Texas Body Shop Owner Pleads Guilty in Insurance Fraud Case

A Travis County body shop owner was sentenced on March 13 to 10 years of probation after pleading guilty to reporting wrecks that never took place and damaging vehicles to increase insurance payouts, the Texas Department of Insurance reported.

The fraud took place over a five-year span, TDI investigators found. During that time, Elias Zapata changed the body shop’s name several times to avoid bad reviews. He pleaded guilty to a first-degree felony in February. Zapata was ordered to repay more than $76,000.

The case was prosecuted by Travis County Special Assistant District Attorney Brian Chandler.