Page 15 - March 2021 TTI

Fraudulent Investigators

by Dave Shafer

Shanna Poteet, a self-described local child abuse victims activity and attempting to extort those individuals.
advocate, had been volunteering in the search for three- These activities were posted on social media, visible by
year-old Sherin Mathews. While posting on various anyone. When Poteet began posting her observations
social media platforms to raise awareness of the missing of Bana’s activities on her own social media account,
child, Poteet came in contact with Reena Bana in 2017. Bana responded with a lawsuit. The Plaintiff’s Original
Bana claimed she too was looking for Sherin, had once Petition in Dallas County Cause DC-19-07104 accused
been accepted to work in law enforcement, and was Poteet of making false accusations against Bana (Zaidi),
certified in Criminology and Forensics. While the including holding herself (Bana) as a licensed private
search efforts for little Sherin ended in tragedy, Poteet investigator, FBI employee, claiming law enforcement
and Bana continued communication, eventually credentials and that she had in fact assisted law
teaming up in an effort to have the child welfare laws in enforcement in the past, making threats and preying on
Texas amended. distraught families.

It was during this work Bana (court documents identify Bana filed the lawsuit in District Court seeking
her as Reena Bana-Zaidi) was first observed claiming to monetary relief “over $200,000 but not more than
have “been accepted to work for Irving Police,” but $1,000,000, as well as non-monetary relief.” However,
choosing to have a child instead. Initially, Poteet per the Final Judgment, signed August 13, 2020, the
thought nothing of the claim. The pair formed a non- only relief Bana received from the court was against the
profit organization to solicit donations in aid of their non-profit for access to financial records and $1,500 for
attempts to lobby legislative changes to Texas law. attorney’s fees. Bana was specifically awarded nothing
Things took a dramatic turn when Bana became distant in her misrepresentation and defamation claims against
with Poteet. Finally, months later Poteet demanded to Poteet, but was awarded larger sums “in the event that
see financial records for the organization, insistent Plaintiff prevails in any appeal to the court of appeals
money had disappeared. brought by either or both Defendants,” as well as
similar language should either Defendant appeal to the
Poteet, concerned by what she characterized as bizarre
Supreme Court of Texas. No other relief was granted.
and erratic behavior on the part of Miss Bana, began
looking into Bana’s past. She discovered Bana possessed No action was taken against Bana for falsely
a Euless arrest record including two separate charges of representing herself as a private investigator, a violation
credit/debit card abuse and one count of fraudulent of Chapter 1702 of the Texas Occupations Code,
use/possession of identifying information, all three though the final judgment indicates Bana did, in fact,
resulting in conviction. Posts on Bana’s social media make such false assertions.
indicated she had passed herself off as both a law
At this time, there is no known investigation into Bana’s
enforcement employee and a licensed private
activities by the Private Security Commission or
investigator.
Department of Public Safety for any possible violations
Pretending to be a licensed private investigator, Bana of Chapter 1702. Bana appears to be yet another
reached out to individuals who posted GoFundMe example of individuals flouting the Occupations Code,
accounts, claiming to have found evidence of criminal and getting away with it.

THE TEXAS INVESTIGATOR MARCH 2021 | 13