Bexar County, Texas, Gets Special Insurance Fraud Prosecutor

The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) has expanded its fight against insurance fraud into San Antonio. TDI Commissioner Eleanor Kitzman has announced the placement of a special insurance fraud prosecutor and investigator who have joined the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office.

Bexar County now joins Dallas and Harris Counties where specialized fraud teams are tracking criminals involved with insurance fraud. Bexar County District Attorney Susan Reed said her new fraud fighters demonstrate her office’s ongoing dedication to the prosecution of white collar crime in Bexar County.

“There are all kinds of avenues for insurance fraud and it requires a great deal of work in relation to its investigation proving it up and a type of specialized knowledge in how the system works,” Reed said. “We are grateful to TDI for the opportunity to partner with them and to make sure that our county is safe from unscrupulous individuals.”

The new special insurance fraud prosecutor is Nicole Thornbro, a nine-year veteran of the Bexar County District Attorney’s office who for the past six years has worked in the DA’s white collar division. Thornbro’s investigator is expected to be announced shortly. The salaries of both employees will be paid by the Texas Department of Insurance.

Commissioner Kitzman says insurance fraud is a prevalent throughout the state and costly to Texans.

“This is a pervasive crime and it costs everyone several hundred dollars because of it,” Kitzman said.

Texas Committee on Insurance Fraud spokesman Mark Hanna and National Insurance Crime Bureau special investigator Mike Gallagher also spoke at the news conference in San Antonio. Hanna said Commissioner Kitzman is sending out a very clear message.

“Commissioner Kitzman is making a statement by placing these special insurance fraud prosecutors and investigators in major cities across the state and saying if you commit insurance fraud in Texas, we’re coming after you,” Hanna said.

Texas Committee on Insurance Fraud is a group of concerned representatives of the insurance industry, state and county government, as well as Texas and national anti-fraud organizations who share a common goal in fighting insurance fraud. The Committee seeks ways to expand the state’s fraud fighting capabilities through public education, by enhancing communication and cooperation among fraud-fighting organizations and by proposing legislation to strengthen existing laws.

Topics Texas Fraud