Each year, the Texas Department of Insurance's fraudinvestigators examine fraud alleged to have been committed bypersons engaged in the insurance business as well as claim fraudcommitted by policyholders, service providers, and others.

In 2005 and the first part of 2006, TDI's Fraud Unitsuccessfully prosecuted 114 cases of people who got busted tryingto make money through insurance fraud. Last week e-News featuredfive of the cases. Here, in no particular order, are the remainingfive on the TDI's list of the top 10 insurance fraud offenders:

6. Dirk Rose continued working for almost three years whilereceiving Long Term Disability benefits and Workers' Compensationbenefits. Insurers paid $103,004.60 to Rose and medical providersduring the course of his scheme. Rose received 120 months probationfor insurance fraud, was fined $2,500 and was ordered to pay$81,000 in restitution.

7. Rodney Bigler, a passenger in a vehicle involved in anaccident, submitted a fraudulent statement to the at-fault driver'sinsurance company for $40,000 in lost wages attributable to theaccident. Bigler pled guilty to the offense of Insurance Fraud andwas sentenced to two years in the Texas Department of CriminalJustice.

8. Katie James filed a claim on a credit disability policy usingfraudulent medical records to support her claim. She received$8,275 in payments before her scheme was detected. James wassentenced to 30 days confinement for Insurance Fraud, was orderedto serve five years probation, was fined $500 and ordered to payrestitution in the amount of $8,284.

9. Jose Vega, a former Texas Peace Officer, filed a claim withhis insurer for $7,790.50 in items stolen during a burglary of hisresidence. The burglary never happened and the items were notstolen. Vega received five years deferred adjudication, was orderedto complete 260 hours of community service, and was ordered to pay$7,790.50 in restitution. In addition Vega was ordered to surrenderhis peace officer license to the Texas Commission on LawEnforcement Officer Standards and Education.

10. Donald "Tony" Brelsford, a former agent, received insurancepremiums from two business clients, and instead of forwarding thepremiums to the insurance company, used the money for his ownbenefit. Brelsford received 10 years deferred adjudication and wasordered to pay restitution in the amount of $74,021.