robinson paid Bond a $400 cash deposit that day.
Nearly a month later, April 26, Bond informed Robinson that his product would be delivered in two weeks. But by May 6, the agreed delivery date, Bond was bringing excuses to the table rather than a coop to Robinson’s home.
Firstly, Bond advised Robinson that he needed to pay the remaining balance on the coop before the product would be delivered. Then, quite confusingly, Robinson said, Bond sent photos of several chicken coops, none of which matched what was originally agreed on for purchase. Messages from Bond state that the coops from her photos were of better quality and that coops similar to Robinson’s original choice would cost $2,000. Still, after some negotiation, the price was reduced to $1,400.
Bond then said, “I need payment to confirm delivery, there’s no way they will let me deliver without payment in full. You can either pay me cash or you can cash app.”
Robinson chose to send the $1,000 via CashApp to the salesperson’s ID, $MGBond0112, with the delivery agreed for May 6.
May 8, Bond claimed the delivery driver had contracted COVID-19, and the company would need another driver. She added, “They are chewing me out for giving you $100 off… I thought I could honor a discount… sorry to be so forward about it, but you’re a cool customer so I’m just letting you know they want that.”
“That’s really not my problem and the delivery date got changed. Nothing against you but business is business,” Robinson responded, starting to get antsy about the transaction.
After asking for an estimated delivery time by May 13, and still not receiving the chicken coop by May 14, Robinson reached out for a refund.
“Mary, please send my $1,400 back,” Robinson pleaded. “You ripped off a disabled veteran, and if my money is not sent back today I will pursue every charge I can against you.”
Without a chicken coop or a refund of the money he paid for it, Robinson reported the incident to the police. To Robinson’s surprise, the Vidor Police Department detective assigned to the case advised that this was not the first criminal complaint he was investigating this year against Bond for her “work” at Secure Storage Sheds.
Several others have also come forward, Robinson recounted, claiming Bond fraudulently sold them sheds. An Examiner investigation confirmed that three separate cases were presented for prosecution and are currently under review by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. The victims include Robinson and his wife, another local veteran – homeless – who was trying to purchase a small shed as a tiny home, and Secure Storage Sheds, the company Bond previously worked for.
In the case of theft from the homeless veteran, he spent his last $900 to purchase a small building from Bond with plans to turn it into a tiny home, only to end up penniless and still homeless. Another couple negotiated a cash discount for a shed, paying Bond $3,000, but never received the shed. Sources say Secure Storage Sheds compensated the customer by providing the shed, making them Bond’s third victim after losing a shed valued at over $3,000.
Bond’s criminal record dates back to her youth in the West End of Beaumont, and includes charges of giving false ID, possession of controlled substances, criminal mischief and tampering with a government-issued license or certification in Houston. These crimes left a lasting mark on her record before she attempted a comeback.
After being released on parole from a Texas prison for failing to meet the conditions of deferred probation for the crimes of her younger days, Bond found herself among a supportive group – recovering addicts from Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). However, she reportedly preyed on vulnerable individuals within this group, charming and tricking them into giving her thousands of dollars.
Similar to current allegations, Bond was also caught stealing cash payments from prospective tenants while working as a temporary employee at Twelve Oaks Apartments on Highway 12 in Vidor in 2019, in addition to numerous other thefts throughout Jefferson and Orange counties.
As of press time, Bond had not been arrested for her most recent alleged crimes.