Veteran firefighter gets 4 years probation, thousands in fines in insurance fraud case

Emilio Montes is a 21-year veteran of SAFD

SAN ANTONIO – A 21-year veteran of the San Antonio Fire Department was sentenced to four years of probation, 280 hours of community service and ordered to pay thousands of dollars in fines and restitution as part of a plea deal in an insurance fraud case, court records obtained by KSAT 12's defenders show.

SAFD engineer Emilio Montes pleaded no contest to insurance fraud between $2,500 and $30,000 Friday morning.

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Montes, who is a battalion chief's aide, was placed on suspension pending further investigation, according to SAFD officials.

An indictment states in November of 2016, Montes submitted a claim under his Property and Casualty Policy with USAA for property valued between $2,500 and $30,000, but the claim included "false and misleading" information.

According to the indictment, there were concerns surrounding whether his property was lost or damaged under the circumstances he described in his claim.

Under his plea deal, Montes will have to pay a $2,000 fine and a restitution of $14,734.48 to Wells Fargo Bank.

Online records through the Texas Tribune indicate Montes earns an annual salary of $67,296.


About the Authors

Emmy-award winning reporter Dillon Collier joined KSAT Investigates in September 2016. Dillon's investigative stories air weeknights on the Nightbeat and on the Six O'Clock News. Dillon is a two-time Houston Press Club Journalist of the Year and a Texas Associated Press Broadcasters Reporter of the Year.

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