Former Texas Insurance Agent Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Fraud

A former Texas insurance agent has been sentenced to five years in prison for insurance and identity theft fraud, according to state insurance regulators.

Dermaine Clark of San Antonio also was ordered to pay more than $45,000 for a string of insurance fraud cases, the Texas Department of Insurance announced on Aug. 15.

TDI says Clark used the stolen identities of dozens of people in the San Antonio area to make fraudulent life insurance policies without their knowledge. He would make the initial premium payments to collect commissions from the insurance company. Investigators say Clark tried the scheme 49 times in late 2009, stealing more than $32,000 in commissions.

One of the life insurance applications that Clark submitted was for a woman who had died three months earlier.

“It’s this kind of unscrupulous crime that puts a drag on the entire insurance system,” said TDI Fraud Director Chris Davis said in the announcement. “When an agent with access to people’s most personal information tries to game the system, there will be consequences.”

Insurance fraud was not the only crime uncovered during the agency’s investigation. During sentencing, TDI prosecutor Nicole Thornbro told the court that investigators also found that Clark was stealing profits from a San Antonio restaurant he was managing. Part of the ordered restitution was to the restaurant owners.

TDI investigators are certified peace officers and work closely with law enforcement authorities around the state to investigate insurance fraud cases.