'Victims of Salim Zantout' Facebook group dedicated to foundation contractor accused of swindling

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- At 91 years old, Ocy Jones was not expecting to fight about the house he bought in the 1970s.

But in 2016, Jones found the house needed foundation repair, and on the recommendation of a neighbor, he hired Salim "Sam" Zantout. It's been a battle ever since.

"He did a real bad job," Jones, whose house was never properly repaired, said, adding the foundation was fully cracked.

According to Jones, Zantout swindled him out of $10,000.

"He can really convince you he is the best. Very, very smooth," Jones said.

Jones took action. He tried to chase down Zantout for his money, even hiring a lawyer to file a civil lawsuit. None of it went anywhere. Eventually, he found a Facebook page titled, "Victims of Salim Zantout," which chronicled his alleged bad deals.

That page, it turns out, is run by Lorena Reyes, who says she lost more than $130,000 to Zantout.

"I gave him $103,000 in two checks, and then he convinced me to buy a yacht, a boat," Reyes, who now lives in a small apartment with just a few pieces of furniture, said.

In 2017, Reyes needed her foundation repaired on her house and found Zantout's company. She said he pretended to fix her foundation, then started dating her, before convincing her to invest in building houses.

"He said, 'The houses you have right now are in such bad shape. If you really want to make money, the money is in new construction,'" she remembered. "'And because you are my girlfriend I can help you.'"

But there soon would be red flags. Zantout wouldn't meet Reyes late at night or on weekends, claiming he was busy and also running a club. Months went by and no houses were ever built.

Eventually, Reyes would lose all her money, and soon, creditors came calling. She had to sell the home she lived in and her nice car. These days, she lives in a small apartment with barely any furnishings.

"When the case went from HPD to the DAs, I feel hope," Reyes, who's now spent years trying to hold Zantout accountable, said.

Court records show Zantout is now criminally charged with swindling six people out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. He has also faced several civil lawsuits.

ABC13 knocked on the door of Zantout's listed home Thursday, which is a modern showcase overlooking Brays Bayou. Nobody answered the door, though neighbors confirmed they've seen him there. Nobody answered ABC13's phone calls to several businesses listed under his name.

However, with criminal charges pending, court records show Zantout hired an attorney, and he will have to show up in court.

"He needs to go to jail," Reyes said.

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