HOUSTON -- Most people assume that men and women in security guard uniforms are legitimate, but a group of men working in northeast Houston were missing a few important things, KPRC Local 2 reported Tuesday.

"They had the patches and the badges," state Trooper Larry Shimek said. "You'd have no idea there was anything wrong unless you asked for their pocket card."

Security guards must be registered, have completed a criminal background check and, if they are carrying a gun, have a license or "pocket card."

Shimek said Texas Private Security required none of those things.

He said he found Wiggis J. Verdin, Rondall King, Donald Paul Lindsey and Joe David Rankin II working as security guards in cantinas and bars around northeast Houston who should not have been paid to protect anyone.

"They haven't been trained to use a weapon," Shimek said. "In this case the people we arrested were convicted felons and one was a sex offender. It's not safe for the public."

Over the past three months, all four men were arrested on charges of not having the proper licenses and some faces charges of carrying weapons as convicted felons. Rankin was also charged with failure to register as a sex offender.

Shimek said they were all working for the same man, Carlos Posadas. He was arrested Monday.

"Most of them he was picking up from homeless shelters, Shimek said. "(He took) them to get uniforms."

He said he believes Posadas was running the illegal business out of his home for at least seven months and was employing as many as 10 guards at one time.

Posadas' wife said she thinks her husband was wrongly arrested.

"He's a good guy, he's never done anything bad to me," said Patricia Walsh. "I don't know about that. I think he's doing everything right."

Troopers said these arrests may just be the beginning. They are already looking at six other people in connection with the case.